FlyRide™ Motorcycle Touring Holidays

Visit Tokyo, Kyoto and Nagasaki
Ride hired bikes in Japan!

Tour F06 - Japan
15th October 2010 - 26th October 2010

FryRide Japon!

We have spent two weeks in Japan putting together a FlyRide itinerary for 2010 on hired motorcycles.

We have stayed in a typical rustic Ryokhan high up in the mountains in a Spa resort to bathe in the hot waters, we have ridden a Kawasaki GTR 1400 from Tokyo along some great riding roads and joined in with the locals at bikers' cafe in the middle of nowhere! We have seen photographs reproduced in 3D in electrical department stores that showcase the technology of the future (and bought a battery for Fionna's camera much more cheaply than back home...) and seen geishas dressed in extraordinarily ornate custume on the streets of Kyoto.

One of the highlights has been our experiences on the Shinkansen bullet train. Faster than a fast thing and just amazingly efficient. And there are loads of them connecting all major cities throughout Japan with arrival times measured in seconds. These things run to time ALL the time. Incredible. Book your seat in advance and get to your destination in air-conditioned comfort in a completely predictable timescale. Impressive.

And that goes for a lot of other things that we have seen here. People who are genuinely kind and helpful. The conductor in the train who gives a neat bow as he enters the carriage to check your ticket. The smartly attired girl who pushes the refreshment cart smiles as she collects the rubbish from you. The city streets are noticeably clean and graffiti, litter, beggars, druggies, hoodies and drunken louts are all ABSENT. The traffic signs and signs in the railway stations are in English and we were amazed just how many people speak English - and how happy they are to talk to you!

If you are adventurous with your food then there really are some surprises in store. The locals eat well and the standards of food preparation are extremely high. We have enjoyed some memorable evenings with our hosts sampling delightful japanese cuisine. Highly recommended!

We stayed two days in a four star Hotel in the surprisingly european city of Nagasaki with our new-found japanese motorcycling friends. Not only did they escort us throughout our stay but they took us along some great routes inland to see ancient Japanese castles, spectacular waterfalls, sulphurous bubbling volcanoes and then a superb ride along the coastal road to Fukuoka. Back in town we enjoyed a guided tour of the local sights and visited the Atomic Bomb site (now a Peace Park and museum) and reflected upon events of August 1945. Very sobering...

We enjoyed another great trip on the bullet train and wandered the pretty streets of downtown Kyoto, where we ventured into temples that showcase a culture that has evolved over many centuries. Absolutely unspoilt, Kyoto really was the highlight of our trip and something to reflect upon as we headed back to Tokyo on the bullet train - our recce tour now complete.

Come and join us on a FlyRide holiday in Japan in Mid-October 2010. Send an email if you are interested and we will put you on our mailing list and send you a detailed itinerary.