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Yesterday, under glorious blue skies, Lowell set off on the first day of his momentous journey around the coastline of Japan. With the loyal Skylie in tow and good friend Yoshi by his side, Lowell and crew really got off to a flying start. They covered 133km (which included a short ferry ride) and reached Lake Hamana in Shizuoka Prefecture. You can see the ride on RunKeeper.
Follow Lowell and friends on his Facebook page. . . . with a dog! Starting Golden Week, 2013, Lowell Sheppard is going to embark on another Japan Coast to Coast, but this time the long way around and with his dog… I have cycled coast to coast in Japan several times before. I have crossed Honshu at its narrowest, its widest and highest, and most recently at its stormiest. I have also cycled across Kyushu, Shikoku and Hokkaido as well. I even cycled the length of Japan, another coast to coast of sorts, which was my longest journey to date. My next bicycle expedition is a Coast to Coast, but instead of leaving one coast and cycling to another on the most direct route, I am going to cycle the long way around following the coastline of Japan. My aim is to take on Honshu, Japan`s largest island, first. According to my initial calculations it will be about 5500 kms, which I plan to complete in 3-4 stages over the next two years. The first stage will be three weeks in May 2013 (Tokai to Tohoku) visiting HOPE partners in Tohoku along the way. The second stage is scheduled for August 2013, when I will attempt to complete the Pacific side and go up and over the northern end of Honshu and get as far down the Japan Sea side as possible. Stages Three and Four will be in 2014 and will see me completing the coastline of Western Honshu, with the final leg covering the Inland Sea and back to the Pacific coast via Wakayama and Mie prefectures. My goal is to finish all the Honshu stages by the time I turn 60. Each of my previous C2C`s I, along with those who chose to join me, raised money for HOPE. I will do the same this time, and raise money for communities that HOPE works with overseas and for Community Works Japan, an organization that works with neglected communities in Japan. I also hope to gain insights about the many coastal communities who are struggling to retain their young and keep their local cultures and economies alive. Oh, and this time, I am taking my dog! I have just ordered the trailer. More news to follow. Tips, advice and free use of ofuros and the occasional futon would be much appreciated. Stage One: May 2013
Note: exact departure date is yet to be established, but will be sometime around Golden Week. FAQ: Can others join you? Yes, but on the following conditions: Follow Lowell’s preparations and progress on Japan C2C’s Facebook page.
On July 27th-29th, Japan Coast to Coast held the 1st Annual Tohoku Cycling Festival in Oshika Peninsula, Ishinomaki where the big earthquake hit last year. The purpose of this event was to let as many people as possible know what a great place Oshika Peninsula is with its beautiful beaches and winding roads perfect for cycling. Attracting tourists, we felt, would help stimulate the local economy. The festival was originally scheduled for September of last year, but we had to cancel it due to a big typhoon hitting the area. People from Nagoya, Kanto area, and also Oshika and Ishinomaki City joined the festival. In cooperation with HOPE International Development Agency Japan, we were able to offer the people from affected area scholarships from Genki Japan Fund so that they could participate in the festival at no cost.
Day1: The local volunteer group “Ganbatteccha Oshika” provided a great BBQ with gorgeous local seafood to the festival participants. One of the locals gave lessons on how to pry open sea urchins. It was a fun experience. We also had the chance to listen to the story of their tsunami experiences and the recovering efforts. All the participants were so impressed by the hospitality of the local people.
Day2: We left the campsite which was the main venue for the festival after breakfast. Ready to ride! First stop after the steep hill was the Gobansho Park. The view of Kinka-san Island from the deck in the park was beautiful. We rode up and down the hills, passed the Whale Land, and marveled at the damage still evident in Ayukawa Harbor left by the tsunami last year. After a short brake, we passed Oshika Junior High School and hustled over to Kyubun Harbor, the final destination for the day. What a great feeling it was to share the joy of the 12km ride while witnessing the efforts of the fishermen working hard to recover their lives.
In the afternoon we enjoyed cycling activities at the campsite. First challenge was a fun game of bike hockey. Ladies and gentlemen waged a bruising battle in the hot sun. Second game was the time trial bike race along a trail in the campsite which had steep up hills and down hills and exciting curves that didn’t give us any clue who was going to win till the end.
We went out for dinner at Oshika Noren-gai, the recovery market. That night, we enjoyed sushi, raw fish, sea squirt, sea urchin, big shrimp fries, and local sake on an outside deck. Everything we had was amazing.
Last Day: We woke up at 4:30 in the morning to see the sunrise from the Gobansho Park. The sun rising behind the Kinka-san which floats in the calm sea was so glorious and it made us feel sure that Oshika will recover with the power of this sun.
