Home » Japan » The top half of Japan… and the decision to head onwards alone

“Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair” (Robert Frost) .

The top half of Japan… and the decision to head onwards alone

Rob Lilwall
2007-12-01 14:32:32

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www.cyclinghomefromsiberia.com

Current Location: Nagoya (Japan's third largest city, 300km south of Tokyo)
KM cycled: 7,300
KM to home: 17,700 (at least - a bit of a detour is currently fermenting -
see below)

"Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth; Then took the other, as just as fair" (Robert Frost) .

As a geography teacher, I knew that Japan was a hot country... a land free of snow and ice!

As our boat from Russia docked in the northernmost Japanese port of Wakkanai, I vaguely recalled that as a geography teacher (in a former life) i had droned on to my poor pupils about the important features of this unique nation... composed of 4 main islands (and many small ones), Japan is flung out on the far Eastern edge of the world, a part of Asia, yet very distinct within it. Strewn with mountains, 120 million people are crammed into valleys and coastal areas, and despite being low on mineral wealth and high on devastating earthquakes, volcanoes, typhoons, and wars, Japan is still an exceptionally prosperous country - a prosperity earned through hard work and high technology. It is also a country with a rich culture of traditions. Thus was my stereotyped expectation.

The ice free Japanese roads we had dreamed of in Russia turned out to be a false hope... in fact there was more snow in northern Japan than in Siberia. However, we did soon find that Japan is a wonderful place for the English wildman who is in need of some luxury. The train stations stay open all night, are outstandingly clean, and nobody seems to object to the slumbering presence of a damp cyclist. Once I asked some cleaning ladies who were tidying up where i could sleep... without hesitation they suggested the very floor which they were cleaning! Can you imagine that happening ...