We took off at 8:30 am and headed for Matsumoto. Leaving Takayama, we could see lots of private homes with beautifully arranged gardens - certainly one of the most characteristic sights in Japan! To reach Matsumoto, we had to cross the Japanese Alps with the help of lots of tunnels. Most passroads were [...]

Again the sun was smiling on us and after we navigated out of the city of Awara (famous for its Onsens), we were entering the Japanese Alps, which divide the island of Honshu. Lots of bikes on the road - from vintage Japanese ones to Harley's and even Beamers! On sunny Sundays even [...]

After a super-calm night we were ready for today's great riding! 37 miles of twisties took us to the coast and the "Bridge of Heaven" - that's how "Amanohashidate" translates. A 2-mile long sand bank with pine trees that stretches across a bay. Bending over and looking at it through your legs, it [...]