The Japan Coast to Coast team is so glad that every participant said they very much enjoyed the festival and want to come back again with more friends. This was the “first annual” cycling festival. We are hoping to help local people take over and lead this event in the future, instead of us. Handing over ownership to the local people. We hope future festivals will get the word out, that Oshika is a great place to spend a weekend cycling and tasting the local food. Doing so can go a long way towards helping the local population recover their lives in the years to come.
You can see more photos on Japan Coast to Coast Facebook page
7月27日から3日間、東北大震災で被害を受けた地域の１つ、宮城県石巻市の牡鹿半島で「第1回東北サイクリングフェスティバル」を開催しました。目的は、サイクリングにうってつけの牡鹿半島の美しい景色を多くの人に知ってもらう、その第一歩のきっかけを作ることです。牡鹿の魅力を多くの人たちが再発見し足を運べば、牡鹿の経済も活性化します。
初日：地元のボランティア団体「がんばってっちゃ牡鹿」のみなさんのご協力のもと、地元産の豪華海鮮バーベキュー。ウニ剥き体験までさせてもらいました。食べ物だけでなく、地震・津波発生当時のお話をしてくださったり、復興の努力のお話をしてくださったり、溢れんばかりのホスピタリティに参加者のみなさんは感激していました。
2日目：朝食後、イベントメイン会場のおしか家族旅行村オートキャンプ場を出発！出発早々急な坂道を一生懸命登り、はじめに行き着いた先は御番所公園。展望スポットから向いに浮かぶ金華山を眺めます。そのまま登ったり下ったりを繰り返しながらホエールランドを通過、鮎川浜でまだまだ残る津波の被害をしっかりと目に焼き付けながら一旦休憩。その後は、高台にある牡鹿中学校を通過し、一気に最終目的地の給分浜まで。少しずつ震災前の生活に戻ろうと、漁業を再開した漁師さんたちの船をバックに気持ちよい12キロのライドの喜びを分かち合いました。
午後は、キャンプ場内でサイクリングゲーム。まずは自転車ホッケー。炎天下の中、大の大人たちがボール奪い合いの熾烈な戦いを繰り広げました。その後、キャンプ場内のトレイルを使ってタイムトライアル。上りあり下りありカーブあり、最後まで結果のわからないコースで、みんなゼーゼー息を切らします。
夕食は、復興商店街の「おしかのれん街」へ。お寿司、刺身など各々好きなものを買い、外のデッキでいただきました。ホヤ、くじら（牡鹿の名産品）、ウニ、特大エビフライなど昨日に引き続き牡鹿の海の恵みと、そしてこの日は地酒も満喫しました。
最終日：朝4時半の日の出に合わせ御番所公園へ。みんなで、金華山の後ろから昇る朝陽を今か今かと待ち構えます。朝もやの中、静かな海に浮かぶ金華山の背後から昇る太陽はとってもまぶしく、これからの牡鹿の復興を元気づけてくれるものでした。
最後の表彰式/閉会式では、みなさんからとても楽しむことができたとのコメントをいただきました。参加者のみなさん、美しい牡鹿でのサイクリングの素晴らしさと、牡鹿の人々の温かいおもてなしの思い出を、ぜひ自分の周りのたくさんの人に伝えてください。 今回は「第1回」です。これからは牡鹿の外部の人間であるJapan Coast to Coastが主体ではなく、牡鹿の地元の人たちの手によって作られるイベントになるよう、Japan Coast to Coastとしてお手伝いしていきたいと思っています。回を重ねるごとに、より多くの人が牡鹿に足を運び、より多くの人に牡鹿の魅力を知ってもらいたいと思います。 最後に、このイベントの開催にご協力いただいた、がんばってっちゃ牡鹿、NPO法人キャンパー、キャノンデール・ジャパン株式会社、株式会社オージーケーカブト、Archi+Aidの皆様に感謝申し上げます。 今回残念ながら参加できなかったみなさん、ぜひ次回の参加をお待ちしています。
Japan Coast to Coastのフェイスブックページで、ここに掲載されている以外の写真もご覧いただけます。 Japan Coast to Coast has two major events lined up for 2012.  Oshika Kazoku Ryokomura campground Tohoku Cycling Festival, July 27-29, 2012 Read more about the event here. Japan Alps Coast to Coast Challenge, Sept. 17-22, 2012 Read more about the event here.
