🎌📺 Day 14 📺🎌

27 miles / 3,270 feet / 2:39

We woke up buzzing with excitement because today was the day we were meeting the TV crew from Why Did You Come to Japan? Our stay at Torinami View Guesthouse (鳥波ビューゲストハウス – Torinami Byū Gesutohausu) had already been rich with human connection. The night before, we prepared dinner in the kitchen with Christine, a French traveler staying there too. In the morning, the owner introduced us to her aunt, who had immigrated from Thailand more than 30 years ago and built a life here in Japan—a quiet reminder of the many different paths people take to call this country home. As we loaded up or bikes and began down the road, everyone cheered us on warmly, waving until we disappeared down the road.

Not far into the ride, we paused on a street corner to catch our breath. A farmer walked by, gave us a nod, and we exchanged greetings. “暑いですね!” (Atsui desu ne! – “It’s hot, isn’t it?”) he said with a knowing smile. We laughed and agreed—it was already a steamy morning. Those small, shared moments always lift us up.

About five miles in, we took a left turn—and suddenly there they were. A big van full of five people, cameras blazing, all pointed directly at us. What a surprise and complete joy! We joked to each other that maybe it was good we’d gotten the wrong turns out of our system earlier.

Our first stop together was under the 100-year-old Kariyado-no-Gebazakura (狩宿の下馬桜 – Kariyado-no-Gebazakura). Cameras rolled as we gave a long interview, laughed with the crew, and watched them try to lift Jim’s loaded 自転車 (jitensha – bicycle). Then learned quickly it’s not as light as it looks. Soon we were wired up with microphones and GoPros, one cameraman trailing us on an e-bike, while the van leapfrogged us up the road. Lisa later said, “It felt like the Tour de France! I half expected them to hand me a water bottle so I could grab on and get pulled up this climb.” When the van pulled alongside, one crew member commented how Lisa was always smiling. Jim grinned and said, “Lisa is always smiling when she’s on the bike.”

At Shiraito Falls (白糸の滝 – Shiraito-no-Taki), we decided to eat first. A small restaurant welcomed us with yakisoba (焼きそば – stir-fried noodles). The proud owner came out and told us about his special sardine-sprinkle topping. I bravely tried it at the urging of the crew, though in the end I leaned toward the spicier red pepper flakes. Lisa laughed as the cameras captured every bite. As we headed toward the waterfall, more than a hundred elementary school children were filing down the stairs while we climbed up, all chorusing cheerful “Hello!” greetings. Between the kids and the TV crew following closely, we must have looked like quite the spectacle.

Back on the bike, the climb took us through Mount Fuji’s Dairyland. We stopped at Asagiri Dairy Farm (あさぎりフードパーク – Asagiri Fūdo Pāku), where two kind ladies behind the counter carefully served us iced coffees made with fresh local milk. Even the ticket machine was a challenge, but a passerby kindly stepped in to help us navigate the screen. It’s always the little kindnesses that make the day.

Finally, we rolled into Kouan Guesthouse (浩庵ゲストハウス – Kōan Gesutohausu) on the shores of Lake Motosu (本栖湖 – Motosuko)—and as if on cue, Mount Fuji (富士山 – Fujisan) revealed herself. A perfect ending to the ride.

Dinner was a feast of fish, chicken, rice, potato salad, pickles, mushrooms, and of course, steaming bowls of ほうとう (hōtō – hearty noodle stew). The cook beamed with pride as he explained his homemade spicy paste for the hōtō. The TV crew egged me on to try it, and the fiery kick brought big smiles all around. Cameras or not, the warmth of the evening was real.

At last, we said goodnight to the crew, retired to our room, shared a Mount Fuji chocolate, and toasted the day with a cold beer.

Today had it all: friends new and old, waterfalls, dairy cows, kind strangers, a bit of fame, and a lot of smiles. Until tomorrow.もっと詳しく