The Slow Road
Departure Lounge: The Hidden Pleasures of Japan

Bicycling May 2008Serenity goes to a travel writer’s head in Japan, prompting another classic “you had to be there” B&R moment

Say ‘Japan’ to most people and they’ll immediately conjure a mental image of Tokyo, the enormous neon-spangled capital that never seems to take a catnap, let alone sleep. True, Godzilla’s favourite stomping grounds are a must-see for any visitor, the savvy traveler knows that Japan’s pleasures extend beyond the sprawling city limits. Japan is a country with one foot planted in the future and the other firmly in the past, and nowhere is the latter more evident than a short plane ride eastward on the Noto Peninsula, a bucolic fantasyland of Zen gardens, secluded ryokans and trails once walked by samurai.

The peacefulness of this isolated and virtually traffic-free paradise is enveloping—so much so that it can often seem as though you’re the only person around for miles, a sensation you certainly won’t get in Tokyo’s bustling streets. The heady combination of lush, welcoming forests and pure, unadulterated peace can be a little intoxicating, however, and it’s been known to go straight to some people’s heads. Case in point, Bicycling Magazine travel writer Bill Gifford, who recently visited the Noto with B&R and was so moved by the solitude that he stripped to the buff and rode au naturel for a stretch. (Don’t worry… he kept his helmet on!) “It says a lot about biking in Japan,” said B&R Regional Director Anthony Weersing of Gifford’s stunt. “The surroundings really inspire people to, uh, ‘get close to nature.’

Bikers—exhibitionists and non alike—take note: This underexplored part of the world offers some of the best riding anywhere on the planet, courtesy of the region’s top-notch roads and meticulously maintained bike trails. “The roads are so smooth,” Weersing adds, “that you won’t miss the extra padding in your bike shorts should you opt to ride naked!”

Hey, there’s something to be said for travelling light, no?




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