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Shimanami (of course), Lake Biwa (completely around), Mt. Aso, Shikoku (completely around), the island of Sado (completely around), and Shibu Toge (pass). There’s a brief section at the end covering the Fukui coastline, though oddly NOT along the coastal Kono Kaigan (former) toll road, choosing to go inland for that section instead. (Why? No explanation given.) The extensive coverage of course includes things to eat and drink and tons of photos, and thankfully doesn’t spend any page space on fashion advice. Considering the size, the price of ¥1,980 seems well worth it.

100 KM RIDE PLANNING

July’s Cycle Sports focuses on 100 km rides with what it calls a “complete guide.” In this case, that means lots of information on how to plan routes, “self-conditioning” and a multi-page section on stretching exercises (which looks quite useful!) but unfortunately only a single route listed. Still worth a look. The magazine also includes a free small water-resistant money container (about the size of a coin purse). If you’re quick, you can find a copy in bookstores — otherwise, contact Cycle Sports to pick it up as a back issue.


RAIL LINES & GREAT VIEWS

Kyodo News online has a nice article on the repurposing of discontinued rail lines into cycle routes.  And the May editions of both cycle magazines have articles worth a look: May’s Bicycle Club has an article on “Camera X Bicycle” — tips on how to photograph your bicycle and your cycle trip. And Cycle Sports has a major feature on “great view cycling” — five major routes plus seven “gravel road” routes, both with QR code maps. There’s also a “cross-Japan” section with 24 route area suggestions, regrettably without map links but with nice small photos. On sale now; get your copy before they’re all gone.


HAPPY NEW YEAR 2024!

Here’s our nengajo for this year, featuring a new guest rider.

Best wishes for great rides in 2024!












ZEKKEI CYCLING TABI

This guide came out earlier in the year but didn’t show up in local bookstores until just recently for some reason. It’s clearly aimed at novices and young woman (and says so right on the cover), but contains a surprisingly wide range of moderate-distance routes throughout the country —



five major ones (including Shimanami of course) plus the Minami-Boso route using the “B.B.Base” train + bicycle system. Also has a collection of “amazing view” routes (as referenced by the “zekkei” in the title) — the cover says 18 but I count 19. All this and many, many great photos.

At ¥1980, a bit more expensive than usual, but well worth the cost.

SOLO CYCLING + HOT SPRINGS
Both main cycling magazines for September have worthwhile touring articles. Cycle Sports has an introduction to solo cycling with seven suggested routes plus a mini-guide to Suo-Oshima in Yamaguchi Prefecture.
Bicycle Club has a major  (more than 35 pages!) feature on cycling to hot springs, divided into seven sections that include routes in Hokkaido, Izu, Hakuba, and Wakayama’s Ryujin Onsen, as well as an onsen along the Shimanami Kaido route.


This issue also features lots of other great articles including an account of a “Ride and Fish” tour in Hokkaido in June, a 25km hill climb in Fukushima, a section on the Pacific Coast Cycling Road, a former railway turned bike path near Kurashiki and many more, all with great photos. And they even give you a free long towel for use in those hot springs. On sale in bookstores now.


OSAKA vs TOKYO CYCLING + RAIL

The lead article in the August Cycle Sports is an intriguing comparison of cycling in Japan’s two main cities of Tokyo and Osaka — worth a read for Japanese speakers.


The guide offers a few routes in each city as well as a detailed comparison of the best attributes of each of these very different metropoles.

However, the real find this month is the new “Rail & Ride” guide that combines travel by train with cycling — a concept that will not be surprising to KANcycling readers. Contains mainly shorter routes throughout the nation ranging from 20km to around 80km, as well as a section on combining sleeper trains and “cycle trains,” a new bikepath in Shimabara, and seven discontinued train lines that
have been converted into bike paths. Reasonably priced with lots of nice photos, this is a fine new addition to the collection of route guides in Japan.


