It’s the last day of December and I’m walking on a road leading from the village of Akan to the Shinto shrine on top of a hill. Falling snow obscures the footprints of the villagers ahead of me. Snow drifts line the shores of Lake Akan – the surface of the caldera lake is calm in the deepening dusk. The only contrast in this world of white are the bright red nanakamado berries of the mountain ash.

I reach the Torii gate and duck under the white paper strips hung from a rope marking the sacred precincts. I join a line of people climbing the steep stone steps to the shrine. Parents, children and grandparents bundled in coats and furry hats rub their hands together to keep warm. Light bulbs strung in tree branches illuminate their shining faces. They have come to pay their respects to the deities who offered protection throughout the year and to pray for good fortune in the coming year.

At the top of the steps, a huge cauldron hangs above an open fire. A pungent white vapor rises from a pot of ama-zake – sweet sake, the traditional drink on New Year’s Eve. In front of the tent, two men ladle the steaming brew into cups. I take a cup and cradle it against my chest. The sweet liquid with bits of fermented rice fills my mouth and warms me inside and out.

At the next tent a woman is roasting mochi rice cakes on a wire grill. The outside of the sticky cakes are turning crispy brown. When they puff up in the center like bubblegum, you know that they are ready to eat

“Atsui desu yo – they’re hot!” the woman says as she hands me two squares.

“Arigatoo gozaimasu,” I reply. I dip a corner of the mochi into a dish of savory soy sauce and sugar and take a bite. Mmm, just like I remembered.

The crowd of people inches closer to the main shrine. Plunk – coins are tossed into an offering box. Clang, clang – the bell rings as each worshiper tugs on a long rope, letting the deities know of their presence. Adults and children together clap twice, then bow and press their palms together in a silent prayer – for good health, for help finding a job, finding a mate, conceiving a child, safe childbirth, passing entrance exams, or success in business in the New Year.

After making my wishes known to the gods, I climb slowly down the stairs and drift back to the village. Back at the inn, I soak in the hot spring bath until my body is heated to the core. I wrap myself in a yukata and snuggle into my warm futon, dreaming of oshogatsu (New Years) and all the special foods that await me in the morning.

* Akan National Park is in eastern Hokkaido, Japan.

What about money? You can use foreign bank ATM (credit/debit) cards to withdraw cash at any 7-11 or post office in Japan, so you don’t need to carry a large amount of money. Traveler’s checks are pretty much useless and small shops may not take credit cards. Vending machines with hot and cold drinks are everywhere (even along isolate country roads) and convenience stores such as Family Mart are plentiful in towns and cities and are a great place to get food for the road – onigiri (rice balls wrapped in nori with various fillings) are great for the road.  It’s pretty safe in Japan and if you ever get lost, people are genuinely helpful and you can always stop at a neighborhood police box for help.

It’s pretty easy to find campgrounds, and some even have an onsen (thermal hot springs), which feels wonderful after a day of cycling. Inexpensive lodging includes minshuku (B&Bs) and Youth hostels (A unique cultural experience in itself – take your international YH membership card), but the cheapest are called ‘Rider house’ (say ra-i-da-a ha-u-su)  specifically for summer bikers ($10-$20 a night) . Their locations, as well as the location of campgrounds and 7-11s very well marked in the map books called ‘Touring Mapple’ – there’s a book for every region of Japan, and although they’re in Japanese, the routes are very detailed and easy to understand. Available at bookstores and amazon.co.jp.

For background information on Japanese culture, language, transportation, and regional guides,  of course I recommend my book “Living Abroad in Japan.” A good online resource is  Japan Cycling Navigator.  A Bike Friday rider who toured Japan offers great tips and photos on Geno’s blog.

Express tikit in Tokyo

The interesting thing is that the Klick-Fix seatpost mount for the backpack is available in the U.S. from Detours and we have it at BF. If I have more stuff to carry, I use a TEECO bag on the tikit front rack. It has a molded rubber bottom and stands up by itself so it’s handy for grocery shopping and for carrying books to my French and Korean classes at the UO.

Here’s a picture of me riding in the rain from Shinjuku to Tokyo Station to catch the Narita Express train to the airport. The Freepack backpack comes with a rain cover and a clever elastic mesh things that holds your helmet.

It’s the little things that make biking a pleasure!

(Where’s my suitcase, you ask? Shipped to the airport via takkyuubin delivery service, of course.)

Before the last trip I replaced the H-bars with drop handlebars so I’d have more hand positions and a more aero position in headwinds. With narrow, high-pressure Schwalbe Stelvio tires, it rides pretty much like a road bike. To make sure I could get over mountain passes I put a smaller 48T chainring on it. I made it up all but a 13% grade… Another person on my Japan tour rode his Travel tikit and was also happy with its performance.

The big advantage I found with the tikit over the 20″ BF models is when using public transportation. The quick fold, transit cover, and rollability were a huge plus hopping on and off the TGV in France and shinkansen (bullet train) in Japan. Compared to carrying  my  Pocket Rocket Pro (and before that, SatRDay recumbent) in a bag on my shoulder up and down steps and through train stations, the tikit is a breeze.  Now if only Bike Friday would develop a 20″ model with a folding stem and a wheel for rolling…

Express tikit in Akan National Park, Hokkaido

I intend to write about life in Oregon and in Japan and about bicycles as more than transportation (though my ‘tikit‘ sure is handy, taking me from home to class to work to the library, the grocery store, and home again).  About how cycling connects people of disparate backgrounds into a community. And a bit about family.

Japanese college students touring Hokkaido