I have been lucky to have my Japanese visa extended until the end of September, and after spending an epic winter snowboarding in Hokkaido I decided it was time for a new adventure for summer. I bought a small but cute van with a bed set up in the back, perfect for solo camp trips. I left Hokkaido at the start of May and have been on the road since.
Japan is made up of 47 prefectures (similar to regions in Scotland) and last summer I cycled 3,000km visiting 27 of them over 2 and a half months. This summer, my goal is to visit the remaining 20 prefectures that I am still to explore.
As of writing (29th May), I am in Yamaguchi prefecture on the main island, Honshu. I have been on the road for 19 days and have visited 5 new prefectures and 8 prefectures that I visited last year. I have a further 14 prefectures still to visit to complete my trip and later today I will cross the bridge from the main island over to Kyushu. It has a tropical climate and is a favourite spot for surfers. People are extremely friendly down there and really know how to enjoy themselves. On this trip so far I have visited:
Tokyo > Kanagawa > Yamanashi > Shizuoka > Aichi > Mie > Wakayama > Nara > Kyoto > Hyogo > Tottori > Shimane > Yamaguchi
I was slightly nervous about buying a van here in Japan. My cycle trip was good practice, but this comes with new challenges. I am slightly concerned about what happens if I break down, as I am no mechanic and my poor Japanese adds an extra level of fun. I think I would even struggle to change a tyre to tell the truth, so let’s just hope I make it without any incidents. All good so far!
There are a lot perks about travelling with the van over travelling by bicycle, such as getting to places faster and the weather doesn’t matter so much. It is coming into rainy season again soon, and when I am missing my bike I just think about the days of getting absolutely soaked to the skin when cycling and trying to put a tent up, as I sit in my nice cosy van.
Living on the road like this is a lot of fun. My day usually consists of driving somewhere between 4 and 8 hours through breathtaking mountain passes, along endless coastal routes, through narrow winding farm dirt tracks and busy lively cities. The rest of the time I spend doing a bit of sightseeing such as visiting temples, shrines, beaches, museums etc, eating lots of delicious Japanese food at restaurants, konbini’s (Japanese convience stores) or buying food at supermarkets or local stores to cook with my small camping set up. I visit an onsen (public bath) around every second day and have to do the not so glamorous stuff such as washing at a coin laundry about once every 5-7 days. I have done some hiking and have my skateboard with me too. It has also given me the chance to meet up with some of friends that I met while travelling last summer.
My top five highlights of the trip so far:
1. Tottori prefecture as a whole – not the most obvious destination for a tourist visiting Japan for the first time but add it to your list! I visited the famous sand dunes with my friends Yasu and Shingo who I cycled with last year and hiked Mount Daisen for sunrise. The people are really friendly – we got invited to stay at two houses and they cooked us lots of lovely food.
2. Visiting Ise Jingu – the most important shrine in Japan. It is located in Mie prefecture in a sacred forest. No photos of it sadly because photography isn’t allowed. After you can walking around the beautiful traditional wooden shopping street. A great place to visit if you are looking for a taste of ancient Japan.
3. Finally catching a glimpse of Mount Fuji in Shizuoka prefecture even if it was only in the distance. I have tried three times before but had been cloudy every time
4. Driving over the bridge from Yamaguchi to Tsunoshima island. It was incredible. Windows down, sun shining and the best road trip tunes blaring. It’s the simple things.
5. Takeda Castle ruins in Hyogo prefecture, Japan’s very own Machu Picchu. Also known as the “Castle in the Sky”, it is said to have been the inspiration for Studio Ghibli’s movie Laputa: Castle in the Sky
There are so many amazing spots all over Japan to discover, and you could spend a lifetime exploring them. However, one of the moments that will stick with me is very personal. A few days ago walking down a quiet shopping street, I could hear someone practicing the violin. I drifted towards the music and came across a man in his shop playing with the door open. He had his back to me so I listened as he made his way through a few songs. I clapped and he quickly spun around, offering the instrument to me. I took violin lessons at school but was probably my teachers worst student as I hated practicing. I held the instrument for the first time in about maybe ten years, looked at the sheet music and before my brain knew what was happening my fingers were (somewhat) playing the tune. The man looked just as surprised as me, but proceeded to take a second violin out of its case. He couldn’t really speak English and my Japanese isn’t great, but we hung out for the next half an hour, jamming. I was reminded why I love the arts, music and food so much. These are all things that effortlessly brings people together, no matter your language, age, culture, background etc.
These are the moments that makes travelling like this so special.
Allana Hardie 
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