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Hyogo Prefecture is known for its capital and port, Kobe, but inland it has many other distinct areas, each proud of its culture and history. On this 300-km trip we cross the autumn mountains to encounter fascinating characters such as a farming couple who rescued a rare, historical variety of bean, and the lone artisan still plying a famous wicker trunk craft tradition. We'll ride the far coastline with a local cycling team, and visit a tiny country smokehouse run by a husband and wife.
This time, we take in the tropical breeze and blue ocean while cycling around the Miyako Islands in Okinawa Prefecture. Our cyclist samples local specialties including a kind of tofu made with seawater and gets a look at the Sanshin, a traditional instrument for playing folk songs loved by locals. He also chows down on local cuisine, discovers amazing white sand beaches, and marvels at a more relaxed, traditional way of life. Come with us to these beautiful southern islands.
A ride through the high mountains of Yamagata Prefecture, northern Japan, with a cyclist on his first long road trip. An interest in Eastern philosophy has drawn him to the 3 Mountains of Dewa, a legendary abode of kami deities. We begin by cycling among cherry trees and meeting a veteran artisan of Japanese chess pieces. On Mt. Haguro, we're guided up the sacred peak by a Yamabushi mountain ascetic. Finally, we help a free-spirited falconer train his bird of prey in the snowy wilderness.
This time, we ride south from Narita Airport for a vibrant spring ride through the Boso Peninsula. It's April, and the cherry blossom trees are in full bloom! First, we ride along Japan's second-longest river, which makes the peninsula a great place for farming, and see a festival created to pray for a good harvest. We also visit a secluded inn and try dishes made with freshly picked bamboo shoots. Our ride ends near the coast, where we learn about the unique spirit of some chic fishermen!
Our New Zealand cyclist begins his ride through Tottori Prefecture with a fat bike tour of its spectacular 16-km long sand dunes. In the mountains, he drops in to a high school calligraphy club where he is hugely impressed by the way these young girls have created a powerful performance using traditional brush calligraphy and music. Returning to the coast, he's amazed by hearing from farmers how their ancestors' hard work and inventiveness produced techniques for growing food in sand. Join us, and discover this unique part of Japan.
Oita Prefecture has been known since ancient times as the "Land of Plenty." But why? Cyclist James Hobbs looks for answers on a 3 day, 350km ride through this southern region. His route through Oita's majestic mountains brings him in touch with a doctor carefully looking after the region's aged residents. He also visits an island of just 18 inhabitants and learns how those inhabitants are working to keep their traditions alive for the future. All that and more on this ride through the Land of Plenty!
Our cyclist begins on Tanegashima with a ride down its beautiful coast and a quick dip in its hot rock-heated pools. Next, he cycles past stones carved by the ocean into fantastic shapes to Japan's biggest space center. Local schools here host children from all over the country for a year to learn about space and experience island life. Finally, he crosses to legendary Yakushima to explore its millennia-old forests and discover how nature inspires its islanders.
Miyagi Prefecture is a beautiful part of Japan, and in autumn its seas and mountains are at their most scenic. Towns along this coast that were devastated by the great tsunami in 2011 are now almost totally restored. During this 300km cycle adventure, we'll encounter the irrepressible spirit of people who overcame disaster and the loss of loved ones to rebuild their lives, as we visit a workshop making salt the ancient way and a local festival that kept spirits high when times were tough.
This three-day, 360km trip takes us from lowland Gifu Prefecture and its blossoming cherry trees north into the snow-covered central mountains. We'll visit a traditional swordsmith to watch him forge katana blades from living flame, a hillside town built on water and some of Japan's most iconic thatched-roof homes. A final adventure involves our cyclist in a 200-year old tradition of amateur village kabuki, one of the many ways people have found to enjoy life in the remote mountains.
Our ironman cyclist Michael sets off from Osaka. Leaving the giant city, he tackles the challenge of Japan's steepest road on his way to historic Nara Prefecture, site of the capital 1,300 years ago. As he rides through this tranquil countryside, he dives into a world of myth -- from Nara's sacred forest, brilliant with the colors of fall, he travels south to a land teeming with prehistoric burial mounds. Here, where ancient rulers slept for millennia, the old wisdom still shows us how to live in harmony with nature.
