Tuesday October 7, 2025
This was our longest distance cycling in Japan to date. The temperature got up to 31 degrees, however there was a nice breeze and we could find shade for most of the route.
We crossed a lot of bridges today. We went under one river. We came to the river and Ralf said we have to get to the other side, but there was no bridge or apparent way across. We spotted an elevator and the doors opened and 6 cyclists appeared. We joined the queue of other cyclists and entered the elevator. What sorcery is this? The elevator had room for 8 cyclists or 4 regular cyclists and 2 touring cyclists. We didn’t get a photo of this elevator, as soon as the doors opened we were in a tunnel and walking our bikes and other cyclists coming from the opposite direction were moving into the elevator. At the other end of the tunnel another similar elevator was ready to take us up to road level. Magic.
We did find a similar elevator later on the route. However, that had room for only one bike at a time. To be able to wheel your bike into an elevator without having to manhandle the bike, so that it fits on a jaunty angle and wondering if the door will close is bliss. Now that is civilized.
An elevator that is long enough and wide enough for a touring bike
There is a lot of construction happening. We are not sure what they were building here.
It took us about 1 hour 15 minutes to clear the outskirts of Osaka. Then we were very quickly in a very busy Port area, followed by the City of Kobe.
It is hard riding through Cities, there is a lot of starting and stopping, with traffic lights, pedestrian crossings etc. RidewithGPS tries to find us a safe route, which means we are sometimes going down back alleys to avoid one major intersection.
In Kobe RidewithGPS decided to take us down the most expensive shopping street. Prada, Stella McCartney even had a store there. I said to Ralf I would pop into Prada dressed as I was in sweaty cycle gear. Ralf asked if I could afford a paper bag let alone anything else they may have to offer.
Ralf spends a lot of time trying to read the screen on his garmin and figure out where Ridewith GPS is taking us. I know he likes old trains, he was so concentrated on the route that he missed seeing this train. I stopped and told him to look right. Ralf took about 6 photos of this train.
By the time we got to Akashi we had only cycled 40 kms and we had been on the road for 5 hours. I didn’t think we were going to get to the hotel before it got dark. Akashi has a bridge to Awaji Island that resembles the Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco. The Akashi-Kaikyo bridge is the longest suspension bridge in the world at 3.98 kms and was built in 1998. The bridge was designed with a dual-hinged stiffening girder system, allowing the structure to withstand winds of 286 kilometres per hour (178 mph), earthquakes measuring up to magnitude 8.5, and harsh sea currents. The bridge is a six-lane highway linking Kobe to Akashi Island. No bicycles allowed.
Not the Golden Gate Bridge
We stopped at this giant Manga figure that was outside a hospital and kids play area. I think the hospital may have been a kids hospital.
Eventually we found Highway 2 and followed it all the way to Harimi. RidewithGPS had a bit of a conniption when we stayed on Highway 2, it kept telling us to turn left. Although Highway 2 was a busy highway, there was a wide sidewalk/cyclepath.
We cycled 40 kms in over 5 hours, and the last 30 kms in 2 hours
We are over-budget due to high hotel costs in Otsu/Kyoto and Osaka, so we have bottomed out and tonight we are staying in a Love Motel. We stayed at several when we were in South Korea and they were as good as any regular hotel. This is the first love motel in Japan, the room is clean and Ralf had a bubblebath, in the jaccuzi tub. The tell tale signs you are booking a love hotel is the late check-in time, usually 9:00 p.m. and if you are staying consecutive days you have to check-out and check back in the next day, so that they can maximize the use of the room. This hotel allows you to check-in at 4:00, but you pay the nightly rate.
I will wait to have my relaxing bath tomorrow when we are at a hotel with an Onsen.