JULY 2023 CYCLING MAGAZINES

July’s Bicycle Club offers few routes but a big freebie: lightweight (thin material) pack that can be worn in various ways as shown in the diagram at right above. Route honors, however, go to Cycle Sports with its “Cycling Meets Cruising” feature on travel by ferry, which was one of our favorite ways to travel back in the day but which may seem anachronistic given today’s wealth of air travel routes and discount fares. Covers trips to Izu-Oshima and Shodoshima and eight “recommended” routes that include the island of Sado and the one mentioned here. Also lists three dozen ferry companies so you can do further research.


”KIGARU” ROUTES AND JITENSHA-TABI

The major cycling magazines have been  pretty light on routes up to now, although May’s Bicycle Club (still in stores) did feature routes at Lake Biwa and Fukuoka and information about a guided cycling tour of Shirakawa-go (Gifu) starting this summer. Now June’s Cycle Sports features 21 “kigaru” or “light” routes (think: half-day) throughout the country. As has become standard, there are basic maps and QR codes leading to more detailed maps, through we wish that the total mileage for each route was shown clearly in the issue itself.
However, the more noteworthy routing news might be the seemingly endless expansion of Cycle Sports’ excellent Jitensha-Tabi series. It wasn’t that long ago that volume 7 on Mt. Aso in Kyushu was released, with some stunning photos of that lovely area (see the the top photo here).  Now we get volume 8, on Toyama and environs (though for some reason it doesn’t feature the route up to Hakuba — maybe because that one travels through Niigata Prefecture before returning to Nagano). Both issues feature a dozen-odd routes and glorious photos, and are up to the standards of their predecessors, representing outstanding value (priced at 1,200 yen plus tax). Highly recommended. Past issues have featured ① the Seto Inland Sea, ② Aomori, ③ Ibaraki (that one is A5 size instead of A4 for some reason), ④ Shiga/Biwa, ⑤ Oita and ⑥ Wakayama.


HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Here’s our New Year’s card for 2023:


Best wishes for 2023 to bring many things

— a definitive end to the COVID crisis, more opportunities for interchange and companionship, and most importantly great routes and rides through every part of Japan.


YEAR-END MAGAZINES & BOOKS

Both Ja
nuary and February editions of major cycling magazines are, as usual, very light on routes during the winter months. Arguably the most interesting new magazine from a touring perspective is the 20th anniversary edition of the motorcycling magazine Bike-jin, which features a wish-list of “100 things you want to do on a motorcycle.” Not surprisingly, #60 to #86 are product and gear recommendations, but all of the others are route / destinations, and there are some very nice suggestions — worth checking out. (Note: #51-59 are overseas destinations.)

Meanwhile, three year-end Japanese cycling guides suggest cycling not just for scenery but also history, as noted in our latest Cycling Special Report.



NEW GUIDE: “KANSAI CYCLING”

The first Kansai area cycling guide in years (and not to be confused with “Kansai Cycling Map” from 1996), this features lots of photos, very nice maps, three routes per prefecture (ranging from around 35-50km each, though a few are longer), and an initial 117km route going from Arashiyama all the way to Wakayama. Recommended.





NOVEMBER CYCLING MAGAZINES


Both major November cycling magazines focus on touring, which is nice to be able to report now that cyclists will finally be able to come to Japan again soon.

The monthly Cycle Sports has a 14-page feature on four routes in northern Ibaraki Prefecture. And the bimonthly Bicycle Club is a cornucopia of articles for bike travelers: the main article is entitled “Finding Japan on the Bike” (though the Japanese actually says “rediscovering”) with helpful hints from bike travel route creators, and other articles focus on a 120km ride from Tokyo to Utsunomiya via Nikko, the steep 22km ascent of Mt. Ishizuchi in Ehime, and a camping car & cycling trip along the Pacific Bicycling Road running from Chiba to Wakayama Prefectures. Both magazines also contain freebies: a waterproof shoulderbag for Cycle Sports and, from Bicycle Club, a metal case for tools with a retro design reminiscent of a miniature elementary school kid’s lunchbox. Both in bookstores now; get yours before they’re all gone.