Yet again, the typhoon had left a major obstacle in the way shortly before they reached their destination as the coast road had been flooded by the surge and was closed. This meant yet another detour and another 15km of cycling. They finally reached their accommodation for the night shortly before 9pm, where the Hotel Daimatsuso staff had been kind enough to keep dinner for them. In all during the day, the pair spent 14 hours in the saddle and covered 147km of mountain and coastal roads in the wind and rain. After all the terrible weather conditions, Lowell and Stuart awoke this morning to a glorious sunrise and a day of perfect cycling weather. They linked up with Tony and made their way as planned to Miyatojima, where they performed the ritual dipping of the front tire in the Pacific Ocean. A huge “o-tsukaresama” to them all! The Tohoku Coast to Coast Challenge was always going to be just that, a challenge. But we never anticipated just how much of a gauntlet Mother Nature was going to throw down. It’s a credit to the training and the determination of the cyclists that they not only completed the ride, against the odds, but did so on schedule. Thanks from everyone at Japan Coast to Coast also go out to the many sponsors and those who have pledged donations to the riders. All that support played a huge part in getting those guys from one coast to the other. Meanwhile, the recovery and rebuilding in Tohoku continues for yet another day. Every dawn brings new challenges but also fresh hope for these most resilient of people.  Typhoon #15 It looks like Typhoon #15 has left a trail of death and destruction in its wake as it swept across the country. About a dozen people are reported as dead or missing. While we are happy to report that all the Japan Coast to Coast and HOPE-JP personnel and riders in Tohoku are safe and accounted for, unfortunately the typhoon and its aftermath have caused some real problems for the two JC2C events. The Tohoku Coast to Coast riders are currently trying to find a road open through the mountains to Sendai and the Pacific coast. Yesterday they tried to get over the Sasaya Pass but had to turn back and spent the night in Yamagata as originally planned. Another attempt at the pass this morning was thwarted when they were unable to use the service road around a major 4km tunnel on the Yamagata Toll Road. More updates as they come in. It looks like the typhoon caused more extensive damage in Tohoku than we expected. Since the earthquake in March, landslides are a real concern following any major rainfall. And today all roads in and out of the Ojika Hanto are closed due to flooding and landslides and power is out on the whole peninsula. Tony and HOPE-JP development officer Norio are on the peninsula and report that all the roads to the festival location are heavily damaged. Our base camp area in Kyubunhama suffered damage too and the locals are busy clearing water from their homes. In addition it is very unlikely that they would be able to get to Ishinomaki city to buy the food supplies needed for the festival. Due to these circumstances and our desire to be sensitive to the needs of the people of Ojika, we have decided to postpone the Tohoku Cycling Festival until further notice. We will be contacting all of the registered participants directly.  Recumbent in the rain I mentioned yesterday how Tony ran into a guy who had traveled all the way from Norway to be at our Tohoku Cycling Festival this weekend. So here are some photos of Gunnstein and his recumbent bike, a pretty rare sight in Japan. As you can see, the bike is a big hit with young Japanese schoolkids! After a few days of riding in wet conditions, the bike was in need of repairs and I tried to help him find a store in sendai that might be able to help. A spare inner tube was found, but no brake pads. If you’re reading this and happen to know of anyone with a similar bike in the Sendai area, or a store that sells them, drop us a line.  Rear wheel in the Sea of Japan After a night spent near Niigata City enjoying the warm hospitality of HOPE International development officer Takeishi Norio and his family (see the JC2C Gallery), Lowell and Stuart braved the worsening weather conditions on the first full ride of the Tohoku Coast to Coast. It started with a wet but pleasant 10km ride along the Arakawa River before the first climbs of the day. At about the 20km mark, they started to climb again in earnest and after a total of about 42km the pair arrived mid-afternoon, wet but otherwise none the worse for wear, at the Shofukan minshuku at Oguni onsen. Tony drove ahead along the proposed cycle route today checking tunnels and mountain and coastal road conditions and is now at the HOPE-JP accommodation in Kurihara. On the way, who should he happen to meet but Norwegian Gunnstein Lye, who on his recumbent bicycle is cycling north to join the Tohoku Cycling Festival this weekend. One silver lining to the cloud cast by this typhoon is that the weather should be glorious for the festival. So there’s no excuse not to pack your bags and your tent and come join us in Miyagi. More info here. Meanwhile, with the typhoon bearing down and weather conditions meaning possible closed roads and other hazards, it was decided to change tomorrow’s route to avoid a more than 100km ride over remote mountain passes and stick closer to civilization. The route now will take the riders on a long 79km ride over and down the mountains to Yamagata City. After a night there, they will head on down to the coast, though Thursday is also when the typhoon is expected to be at its most intense in the area. AGain, you can follow their ride and their route in real time via Lowell’s online RunKeeper account. Speaking with Lowell this evening, he told me how delighted he and Stuart had been by the sudden surge of fundraising support they had received in the last 24 hours, and he asked me to express their immense gratitude to everyone who has pledged a donation. The support received so far has pushed the pair over their target amount, but if you haven’t pledged yet, remember they still have many challenges ahead and would really appreciate your donation and it will no doubt provide much-needed psychological support when they brave the elements again tomorrow. Go ahead and make your pledge now!
After a night in Niigata City, Lowell and Stuart will be starting the Tohoku Coast to Coast ride early tomorrow morning. We’ll be posting occasional updates on their progress here on the website but you can also follow them in real time thanks to Lowell’s RunKeeper account. PS: There’s still time to register for the Tohoku Cycling Festival, and we’d love to see you there! |
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