We had no idea until we turned up
and saw giant pink curtains covering
a line of garages and no reception
area. You put your vehicle into the
garage and close the curtains for
privacy. You then access the room
from your garage, there’s a payment
machine in the room, you never see
any staff, and everything is extremely
private.
It was the first sign that we were
now in a different world, far removed
from the UK and anything we’ve seen
before. The people are completely
different here, it’s all about respect,
being calm and ultra-polite to one
another. Bowing and saying thank
you a million times is the norm. The
streets are immaculate, vehicles are
spotless, and most importantly - the
love hotel was incredible! Ignore the
‘unconventional’ vending machine in
the corner and it was probably one
of the lushest, swankiest hotel rooms
we’ve ever stayed in.
By the end of the first week the
country had taken a hold of us. Our
fists unclenched, we washed our bike
to stop sticking out like a sore British
thumb and slowly started to seep
into the relaxed (yet seriously quirky)
Japanese way of life. Our luck quick-
ly turned, thanks to some incredible
luck and a good friend at BMW Japan,
we were offered two Beemers for our
ride in Japan while we set to work
ordering parts for our tired Yamaha.
We had five months ahead of us
and the whole of Japan to uncover .
Armed with two adventure bikes (that
work and we can rely on not to break
down) we set off into the mountains
of Hakuba, Nagano and Nikko to spy
on snow monkeys bathing in steam-
ing outdoor thermal baths. Then
onto Edo Wonderland to watch ninjas
jumping from rooftops and geishas
scurrying through wooden towns.
But the weather in the north was
changing, rain storms were coming
in fast and snow was starting to coat
the mountains ready for ski season.
TRAVERSE 87
We made our goodbyes to the mon-
keys and plotted a route to the far
south of Japan.
Eight thousand kilometres later
and here we are – somewhere in
the south, hugging the coast, rid-
ing through little fishing villages,
chatting to local bikers and eating
copious amounts of delicious ramen
and sushi. We stroll through pristine
gardens, climb Edo castles, wander
through epic gorges and tiptoe over
ancient vine bridges. As the sun dips
into the Pacific, we head towards the
beach and tuck ourselves away for
the night. In the morning we’re met
by locals who either offer oranges
or hurry us inside their homes for
breakfast.
We spend our days hopping be-
tween islands on little (but incredi-
bly efficient) ferries in search of the
weird and the wonderful. The entire
country is bursting with a mesmer-
ising concoction of life that’s just so
distant from what we’re used to in