BREAKING: OCTOBER 11

Last night the news we’ve been waiting for broke: October 11. As reported by Kyodo News and  the Japan Times, on that day the cap on daily arrivals disappears, and more importantly (drum roll) “visa-free individual trips” are permitted again, meaning that solo cyclists are finally allowed to come to Japan. (Travelers will still need to be thrice-vaccinated or submit a negative COVID test on arrival.) We’ll issue another COVID report, hopefully the last for awhile, when the date is a bit closer. For now, rejoice: finally cyclists will be able to visit Japan again.


FINALLY: OCTOBER

Both Kyodo News and the Japan Times report further planned loosening of entry restrictions. Kyodo says the cap on daily arrivals will be removed by “the end of October.” But it’s once again the Japan Times that has the biggest news, stated right in its headline: “Japan plans to reopen to independent travelers in major shift.” Quoting Fuji TV, the article says:

The government is planning to allow independent tourists to come to Japan and exempt them from visas if they have been vaccinated three times or submit a pre-arrival test result.”

The official announcement is expected as early as the end of this week and the new policy reportedly will be implemented “by October.” More after the official announcement.


A CRACK WIDER, BUT NOT FULLY OPEN

As our latest COVID update indicates, as of yesterday, Japan has opened up a bit more, but not all the way. Guides are no longer required, but package tours and visas still are. PCR tests on entry are not required if you’ve had 3 vaccine shots, but are required for everyone else. And the quarantine time for symptomatic COVID has been cut from 10 to 7 days (or to 5 days with a negative test). Needless to say, the need to reserve hotel rooms in advance throughout one’s stay is likely to be very inconvenient for cyclists wanting to tour the country. More information at the link.


BREAKING: SOLO TOURISTS STILL BANNED

Reporting by some outlets (Kyodo News, Forbes etc.) on the new policy coming into effect on September 7 seems to miss the crucial point that is made clear by the Japan Times: although visitors to Japan will no longer need to be on guided tours, they will still need to be on a "package tour" (which will be defined later) so “… individual tourists, such as backpackers traveling without a sponsor, won’t be allowed in.” Other changes: visas will still be required, but thrice-vaccinated visitors will not need to show a negative PCR test upon arrival, and the daily arrival cap will be raised to 50,000. More details as things become clearer.


“CHILL CLIMBS”

September’s Bicycle Club magazine showcases “chill climbs” (leisurely hill climbs that enable you to “chill out” while beating the heat), with a number of suggested climbs and some very nice photos. The magazine also
includes a “ride wallet” that’s reasonably nice (and even has pockets for tire levers!). Note, however, that the price of the magazine since it became a bimonthly is ¥1,890 (by contrast, the monthly Cycle Sports is usually ¥1,000), so the price may factor in the cost of the freebie. In bookstores now, for the next two months.


AUGUST IN INADANI

Cycle Sports in August
features several routes in the Inadani region of southern Nagano Prefecture, with some lovely photos (although, irritatingly, there is only a general map of the region, and only the three longest routes even have QR codes pointing to detailed maps). Available in bookstores now.


YUP, ONLY GROUP TOURS

The Japan Times (registration may be required to view) reports that “tourists on package tours with guides” will be allowed into Japan starting June 10. It quotes the Prime Minister as saying: “Step by step we will aim to accept (tourists) as we did in normal times, taking into consideration the status of infections."


This is pretty much what we expected, and why we cautioned that Japan’s re-opening to tourism was likely to be slow.  In its reporting of the announcement, Kyodo News adds that international flights to Naha (Okinawa) and Chitose (Hokkaido) will also resume in June.


Sigh. Stay tuned.


MAYBE ONLY GROUP TOURS?

An announcement is expected as early as today about tourism reopening, but the NHK-FM 7:00 a.m. news (in Japanese) this morning reported that (a) tourists will be INCLUDED in the daily 20,000 persons allowed into the country, not in addition to that number, and (b) “a proposal to limit tourists to only those on group tours is being considered.” As we wait for the official announcement, here is the exact wording of that part of the NHK report:



MAYBE JUNE AFTER ALL?!

