About the Trip

While transitioning careers and continents, I will bicycle all of Japan. Two other adventurers and I, Andrew Marston, will depart from Cape Sata pedaling North on April 14th, 2011. We estimate the ride to take about 45 days. As you’ll discover when you Meet the Team, we all trained in separate countries. Time zone differences between Japan, Canada, and the USA made for some sleep-deprived Skype chats. Also of interest, Scott and Dylan have only met in person once. They are both mutual friends of mine, Scott from high school and Dylan from teaching in Japan.

Time zone differences between Japan, Canada, and the USA made for some sleep-deprived Skype chats.

Although we will ride together, we have each prepared for the ride in unique ways. To fund and make time for the trip Dylan did drug testing, Scott took a leave from his career, and I am just trying to capitalize on a gap between country residencies and occupations. Here is more from each of us about our feelings regarding our Japan by Bicycle adventure:

From Andrew

One day, little scrawny seventh grade Andy said to himself while watching his favorite television show, “Man, Dragonball Z is the bomb! I want to learn more about the culture from which it came! I wonder if mushroom hair cuts are still cool because I have one!” Now, after living in Japan for the past two years as an English teacher, I have gotten my fill of this unique culture and intend to end my time here with style. I am especially eager to cycle through the areas North of Tokyo since it’s less tourist-influenced and more rural. My greatest fear regarding the trip is that the three of us will overuse some dumb catchphrase and forever after draw a mental connection between “I’m down with that” to eating cheap noodles.

From Scott

My reasons for joining Andrew and Dylan on this trip are threefold: 1. I love sushi and sake, 2. I need an adventure, and 3. I haven’t seriously worked out since college and need to get in shape! There’s so much about this trip to look forward to. I can’t wait to see all the mountains, cool cities, delicious food, beautiful coastline, and rural villages. I’m also looking forward to the quality dude time, which of course leads me to my biggest fear about the trip – the stank. This whole camping 6 days a week and occasional showering while biking 75 miles a day thing has me worried! Bike breakdowns can be fixed, but body odor has to be tolerated.

From Dylan

Japan and I have had a relationship of extremes. Pretty much from the first I heard of it, I have been fascinated by the country, and over the years, I have fostered an increasing desire to go and spend some time there. Unfortunately, this has been coupled with a series of roadblocks and setbacks – everything from exchanges being canceled, to getting painfully close to scoring a government job placement, to nearly going broke in Japan trying to find a job. All this culminated in a horrible fiery work visa debacle that almost got me deported. After that, me and Japan decided it would be best if we spent some time apart, saw other people, and work through our issues. Two years later, this trip marks the beginning of our reconciliation. I have high hopes that this trip will be some kind of defining moment in my life or something, but even if it isn’t, it’ll definitely be an exhilarating, sweaty, amazing way to experience Japan.

Meet the Team