The idea to take this trip around Japan came about only a month or two before I left for it. The plan is pretty vague: get myself and my bike as far north as possible – this turned out to be Wakkanai – and then cycle as far south as I can get during my three month tourist visa.

I don’t have any concrete end point (although getting all the way down to Cape Sata would be nice). All I know is that on October 10th a plane leaves Tokyo that I am supposed to be on, and two days after that my visa expires.

This is my second tour, and first solo tour. I speak no Japanese, but do come from Ireland so cycling on the left side of the road is something I’m used to.