This is the third part in the motorcycle travel in Japan series (part I & part II). It picks up after I met a lovely couple in a Thai restaurant near Tottori.
Crossing the Chūgoku Range
The next morning, as I sat in a cafe enjoying a cup of coffee, I looked at the map. Rather than follow the north coast towards Fukuoka, I decided to cross the Chūgoku mountain range to try and reach Hiroshima. The roads were windy and with the 50km/h speed limits I kept underestimating how much ground I covered. Route 110 Okoizumo Takano follows the Takano river, crosses the mountains, and then trails the Tawara river, what a joy! Route 342 and 186 then took me to Miyoshi, and via the smallest roads 314 and 301 I made for Yuki Onsen. Shortly before arriving there, I pulled over on the side of the road, and put my foot down. Instead of landing softly, and in a controlled manner, on the pavement, my foot kept moving further down. Where is the pavement? Well, Japan has these wonderful irrigation gutters… and you guessed it, I had to lean the Africa Twin into the mountain. Luckily my shoulder pad was the first point of contact, and the handlebar second. It must have been a sight for oncoming traffic, from my position I could not even look over the tank. Back on the bike and still raining relentlessly, Yuki Onsen became more and more tempting. I was tempted to spend the night here, but I let my budget decide and I continued to Hiroshima. There, I stayed in a cheap hostel near the oyster port. Time to freshen up, explore the city, and get some food in my belly!
Hiroshima
In Hiroshima, I found my way by public transport to Okonomimura, a 3 story building with 24 tiny restaurants that all serve the local specialty, okonomiyaki. The chefs prepare it right in front of you on a giant plate grill that spans the width of the bar. This savoury omelette with cabbage is topped with meat, fish, or, the local favourite, oysters, any way you like it. Which is loosely what okonomi and yaki mean: grilled the way you like it. This definitely made up for skipping the public baths and hotel.
Motorcycle Shop Visit
In the evening I reached out to Kengo Kimura, founder of Heiwa MC, to see if he would be free for a coffee and a chat the next day. Luck was on my side, even though he was in China to deliver a motorcycle to a client, he would be back the next day to prepare for the upcoming Joints Motorcycle Show. I swung by the shop first thing in the morning, got a small tour, and spent an hour gawking over the details on the bikes. The shop faces the water, and the first room is practically a showroom. There are at least a dozen bikes stored or on display here. The next room is the workshop with two lifts, where “The Parrot” was proudly sitting atop one of them for a last minute polish before the show. This 1970 Triumph TR6R was converted to a tracker style and actually took the first prize at Joints Customs 2024. The room behind the workshop is where they store another dozen bikes, awaiting the famous Heiwa beauty treatment. Moving on, the room next to the workshop is where all the dirty work happens. The last space in the very back of the building houses all the large machines and another lift. Outside is the storage for another dozen bikes, awaiting customisation by Kimura-san and his team. We are stoked to see what will come out of the shop next!
A few days off the bike
My journey continued to Fukuoka, on the island of Kyushu. Here I met with former colleagues and spent the weekend enjoying the beautiful weather, culinary specialties, and reminiscing about our time in the USA. They could not hide their excitement and pride to take me on a sightseeing and culinary adventure through the city. Sushi, Ramen, Izakaya, Dango (rice balls), Dorayaki (red bean paste between two tiny fluffy pancakes). Besides the Fukuoka Tower, 234m and covered in mirrors, Fukuoka is known for its temples too. One of the most famous temples, the Kushida Shrine, is in the middle of the city. This is where I started my Goshuincho book for the Goshuin stamps. This is a small booklet that pilgrims carry on their journey visiting the many temples in Japan. At every temple, a monk signs the booklet in calligraphy with the date and name of the temple. They can add a few stamps too. Every temple has its unique style. Even if you are not on the spiritual journey of a pilgrim, it makes for a rather special souvenir.
