Ah, Japan.
I loved it, loved it, really really loved it.
When I first dreamed this trip, before I decided I wanted to loop the globe my destination was Japan (I had vague notions about heading back on the Trans Siberian Express or something). I wanted to go to a country where everything was just so alien to me that I would be completely thrown and could revel in the other worldliness of it all, where the language was so different I would never be able to even begin to guess what was meant by anything that was written or said. I looked forward to the challenge of the supermarket, the home of manga, a land where even the toilets are hi tech, where small is beautiful and everything works on the basis of hyper politeness and following the rules, where adult manga happily coexists with hello kitty and where the kids dress up as cartoon characters and amazingly don't get their heads kicked in.
But ultimately the reason that I loved Japan was not because it was so alien but because it felt so much like coming home. A hyper clean, ultra polite, super colourful, techno logic home maybe, but still very much home.
After the tumult of India, the humidity of SE Asia and the arse breaking construction and tough riding of China, Japan was just a blessed relief. You can indeed see all the crazy stuff you've heard of in Japan, but ultimately I've seen so many bizarre things by now I think I'd be hard pressed to find anything that humanity did that could stun me. Admittedly we couldn't understand the language but we've been miming our way round the globe in some fashion since Calais and finding what you want in the supermarket is tricky but in places like Bulgaria just finding a shop is an adventure so finding stuff in a shop is nowt. In the end Japan was just not that strange to me but then again I do love a good bit of quirk and frivolity, and so I loved Japan.
Arriving in Japan felt like coming home because of the little things: people queue, everyone drives on the left and actually follows the rules of the road, no one tries to push you out the way or run you over, drivers allow each other to pull out, no one stares at you cos you're weird... how rude, there's no smog, the rivers are clean, the roads are good and despite people telling us otherwise people DO speak English (though you might need to initiate the conversation). Its easy. Things work. People are polite... really polite and generous too. Obviously it helps if you are polite and kind in return but I like it, I like manners, they're underrated. I think its nice to be nice. I can see how for some people it could get overly fluffy at times which is why Japan is the home of kawaii = cute but hell, give me fluffy cute ;-D over pushy, rude }-( any day, at least you can have a laugh at it if it all gets too much, there's always something to make you smile even if its just the best sushi you've ever eaten or a trip to the toilet.
Japan is the most westernised country we have been to since leaving Europe but in many ways nicer...surface nice maybe but as a tourist that's what you see. Its the cleanest country in the world (because no one ever drops any litter), the roads are safe, people are helpful, when I was lost or trying to find something I would just look around for the nearest young person who would find what I was looking for on their phone's gps and align me with the map (an essential piece of gadgetry for all residents, I'm stunned by how such an orderly country can have such total anarchy in street numbering). I am aware that no country is perfect, I am aware of its flaws with regards to marine life, dog fights and fellow citizens of the world. But as a guest and on a bike, you get to see the best the country and its people have to offer, which is substantial.
When going to Japan we were a little worried about costs (to put this in perspective we have a daily budget of £9 per day... a melon in a supermarket can cost £20, the cheapest rooms in hostels about £30 per person). So before we went we stocked up on basic foodstuffs in China so we could cook for ourselves, we needn't have as food is not actually that expensive at all and you can get great sushi for less than it costs in London (or really cheap if you go to the supermarket at the end of the day). We were also not too worried about accommodation whilst we were riding in the countryside as we live in a tent, but maybe not so good in the cities. And so we got into warm showers and couch surfing, this was a turning point. Through people we met on both these sites we learned and accessed a lot more than we ever would have done on our own. Japan is a country which could be quite difficult to fully appreciate if you didn't know someone who lived there. Signs are rarely in English so its hard to tell from the outside the difference between a restaurant/bar/strip joint (they're fond of curtains over windows and doors regardless of how innocent the proceedings going on behind).
It was also heartwarming to meet people who not only let us into their homes but frequently left them open for us to wander into, total strangers, all their gear there, without even meeting us (the kind of thing your mother would warn you not to do). Admittedly there's no one safer to let into you home than a cycle tourist, they're never going to nick your stuff, they don't want the extra weight.
So here the list of honour begins...
Here's to K who we barely even saw who just leaves his door open to anyone whilst running around helping the homeless of Osaka in his spare time; to Jun who took us in in Nara, awed us with his epic 4 year Alaska to Tierra del Fuego bike ride, showed us round the primeval forest and politely ate the driest fried egg sandwich in the world cos I made it for him, what a gent; Will and Chrissie in Numazu at the foot of Fuji, who helped us devise routes, took us for filthy ramen/tasty sushi, introduced us to the pleasures of sumo and plum wine and took us for our first great pint of ale since leaving home, may all your dreams come true; and a final hip hip to Fuminori in Tokyo, who's not even on warmshowers or couchsurfing but who still left us the keys to his apartment in his mailbox without even meeting us, took us sake and shōchū sampling, had James eating raw horse and squid guts (the man's one step away from roadkill I tell you); we are humbled and thank you all, our door is open... when we get around to having one over a tent flap.
