chukster

Does anyone have any info on guided or self guided touring companies which operate in Japan?

arctos

Two different Hokkaido bike tours in progress or recently.

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/p...id=26174&v=2MB

https://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?...c_id=4360&v=4R

raybo

This page has 3 links to information about bike touring in Japan.

Ray

hardtail

Hi Chukster,

I lived in Japan for a few years and have toured on all four islands, including Hokkaido. Not really sure a touring company would enhance your experience of touring in Japan. Culturally the Japanese tend to be quite regimented and any tour groups I've seen tend to stick to a pretty tight schedule.

Bicycle touring in Japan is really great and Hokkaido is regarded as the best place in Japan to spend a few weeks on your bike.

If you have any questions re locations in Hokkaido just post here and if I have any info I'll be happy to reply

JohnyW

Hi,

if you want to do it on your own here is a proposal: https://japancycling.org/v2/cguide/part3/
I met the creator of this track and cycled partly on it. It's a good track often on remote roads.

Nearly nobody speaks English in Japan, but it's quite easy to cycle on your own. Road signs are all bilingual and hotels, campgrounds, restaurants are easy to find. Food is displayed with plastic models. Prices are cheap. Campgrounds 0-600 JPY Meal 600-1000 JPY

Thomas

IceNine

I lived in Japan for 5 years and learned to speak Japanese while there. I'd disagree with the comment that nobody speaks Japanese. While it is true that not many are totally fluent, almost everyone speaks a little since they have to take about 6 years in school, and many adults take English conversation classes. In my experience, it is not at all uncommon for people to come up to you and try to practice their English. Many signs are posted in English and Japanese, so it really isn't hard to get around without a working knowledge of Japanese.

I never did any bicycle touring while in Japan but I will definitely go back and do so one day. By all means take advantage of the hot springs (onsen) while you are there. There is nothing like it here in the states. I used to go every chance I had. When I do a bicycle tour there, my tour will be organized around the onsen. You can pay to stay the day, and then just hang out in a communal resting room with others who are just lounging around waiting for their next dip. You can't stay in the water continuously since they make the water so hot, so you have to get out and cool off after a while. The daily rate is really very reasonable at most of the onsen.

And in terms of where to go, I'd avoid the rainy season which starts in southern Japan in May/June and then moves north. Not sure if Hokkaido has a rainy season, but you'd want to check on that. Kyushu (the southernmost island of the four main islands) would be a great place to tour from mid-Feb to mid-May or mid-Sep through November. There are also some smaller islands that would be fantastic to see by bike. Most of the country is either coastline or nearby moutains with no flatland in between. So you could easily spend your tour hugging the gorgeous coast half the time, and climbing the nearby hills in between. Hokkaido may be a little different though as I was never there.

And I would recommend touring on your own. I think it is doable in Japan if you are willing to do a little homework and would allow you to tailor your tour to what suits you best.

JohnyW

I wrote "nearly nobody" We met about 20 cyclists or about 50 hikers per day. In 4 weeks we could talk with about 10 persons in 4 weeks. In our Japanese office work (international company) 15 employees 3 of them speak English. In youth hostels is always a person who speaks English. In the mayor tourist offices English is spoken. Eg. In Kushiro at the airport we needed 30 min. to get a map with hotels. A phrase book helped us. Later we learned the computers are common. Open the web - search for a translation programm - and everything is fine.

Thomas

gavsaway

I havent heard of any companies operating up in hokkaido, but i have friend who did the north east coast up through the national parks with his wife a few years ago. He was telling me that there are few roads to get lost on and there is very cheap accomodation ( ¥1000 per night) at little road side hostel like things designed specifically with the touring cyclist in mind. Grab a map and point the bike north was his recommendation. You can get maps in english from most of the tourist info places so shouldn't be too much of a drama. This site be a help, www.japancycling.org, they have an english section aimed at people like yourself.
Good luck
Gav
www.cycle-for-change.com

gavsaway

these guys are advertising on this very site

HokkaidoRider

Hokkaido is one of the *best* places to bike tour anywhere. Just enough remote areas, accomadations, great people, TONS of onsens, and very very cheap camping (if not free). Save your coin that you'd spend on a tour. Buy the Touring Mapple Hokkaido, start matching kanji up to place names and lay out a route, it'll be worth it.

chukster

Hi Thomas,

Thanks for the great information.

Cheers