Moving on
After a few days, I was due to continue my journey, and surely, it rained. I postponed my departure and allowed myself a simple, but delicious breakfast. At Kuromon Rojiura Bakery, I chose everything: a bacon and egg sandwich, a croissant, and a chocolate pastry. I would need the energy to keep myself warm, I told myself. In the rain I rode up the hill to visit Dazaifu Temple. This temple is dedicated to the god of education. Therefore, it did not come as a surprise to see many students here. The large compound houses two ponds, an arboretum, a museum, countless shrines, the divine bull statue, and the Dazaifu Tenman-gu altar. I continued my journey after a cup of coffee and a quick lunch of the infamous 7Eleven onigiri. I embraced the convenience story culture that is popular among the Japanese. Why? Because the quality is decent, the price is very budget-friendly, and the time saved compared to a sitdown lunch is valuable.
My destination that day was Yufuin, a popular day trip destination at the foot of Mount Yufu. It is a mere 120km, but a solid 3h of riding time, not including stops. I took Rt 509 along Sada River and included a 500m elevation mountain pass. Then onto Rt 590, another 600m elevation gain, and lastly Rt 679 coming into Yufuin from the north. The combination of strong gusts of wind with consistent downpour had me in full tuck behind the tiny wind screen. These conditions made this the toughest conditions on this trip thus far. My hands were wrinkled as if I sat in the bath for an hour and stained from the leather. I picked up some supplies at the supermarket and checked into a hostel with an onsen. Yufuin is a famous day trip destination for Japanese tourists. This is due to the plethora of onsen as a result of the volcanic activity in this area. I happily warmed myself in the thermal bath of the hostel and engaged in conversation with the other travellers.
Luckily the weather and the owner favoured me the next day. While I let my gear dry in the sun, I sauntered through the town. I enjoyed a coffee, visited two temples with one of the other guests, and planned the next day. I decided to continue to Beppu that evening, and climb Mt Yufu the next morning. Before setting off, I caught the last 30min of public onsen opening hours at the Yama No Hotel Musouen. Worth it, I had the place to myself and a wonderful view of the mountain. The best way to prepare mentally for the 2h climb the next day.
Stumbling Upon Treasures
I started the hike early-ish. When I came back down, the crowds from the tourist buses were starting to track up. With half the day still ahead of me, and a place to sleep sorted, I decided to have a look at Mount Aso. It is the largest active volcano in Japan, and one of the largest in the world. At 1592m it would be a great climb. However, in January the eruption warning level increased to level 2. Thus, the area within 1km from the crater is off limits. I rode the popular Yamanami Highway, Rt 11, to the Shiroyama Scenic Overlook, and looped back via Rt 30.
Between Yufu and the Yamanami Highway, along Rt 216 is a large warehouse with a small and subtle sign “Motorcycle Museum Open”. I looped back to double check. It is home to the Iwashita Collection. Inside, two floors are packed to the brim with motorcycles. Japanese motorcycles on the first, and European and American motorcycles on the second. On the one hand it is cool to see so many cool bikes in one place. On the other, it pains me to see that these bikes are sitting there, collecting dust. I would rather see them ridden and enjoyed the way it was intended.
Beppu
After a dinner of local specialties, toriten (fried chicken) and ryukyu (mixed fish in a sauce of soy sauce, sake, mirin, sesame and ginger) I strolled around the neighbourhood. I soon found myself in a small bar behind a glass of spiced umeshu (plum liquor). The crowd was young and local, and besides a student originally from Thailand, I was the only foreigner. Two of them helped me book a ferry ticket to Shikoku for the next day. Sometimes even Google Translate has a limit. On the way home my mobile phone startled me. It sounded off an alarm I had not heard before. An earthquake warning! It was a very surreal experience to suddenly feel the ground tremble. What completely surprised me was how loud the noise grew as everything shook and resonated. A very strong, 6.3, and shallow earthquake had just occurred right between Kyushu island and Shikoku island. Would this impact my ferry journey tomorrow?
