The Route
- Matthew Lautenbach
- Jun 5
- 4 min read
Planning
Since the idea of doing this trip came into my mind, the route has come into greater focus. I knew that I wanted to end in Hokkaido, with Point Sato being the natural ending point, but the beginning never held the same consistency. The southernmost part of the four main islands of Japan would have been the natural starting point, and for many that do this journey it is, but by choosing Nagasaki instead, I am able to see another of the major historically important places in Japan and subsequently, save 150-200 km’s of riding. That was a win-win for me, and even more so, the chance to cut some costs out with point-earning (and using) hotels available in Nagasaki.
With the end points in mind, I have spent hours over the last few months revising on Google Maps (not great for cycling in Japan), Apple Maps (better for cycling, but still focused on the most efficient route) and Komoot, which ultimately is where I planned my route. The ease of use and the reliance on best paths for cycling (I hope) made it the easy choice, and for a journey of this length, well worth the annual subscription fee. With the routes loaded into my Wahoo, I am ready to go.

Once set, I couldn’t help by tinker with the exact path. This helped take off some total kilometers of riding, or even better, some meters of climbing with the addition of a few extra kilometers. What it didn’t do as much was add to places of interest. There was one path, though, that kept popping up in my research, the Shimonami Kando, a dedicated cycling route through a series of bridges and islands.
The addition of the Shimanami Kaido has the added benefit of helping to ensure that I will spend some time cycling all four of the major islands in Japan. The route not only gets me to all four islands, but it will also be a nice reprieve from cycling-oriented services at about the one-week mark of the trip. The path is clearly marked, dedicated to cyclists, has ample rest areas and service along the way and the climbing that day, while not insignificant, will be mostly over bridges that connect the islands. Most cyclists take multiple days, but my plan is that at less than 100km, it will be a single day to make it all the way through at the pace I am hoping to travel.

Once off that path, I have also routed my path to take me to an art museum and a zen garden that was recently featured in the New York Times. Japan is one of the most popular destinations at the moment with a historically weak yen, easy flights and the remains of pent-up COVID demand lingering. This has largely made the cities of Tokyo and Kyoto swell with even more tourists than usual, and has also sent more people to Osaka, with the World Expo 2025 just adding to these numbers. This crush in the major cities has led to numerous articles on “other places to explore in Japan”, perfect for my off-the-beaten-path trip.
I have viewed the route as three sections, the first, from Nagasaki through the Shimanami Kaido, takes me to the three southern islands, Kyushu, Shikoku and Honshu, the biggest. The middle section is all on Honshu, taking up about 12 days with unplanned rest stops along the way. I could also speed parts of this up as the days are relatively short, but the cities with multiple hotels are fewer and further between the further north I get. I have to take at least one rest day, but I am saving this for thunderstorms or “I just can’t handle being on the bike seat for even one more day” moods. The final section is on Hokkaido. Here, the days are longer, as I need to push towards the end and have fewer and fewer rest possibilities for the night. I am not outfitted to camp, so I have to make it at least so far each day.
The last variable, and one that will impact the starting time on certain days, is four ferry rides. The first is between Nagasaki prefecture and Kumamoto, the second from Kyushu to Shikoku and then one tiny one at the end of the Shimanami Kaido. The fourth is the longest, an overnight journey from Honshu to Hokkaido. I chose a longer one that, while extending the ride the day I take the ferry, will ultimately save a night in the hotel, save a lot of kilometers of riding in Hokkaido and more meters of climbing.
Throughout the journey, there is little to lock me into this route. I can switch it up if needed, or even take a train between sections if the weather isn’t cooperating or my legs are not cooperating. The benefit of a solo journey for personal goals is that the journey itself is an accomplishment. There is no one checking (other than you) the progress I have made, the checkpoints I have crossed. I want to come away from the trip with a greater flexibility of thinking, knowing that things change, that not everything will go exactly to plan, but that itself is part of the plan and the joy (and no doubt time of frustration) of a journey of this scope.
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