Tokyo - a cyclists delight

 We have been in Japan for just over a week and have slipped into the time warp that is travel.  So much to observe that time seems to slow down and a week feels much longer than normal.

On arrival we stayed at an AirBnB in Chiba prefecture, not too far from Narita airport.  The perfect place to put the bikes together.  We were in the midst of market gardens and forests, less than 60 kms from Tokyo and it was rural and green.  This surprised Pierre and Eleanor who had the common misconception that with a city of 14 million people not far away green spaces would be few and far between.  This is one of the big surprises when you first come to Japan, the cities are dense but the countryside is lightly populated and market gardens, paddy fields, and wooded areas abound. 

Right behind the AirBnB was this wonderful bamboo forest, bamboo bathing, is soothing on the soul.

After the bikes were assembled we rode to Narita-San - the Sinsho-ji Buddhist temple about 20kms from our accommodation.  It is an amazing place and has set a very high bar for the temples we come across in the future.  It was established in 940 and is a very different tradition to the Buddhism we follow.  Esoteric Buddhism is full of rituals and belief, very different to our protracted experience in the Theravada tradition we have followed for years. The most enchanting thing about the temple was the forest/garden behind it.

The 60k ride into Tokyo went smoothly, the traffic flowed and we merged in easily.  Then P & E had a puncture on their rear tyre.  Two days on the road and two punctures.  Keith had one on the way back from Narita Temple and then this one.  Not an auspicious beginning, perhaps we should have asked for a blessing at the temple?

In Toyko we stayed in Asasuka, the original capital of the Edo era and the main attraction is the Sensoji Temple.  We have learned that Temples are Buddhist and Shrines are Shinto.  A funny fact our cycling guide on the tour of Tokyo Bay told us is that when the government did a survey on religious affiliation the numbers came in Shinto 65%, Buddhist 67% and Christians 2%, a total of 134%.  How? you might ask.

Shinto worship centers around asking the gods for blessings on events such as holidays, new homes, new jobs, etc..etc.  A prayer, and small offering is made for protection and good luck.  Buddhism, on the other hand ushers one into the next life and the desire here is for a good re-birth.  So, Shinto one day, Buddhist the next.  

 

 

As it happened, on the weekend there was a festival at the Temple, the first since Covid.  It was a joyous occasion and the streets and lane-ways were packed as shrines were paraded, carried on shoulders, to the accompaniment of the banging of drums, chanting and much laughter.
 

 

 

Shrines of all sizes were carried by groups of men and women.  Kids were part of it all too, playing the drums and carrying smaller shrines. 

 

 

 

 

 

A big surprise has been just how easy it is to cycle around Tokyo.  A cyclist is treated as a pedestrian?  Bikes can go on the road or the footpath and the traffic accommodates cyclists with no stress or difficulty at all.  Traffic travel at a moderate pace, the road is smooth, there is never a sense of being squeezed and we flew around, one moment on the road, along side the traffic, and then jumping onto the footpath if the road slows down.  We did a cycling tour of Tokyo Bay which honed our skills. 

 Keith took this photo of me and Pierre and Eleanor on the tandem.  It was Sunday morning and the traffic was light.  The tandem is an object of fascination and eyes turn to follow it.  We rode all over the place on Sunday.  We planned to visit 6 gardens but one thing lead to another and by 3pm we decided after 3 stops and lunch at 7/11 it was time to head back to the hotel.  The weather has been warm and a little humid so a shower and a rest before dinner was appealing.  When we got back to Asasuka the festival was still underway.  I imagine there were a lot of very tired people going to work today after a weekend of celebration.

Today we rode north to Koga and made it to the hotel just before the rain began.  The forecast said rain at 3pm, and light rain began close to 3.  It was the first real ride of our trip.  We rode 74 kms along the 3 Rivers Bike Path. It was easy riding though a bit sticky and humid

Tomorrow we ride to Nikko, a National Park and World Heritage site that includes the Toshogu Shrine and a Ramsar Site.  It is an 84 km ride with 1 1235 meter ascent.  We will have 2 nights there to allow us a little time to explore.

 

A shot taken on our Tokyo Bay Cycling Tour.

Lots of love until next time.

Sue and Keith xxx