Japan’s full reopening may happen in June after all. Kyodo News reports that the cap on new overseas arrivals will double to 20,000, and Time Out reports that this will begin June 1 but “the move does not include allowing general tourism.” Yet there are encouraging signs. Testing and quarantine will be loosened considerably (although Kyodo says that a pre-departure test will still be needed). Countries and regions will be divided into red, yellow and blue groups based on infection rate. Blue group travelers will be exempt regardless of vaccination status; Yellow group travelers will be exempt if they have had three vaccinations with government-approved COVID vaccines.* However, none of these media outlets say anything about “tourism” specifically, much less whether non-group-tour travelers will be admitted. The passage (reported by Kyodo) that gives rise to the most optimism is probably this one:


Travelers from the lowest-risk "blue" group will be exempt from testing upon arrival in Japan and quarantining at home, Chief Cabinet Secretary Hirokazu Matsuno told a press conference. They will still need to show a pre-departure negative test result.

Around 80 percent of entrants are likely to be from countries and regions that fall into that group, Matsuno said, adding that the breakdowns will be announced next week.


So there is definitely forward momentum, but still no definite word on whether this means full tourist opening is imminent. Supposedly a formal announcement is coming this week; stay tuned.


* The Japanese document lists Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, Janssen, Bharat Biotech and Novavax vaccines for the first two shots and Pfizer, Moderna and Novavax for the third and subsequent shots. Conditions apply; see the Japanese document here.



TOURISM TO RESUME — S L O W L Y

Japan will finally begin admitting tourists again — but the opening will be slow. A pilot program will begin in June, limited to group tours on fixed itineraries. Only after that will general tourists be allowed in, and that will undoubtedly be gradual as well (since Japan currently limits the daily number of students and business travelers, although it keeps raising the caps). Note that, even when things do open up, visitors may need to be vaccinated and boosted. For details, see our latest COVID update here.


CYCLING HIDA NO SATO - NOT

About our top photo, before you ask: no, you can’t actually cycle inside Hida no Sato. But the picture shows how lovely the spring greens are right now, and you can get very similar views in the area.


MAY CYCLE MAGAZINES

The major May cycle magazines both contain freebies: Cycle Sports offers a plastic mudguard attachment (emblazoned with “Eat My Dust” in English), while Bicycle Club (a bimonthly now, by the way —only issued once every two months) offers a nice stem bag. Both also feature route articles: BC with a  two-day 500km route between Osaka and Tokyo (overnighting near Hamamatsu), and CS features a shorter piece entitled “Kamakura-dono Historical Cycle Ride” that’s apparently inspired by this year’s NHK Taiga Drama “The 13 Lords of the Shogun” about the Kamakura shogunate. Both available in cycle shops and bookshops now; get yours before they’re all gone.



UPDATED COVID REPORT

Our updated COVID report is here.


JAPAN STARTING TO OPEN UP?

Despite the sky-high Omicron case numbers in Japan, Kyodo News reports that Japan plans to relax restrictions on entry in March. The bad news is that, initially at least, this will target only business travelers and students. Neither the original Nikkei report (which is here) nor the Prime Minister in his remarks mentioned anything about when tourists might be admitted. So cycle-tourists may have to wait a bit longer to start planning their trips.

Our prediction: don’t expect restrictions on tourist entry to change until the Omicron wave subsides and things warm up in the spring.



CLICK HERE FOR OLDER NEWS

 

CLICK HERE FOR COVID IN JAPAN NEWS

(will be updated as needed)


WHAT’S NEW



TRAVELING BY BICYCLE

Both major cycling magazines were a bit of a disappointment this fall in terms of cycling routes — not many featured at all. And that unfortunate trend seems likely to continue, since January’s Bicycle Club (out already) is dedicated to “traveling with your bicycle” and spotlights several people doing just that, with great photos... but includes no maps or specific routes! A big disappointment.

However, at year’s end Cycle Sports issued a massive new route guide entitled (in Japanese) “Japan’s Best Cycle Journeys.” Does it live up to the hype?

Well... not in terms of the number of routes featured. The guide spends most of its 186 pages (!) covering just six major routes: