Touring - Vacation in Japan, shall I bring a bike?

I am planning on being in Japan in late September for a couple weeks vacation. I plan to fly into Tokyo then hop the bullet train to Fukuoka and make base of operations at a friend's house there.

For those of you who may have spent time there:
Is it easy to take bikes on the trains, say from Fukuoka to Nagasaki? Are cities like Fukuoka and Nagasaki friendly for peddling around town and seeing the sights?

Anyone have suggestions for must-see places on Kyushu or the stretch between Tokyo and Fukuoka?

I would love to hear experiences from folks who have done similar trips.

FF

I am planning on being in Japan in late September for a couple weeks vacation. I plan to fly into Tokyo then hop the bullet train to Fukuoka and make base of operations at a friend's house there.

For those of you who may have spent time there:
Is it easy to take bikes on the trains, say from Fukuoka to Nagasaki? Are cities like Fukuoka and Nagasaki friendly for peddling around town and seeing the sights?

Anyone have suggestions for must-see places on Kyushu or the stretch between Tokyo and Fukuoka?

I would love to hear experiences from folks who have done similar trips.

FF

I lived in Japan for a few years, in Iwakuni not far from Hiroshima.

Things may have changed, but they wanted ME to put my bike in a box. Japanese trains are primarily for commuters, not long distance travelers (the country is small, after all). Also the Japanese are so concerned with cleanliness, they didn't like the idea of my grubby bike (it was rainy season) on their spotless trains.

The whole country is beautiful if ya ask me. I would recommend you stay in the hilly interior regions rather than the coastal areas where the highways and population centers are. On Kyushu, make sure you see Mt. Aso, a rather active volcano that occasionally spits out stones/rocks and sends tourists scrambling for shelter.

Things you will notice: first, the roads are incredibly narrow in many places; thank goodness they drive small cars and are so polite! On a rainy day don't be surprised if they pull up ahead of you and offer you a ride to wherever they are going. Second, some of the climbs are very steep. Volcanic hillsides are steep slopes and land is so expensive there they don't take much land for building switchbacks. In fact the whole concept of 'taking public land' does not exist: so in urban areas even heavily traveled highways can be two laned streets with no shoulders. It can take 8 hours, for example, to go from Narita airport to Tokyo's central business district by bus.

Third the prices are frightening. A cup of coffee in a small diner to start the day can set ya back $4! I was able to cut costs by wild camping, as the hillsides are forested so you can tuck into them pretty easily.

Late september is a good time: the weather is cool and the rainy season is over. It is TYPHOON Season, but you;ll get plenty of warning. I wild camped thru a 2 day howling typhoon a few years ago..it was quite a hair raising experience.

The 'Japanese Alps' are north of Tokyo, so they are not in the area where you will be riding. But you will love almost any area you see. Good luck.

roughstuff

I am totally in agreement about staying away from the big population centers. I do want to fly into Tokyo and ride the shinkansen just to say "been there, done that".

One of the guide books I bought mentions bike bags for taking the bike on the trains. Sounds a bit easier to deal with between trains than a box, but I have never seen one advertised here. Will have to check into that further.

Fortunately, the trip will be after a summer of riding. If I went now, after a couple low mileage months, biking the hills would probably take most of the fun out of the trip.

Still not sure if, for two weeks, I should bring a bike or just use the trains and my feet to get around. I will be centered near Fukuoka because I will have a place to sleep there, but I don't want to depend on my host for transport and entertainment.

Ah well, still have a few months to work it all out.

Just thought I'd add a word about bringing your bike on the train in Japan. You don't need a box, per se, but virtually all rail companies require that the bike be packed... :rolleyes: Most people over here use specially made bags sold in any bike shop (called rinkobukuro in Japanese) for about $20 (?). All you need to do is remove the wheels and slip everything into the bag and you're ready to board the train.

I'm not sure if you're getting a bike when you land or taking one with you from your home country. Japan is biking country, at least in the rural areas, like Shikoku. As above, stay away from the peak times and get a bag and you'll be ok on the trains. but if you turn up at 8am you'll annoy the hell out of everyone and possibly be told not to get on by a guard. 99% of Japanese ride "mamacharis" (googlimage it) where I am, but in the big places, like, Tokyo bikes are pretty limited. I asked a Tokyo-ite friend if she had a bike and she looked at me as if I was stupid. Kyushu is gorgeous tho and good for cycling as far as I'm aware. Rather than spread yourself too thin, I'd go straight down there and not worry to much about the 88 temples of Shikoku; they're wonderful and some of them are absolutely spectacularly placed, but isn't it better to soak up the atmosphere of one Island well?
You've timed it well for the heat. In the last two weeks of Sept (roughly), there will come a night when it feels like someone just turned the heat off.
Gambate!

Just thought I'd add a word about bringing your bike on the train in Japan. You don't need a box, per se, but virtually all rail companies require that the bike be packed... :rolleyes: Most people over here use specially made bags sold in any bike shop (called rinkobukuro in Japanese) for about $20 (?). All you need to do is remove the wheels and slip everything into the bag and you're ready to board the train.
I live in Osaka-I've taken my bike on the train-we left early to reduce the traffic-bought the bike bag at Ashahi(chain bike store-not the beer :-) ) for about 3200 yen you can buy a cheap bag, you take off your wheels and stuff the bike in the bag. for about 7100 yen you can buy a better bag that is strong enough to allow you to hang the bag from the luggage rack on the train and thereby reduce the amount of room you are taking up.

Noodle shops are good places for cheap food.

Roads are narrow. Few roads with shoulders. Most Japanese are polite. Watch out for the truck drivers though!
There are several long walkways/bikeways that follow the rivers. I know that I can ride along the river from N. Osaka all the way to Kyoto. So if you do have to go to urban areas, check out the bike paths near the rivers.

American Sensei

In general, the Japanese public transportation system is not bike friendly. They regard bicycles as commuting tools..... you ride your bike to the train station or bus depot, park your bike in the bike parking lot along with several hundred others, and hop on the train or bus.....return at 2am & retrieve your bike. At least this has been my experience from living in Yokohama for close to 20 years. My suggestion is to take a folding bike.

I Went but to Japan last year but not with the bike..I wish I had taken my folderwith me.as there is a lot of walking to do to get around the sights espec Kyoto ,Nara Kamakura..If you can delay your trip a bit I recommend you go Early November as Jaoan enoys the Fall just as much as America..Shinto temples surrounded by red maples are beautiful.as I discovered in Kyoto and liwajima Island near Hiroshima ..Get your railpass before you go and consider not activating it until you are ready to leave your first stop otherwise you may be wasting a couple of days of your pass..Hope this imformation is of some relevence to you...