No, Japan is ordinarily a place cyclist travel to armed to the hilt with information. Some Über-cyclists might spend weeks hunched over a computer meticulously planning their route. Others will splash out on some fancy translation tools, pack a smartphone and load up the GPS with navigation info. At a minimum, any sensible cyclist would surely, SURELY cram a bilingual map into his panniers.
No right-minded individual would attempt to navigate via compass all the way to Tokyo. Yes, COMPASS. No, clearly that’s NOT a sensible approach.
Unfortunately, that’s exactly the plan my dear husband conjured up. His back-up strategy consisted of dashing into7-11’s and consulting the Japanese language only road maps.
Hmn, that looks like the sign for Shizuoka, yeah that’s it…a lot of squiggly lines and then a y shape in a box. OK, we’re on track , don’t worry. We need to be going north east and according to the compass we’re headed the right way. I think route 82 will get us over these mountains and then I’m sure it’s a clear shot to the coast. Trust me, we’re gonna get to Tokyo tomorrow.
It’s a recipe for disaster, right?
Well, yes. I can’t deny a few near meltdowns mid-tunnel as traffic roared past and we squeezed through on the narrow pedestrian walkway.
I’m certain we did a few extra loops and ended up in the exact spot we started. But all in all the compass strategy lead to some fabulous scenery, memorable encounters and amazing camping spots.
After receiving a package in Tokyo, we’re all mapped up and ready to roll toward Hokkaido. We may even manage to decipher the complexities of navigating via GPS. Following our trusty compass was an adventurous way to track down Tokyo, but that kind of experience is best lived just once.
Jam-packed Tokyo comes as something of a shock. We’re indulging in ex-pat luxury (thanks to a former work colleague in Germany) near Shibuya crossing in the heart of the city.
Tomorrow it will be back to the road and the life we’ve grown accustomed to.






