🇯🇵💕Days 48 - 50 💕🇯🇵

Days 48–50: ひたちなか (Hitachinaka – City by the Sea)

After nearly seven weeks of riding and exploring Honshu, we finally settled into a slower rhythm for a few days in ひたちなか (Hitachinaka). These were our rest and reflect days — a chance to recharge, reconnect with friends, and prepare for our upcoming presentation at The English House.

We had intentionally planned this break to spend time with Annie and Justin, their longtime employee and friend Ethan, and our dear friends Mike and Yoshie — who had been such kind supporters to me twenty-five years ago when I lived in Japan. It felt comforting to be back here, surrounded by familiar faces, sharing new stories and memories that spanned decades.

Most of our daylight hours were spent working on the presentation, a 45-minute interactive talk for the students, parents, and community members from The English House. Because their classroom space couldn’t fit everyone, they rented a hall at the local Chamber of Commerce — and by the time we started on Wednesday night, about fifty people had gathered. We gave the presentation in English, but communication went far beyond language. The audience was warm, curious, and full of great questions. Afterward, people stayed for almost another hour to look over our bikes and gear, point at our map of Japan, and talk about cycling and travel. Annie, Justin, and Ethan had even made a beautiful bulletin board display of our adventure, complete with photos and captions. Seeing it all laid out like that brought back so many memories — and reminded us how much kindness we’ve been shown along the way.

On Tuesday, the whole crew — Mike, Yoshie, Annie, Justin, Ethan, Lisa, and I — went out together for a special lunch at a lovely local restaurant. It was a traditional Japanese dining experience, elegant and beautifully arranged, featuring something called 新米 (shinmai – new rice). Shinmai is the freshly harvested rice from the current season, prized throughout Japan for its softness, delicate sweetness, and slightly sticky texture. In Japanese culture, tasting shinmai marks the celebration of harvest and abundance, and sharing it together often carries a feeling of gratitude and renewal. The meal was artfully presented, with small dishes arranged like a painting — fresh baked fish, simmered vegetables, miso soup, and the star of the meal: that perfect, steaming bowl of new rice.

After lunch, we walked together to train station where Yoshie treated us to some wonderful baked goods from a local bakery. Among them were what locals called “victory buns” — soft rolls filled with smooth, sweet black bean paste and a touch of cream. They were delicious, and somehow fitting — a small, celebratory taste of success after our long journey.

Of course, these days weren’t just about work and food, though there was plenty of both.

On Wednesday after the presentation, we wandered late down the street to find a 7-Eleven for an evening meal and we passed small Nepalese–Indian restaurant Justin had introduced us to over seven weeks ago. We couldn’t resist returning to get some takeout. The cheese naan was still heavenly — soft, buttery, and almost dessert-like, and the butter chicken curry in our opinion was award-winning! I joked to Lisa that if we weren’t leaving soon, I was sure we would become regular customers.

Another small mission of mine was to finally revisit the golden arches. Yes, I was interested in sampling a Big Mac (for research purposes, of course.) It had been over a decade since I’d had one back in the States, and I was curious how the Japanese version compared. To my surprise, the Big Mac value meal was about only five dollars, and the whole experience felt… elevated. They even brought our meals to the table, bowed deeply, and thanked us for dining there. When we finished, the manager himself came out to thank us again. Love the amazing thing is the Big Mac actually looks like it does in the menu picture. I told Lisa, laughing, “You definitely don’t get that at home!”

By the final evening, after days of work and food adventures, we invited Ethan over for a beer and taught him how to play the card game golf. It was a simple night but one of those moments that make a trip feel full circle — sharing stories, laughter, and friendship.

Between all this, we found time to organize our gear, pack the bikes, and pick up a few souvenirs — small reminders of a trip that had become so much more than miles and mountains.

That night, we stayed up late, talking and laughing, a mix of anticipation and melancholy in the air. We knew the long journey home would begin at sunrise. Justin was set to pick us up at 7:30 a.m. in the minivan to take us to 成田空港 (Narita kūkō – Narita Airport).

As we taped the boxes shut for the journey home, we couldn’t help but feel that familiar blend of sadness and gratitude that comes when something beautiful is about to end. Our hearts were full — full of friendship, culture, kindness, and countless small moments that made Japan feel like home once again.Les mer