🗻🇯🇵 Day 15 🇯🇵🗻

32 miles / 2,340 ft / 2:57

B Spoke completed: 216 miles (209 predicted)

We woke up to first light in our hotel room and pulled the curtains, hoping for even the smallest glimpse of Fuji (富士山 – Fujisan). And there she was—completely revealed, her slopes painted in the red glow of pre-sunrise light. It felt like she was exposing her soul to us, inviting us into another full day of adventure, connection, and compassion.

Moments like this feel like gifts. All they require is presence. Scroll the phone, sleep in, or forget to look out the window, and you risk missing magic that could shape your whole day.

Although Fuji stayed the same, the landscape around her shifted constantly: mist rising, shadows stretching, colors deepening. No wonder she is considered sacred in Japan—she feels alive.

Breakfast awaited us downstairs. We were greeted warmly not only by our new film crew friends, but also by a table spread with a true Japanese morning feast: salted fish grilled to perfection, a raw egg to crack in our hot rice 卵かけご飯 (tamago kake gohan – raw egg over rice), and natto (納豆 – fermented soybeans, sticky and strong in flavor, but famously healthy). A few small bowls of pickles (漬物 – tsukemono) completed the tray. The fresh raw egg cracked over hot rice, usually seasoned with soy sauce, is a classic Japanese breakfast staple: the heat of the rice slightly warms the egg, creating a creamy, savory bowl that’s simple but beloved across Japan. Even the humblest Japanese breakfast is balanced, seasonal, and beautiful—a meal designed to ground you for the day.

As we lingered over breakfast, we met Tom, a friendly cyclist from Indianapolis. Every year he takes a two-week cycling adventure, and this year marked his very first trip to Asia. Japan had already captured his heart, and it was inspiring to see the same sparkle of discovery in his eyes that we’ve felt so many times on this journey.

Fueled and happy from breakfast, we rolled down to Lake Motosu (本栖湖 – Motosu-ko), one of Fuji’s “Five Lakes.” Its deep, cobalt-blue water mirrored the mountain perfectly. This very lakeshore is where the iconic view printed on the back of the ¥1000 bill was photographed. Standing there, gazing at the real thing, we felt like we had stepped straight into Japan’s national identity.

Of course, what goes down must climb back up. Our exit from the lake was an 18% grade—mercilessly steep and whipped by wind. Behind us, Yoshi, the director, pedaled on his Specialized e-bike, grinning. A little later, Rio, experiencing her first assignment in the field, bravely joined the ride. We unintentionally initiated her with a “climb” that wasn’t a climb at all—just a steep carpet of leaves in the forest. Laughing, we turned back to take the tunnel instead. She admitted later she loved the challenge but found the tunnel terrifying, with its echoing trucks. Welcome to riding in Japan!

The mountains offered more tests: a narrow, arched bridge with no railing, switchback climbs, and unexpected detours. Jim guided us toward safer routes when needed, always balancing adventure with care. ❤️ Each climb, no matter how grueling, paid us back with sweeping views of valleys and ridgelines. As we drew closer to the Kōfu Basin (甲府盆地 – Kōfu Bonchi), vineyards and orchards appeared. Yamanashi is Japan’s fruit kingdom—renowned for peaches, grapes, and wine made from the local Koshu grape. Even the air smelled sweeter.

We also tried to give the TV crew a true taste of our kind of touring. That meant challenging climbs, fast descents full of switchbacks, detours when the road disappeared, and even getting separated before finding each other again on the maze-like mountain lanes. Lunch was a picnic from 7-11 (セブンイレブン – Sebun Irebun) enjoyed at an overlook park with sweeping views, simple but perfect. We stopped at small shrines tucked into the roadside, lingered at mountain vistas, and tried to act as naturally as possible—as if they weren’t filming us at all. In the end, we were just having fun together, and it felt good to see them sharing in the adventure.

The crew surprised us with how game they were—adventurous and thoughtful every step. They sweated through climbs, laughed down descents, got lost on winding roads, and regrouped with us when paths split. The driver was cautious and protective, the cameraman’s smile never wavered, and Midori, our translator, patiently carried every nuance across languages. They may have been shy about using Japanese themselves, but their kindness radiated. Our only regret: forgetting to take a group photo!

At last, we reached Minami-Alps (南アルプス – Minami Arupusu). Jim slipped into tour guide mode, showing us his old stomping grounds: the middle school where he once taught, his former house, and even the site of the gym where he used to train—now nothing but a vacant lot.

Finally, we rolled up to Yuki and Masa’s house, with the TV crew still in tow. The welcome was immediate and warm, full of long hugs—the kind you get from family when you return home, when all the weariness of travel melts away.

And the surprises weren’t over. Emi, one of Jim’s friends from 25 years ago, appeared at Yuki’s door. From our first hug, I felt her goodness. Sweet, genuine, and deeply kind—like someone I had known forever, not just minutes.

Later, when Yuki finished teaching, things quieted down and Masa and Yuki took us to a local Chinese restaurant. After a day of climbing, bowls of steaming ramen and sizzling plates of meat and vegetables tasted like heaven. The meal was delivered, to our delight, by a robot waitress—an only-in-Japan blend of tradition and technology.

Although we didn’t interact much with locals today, our connections with the film crew deepened. Their effort, resilience, and warmth made the day unforgettable.

Tomorrow brings a special chapter: lunch with Jim’s old friends, and our introduction at the school festival.Read more