I had always wanted to visit Japan in the spring for the cherry blossom (sakura - Japans national flower, its everywhere). Alas we were 6 months out of sync. This was a deep disappointment until we met Mr Watanabe on the ferry (a lovely character, who had just done a trip to London and back, over land and sea, so he could ride on a canal boat). Mr Watanabe was thrilled that we'd be in Japan for the autumn colours, which is just as big a deal in Japan as the sakura season. Get in! So we stumbled in on one of natures most beautiful fleeting shows and if you think there are lots of pictures of red leaves on my flickr site you should have seen the number I deleted. This was just spectacular spectacular. Also we were in camellia season (which must surely be Japan's 2nd national flower), its happy pink bloom was present at every turn and so the missed sakura was compensated for by a spectacle I hadn't even known about.
Osaka was a fine start to our trip in Japan. Its bladerunner neon streets throng with crowds of coiffed and primped youth, their efforts in grooming would make most gay men look slovenly, the salary men moving purposefully through the crowds are easily identified by their signature slick suits and the schoolgirls in their sailor suit uniforms are unnerving as a result of kill bill flashbacks.
There are also cyclists moving easily through the streets on such a huge scale that it gives me hope for the future. Osaka had an instant positive effect on me. Though there are no major sights here its a great place to find your feet.
Nara the forerunner of Kyoto as the capital of Japan of old, has you tripping over jaw dropping shrine complexes which we spent days happily exploring, as well as beautiful parks complete with deer which are protected as National Treasures. The deer, used to being fed deer biscuits, generally maul around the park terrorising children. It regularly makes the children cry, which made me laugh cos there's nothing less frightening than a deer (except when you're 2ft tall). Nara is also blessed with a stunning primeval forest where the trees were frankly showing off in reds and golds.
Kyoto is just rammed full of beautiful old buildings, temples, shrines, torii gates, shinto priests and women wandering round in Kimono's often carrying ultra cute little girls in pink kimono's in their arms, their hair in spiky gravity defying bunches, you'll be hard pressed to find anything cuter than a little Japanese girl in a pink kimono.
Kyoto is also where most of the Geisha in Japan live but because they live very secluded lives its pretty uncommon to see one. Wandering down to the Gion district we happened to wander into a quiet street, just admiring the houses when not one but about half a dozen Geisha emerged from doorways on their way to their evenings appointments. Spotted, I felt like a twitcher of humanity.
Before reaching the foothills of the lovely Japanese alps, we had to cross from Lake Biwa to Nagoya, a trip we wanted to complete as quickly as possible to reach the main alpine attraction. To get there we had to ride over a pass where the problem of not being able to read Japanese became apparent. As we made our ascent along the 'scenic' route we could see lots of signs which meant nothing to us but as everyone was overtaking us up the road and no one said anything we pressed on. Only as we were approaching the peak, having ridden uphill for a few hours, did a lady stop us to tell us that on the other side the road was "not there" and "washed away". To which we thought... "pants".
It was getting late, we had a dilemma, to go back around would put 2 days on our journey AND where the hell would we camp... so we pressed on. The roadblock was substantial but we managed to get our bikes round the side and gingerly made our way upwards on the hillside road being careful at every bend. There wasn't a landslide... there were several landslides.
As it got dark we pitched our tent to the edge of the deserted road, made dinner, giving some to the ancestors just in case. After dark a couple of motorcyclists came through from the direction we had come attempting the same thing. After much toing and froing their friends joined them, 2 got through 2 turned back, we felt encouraged by the fact that they hadn't all returned, they must have gotten through (or dropped off the edge!). As it happens they had not only made it but had built a small bridge over the most precarious bit making it safer for us, I was never so grateful.
But aside from the occassional blip and not so great industrial city sprawl concentrated on the flat bits Japan is just an amazingly picturesque country. Although a lot of the countryside is over engineered with unnecessary civic works projects it is still stunning and well covered with forest, rivers and flowers. We spent our time crossing from Kyoto to Fuji by skimming through the foothills of the beautiful Japanese alps, which look a lot like the Alps closer to home except the farmed bits are trimmed with the neatest tea bushes I have ever seen and we had an encounter with a serrow which left me squeaking 'wtf was that!' (google it, tis a very cool goat). I also spotted a Japanese weasel which pleased me no end, but sadly the only tanuki (japanese racoon dog - actually a fox) we saw was squashed flat on the road, one for j's list of the dead.
