Things to be afraid of...

Japan is incredibly safe. We rarely lock our bikes or take any of the safety precautions we do in other countries.
But there are still scary things!

1. Tunnels. We've ridden through more than 50 road tunnels, up to 3.5k long. The best are well lit with a separate lane/footpath for cyclists. The worst are so dark you can't see the surface; narrow with only just room for two lanes. The really scary thing is that the sound of vehicles bounces off walls into a crescendo of incredible, almost screaming noise (especially from trucks and motorbikes) and you have no idea which direction the noise is coming from. Twice we've had trucks not slow down and pass so close you get sucked in and risk getting the wobbles.

2. Tsunamis, earthquakes and volcanoes. Every day you are reminded of the vulnerability of life on the Pacific ring of fire. Signs everywhere point to Tsunami or volcano escape routes; every coastline road informs every 200m or so how many metres above sea level you are. Memorials to disasters form part of the tourist routes.

What Japanese people are scared of: Bears. The very first topic of conversation with a local will be them warning you about bears, and the importance of wearing bear bells and carrying bear spray. We can't buy whisky in a local bar without a little lecture. It is true that 230 people were attacked and 13 killed in 2025, but it does make us giggle - of all the disasters one risks here, bears have captured the cultural attention.Read more