Dropping down from the alps towards Numazu we got our first glimpse of Fuji. I was thrilled to be getting so close to the dormant (but not dead) volcano as it was one of my dreams to see it. However despite spending a few days in Numazu, at the foot of Fuji, we were not to see it again properly as it was all but permanently shrouded in mist rising from its snow capped peak. We had no idea about it being notoriously difficult to see. As we left to skim around the edge of the mountain in a fine drizzle I was gutted to not have taken a picture of it when I'd had the chance at a clear shot. The road we took was hard, wet and grey and we were forced to camp short of our planned camp spot over the pass, past Fuji, as the gloom deepened towards sunset. For once I was pleased about the rain which delayed us as the next day turned into fine Fuji viewing weather and as we descended from the pass and rounded the curve of the hills the shy Mount Fuji was in full glorious view.
From Fuji we hoofed our way to Tokyo, the city to top all cities, where we ambled around checking out the kids in costume, rockabilies in the park and performance atristes generally bobbing around, doing bizarre stuff, and being artistes. We also took the time to fully verse ourselves on the latest Japanese fashion on the street...we just didn't expect the dogs to be wearing so much of it.
Japan is teeming with, for me, the most beautiful temples in the world. I love wood, its a well known fact, I love it when its trees, I love it when its furniture, I love it new, I love it old, and I love it when is Japanese temples and shrines.
Beyond the splendid painted wooden temples of Kyoto and Nara many of the temples of Japan are natural beauties. They are built with a lightness and warmth of sun bleached pale wood and light paper frame windows, the shinto shrines equipped with bells for calling the gods and torii gates to signify you are entering a sacred space (sometimes its just the torii gate). The lovely Fuki ji on the equally lovely Shikoku Island was built in 718, still stands, is still used and makes me want to run around naked in it but fear not I reigned the impulse in.
Shikoku will also be memorable to me not only for the temples for which it is famed but also for its amazing coastal riding and the endless orange groves which scent the air.
Its also unforgetable for Uwajima's infamous sex shrine and sex museum. The sex shrine itself has been around for some time and is a working temple. The museum ajoining it though is three floors of floor to ceiling (and I include the ceiling) of sex related paraphenalia from around the world. When you see this stuff you've got to wonder about the guy who was collecting it, like how many examples of sexually explicit saucers featuring Geisha do you need man?! I have to admit Europe's representation makes us look a bit on the severe side, it was all s&m circa 1970's. At the end of our perusal it had James crying 'no more penis's'!
Moving on... Japan also has some of the prettiest castles in the world. The Japanese with at times a penchant for form over function had a tendancy to build their castles from wood. Clearly in times of peril or natural disaster this was not the best move and most of Japans once plentiful castles have since been razed to the ground falling victim to bombs, fire and lightning, but a few hang on in there and are so beautiful you can forgive the folly of the architecture.
But in the end despite the deer, temples, castles, and shrines; the crazed kids and rockabillies in Tokyo's parks; the fashionable friendly people in the cities of cute and lovely; the nice roads and nicer drivers; the wildlife and mountians; my all time ultimate favourite thing about Japan has to be...
...the onsen. We loved the onsen so much that towards the end of our trip we were planning our route around where we could find an onsen rather than things to see.
Onsen are natural hot spring spas and to be riding through Japan in a chilly, wet autumn, soaked through and muddy and come across a roadside onsen makes you believe in a god of cyclists.
Onsens have a space for showering and a communal bath for genrally soaking in, some are fancy, some are basic but all are perfect when you have been chilled to the bone, are caked in mud and are unconcerned about total nudity.
Some onsen have a 'no tatoos' rule to keep out tattoo'd gangster types apparently. This was a bit of a blow as I have 2 on opposite sides of my body which are fairly difficult to hide without looking shifty, but I was so cold I just brazened it and went in anyway, when I was finally rumbled I was just given a plaster to cover them... bit of a pointless exercise when sitting in steaming hot water but hey ho, I was just glad not to get turfed out before I was clean. As a special treat towards the end of our trip James booked us into a Ryokan which had private onsens. So we basically spent our time steaming ourselves to the cleanest we've been since leaving home and sitting around drinking tea on tatami mats.
In the end I was so thrilled with Japan that I was gutted to be leaving, it was just such a great place for cycling and a great place to be. But Korea beckoned and the trans siberian express remains an option, maybe next time there'll even be cherry blossom viewing over a nice spot of plum shochu.
tx
Saturday, 23 January 2010
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