Japan Motorcycle Diaries #19: From cape to cape, around Hokkaido in 8 days
I had a 10-day summer break. After pondering where to go for all of 1.5 seconds, I decided to visit Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost prefecture, for the
In July 2017, I embarked on a motorcycle journey around Hokkaido, Japan's northernmost island, for the first time in seven years. My Fat Boy 114 bike carried a warm jacket, rain gear, a few T-shirts, a bandana, and some chinos and jeans. I departed from Tokyo, unaware of the challenges that awaited me.
I initially chose to travel to Aomori, the city near the northernmost tip of Honshu, but opted for the challenging 700-kilometer ride north to Aomori, a choice driven by my masochistic motorcycling spirit. This route added roughly 4,300 kilometers to my trip.
My journey began with a ferry ride from Oarai in Ibaraki Prefecture to Tomakomai in southern Hokkaido, costing me 8,240 yen ($53) for a large motorcycle and its rider, taking about 3.5 hours. I arrived in Aomori in the early evening and took the ropeway to the top of Mount Hakodate for a mesmerizing night view.
The following day, I met up with an old friend in Sapporo, my friend's suggestion led me to Cape Soya in Wakkanai, Japan's northernmost point. The scenery along the Ororon Line, with the Sea of Japan on my left and green hills dotted with wind turbines on my right, was breathtaking, despite the poor weather.
Day 3 brought me to sea urchin over rice, a favorite dish of mine, and then I rode southeast through the cold rain, along the Sea of Okhotsk from Wakkanai to Abashiri. Day 4 brought me to Nemuro, Japan's easternmost city. However, the weather remained unfavorable as I rode toward Cape Nosappu, the northernmost and easternmost capes of Hokkaido. At last, the weather improved, allowing me to witness the famous night view of Hakodate, with its orange streetlights giving the nightscape a warm glow.
My final destination was the famous lavender fields in Furano, but unfortunately, they were out of season. Instead, I visited Farm Tomita in Nakafurano, central Hokkaido, where I found the weather warm and pleasant. The long, straight roads through potato and corn fields and dairy farms were a delightful contrast to the rainy and cold conditions I had endured earlier in my journey.
In Takikawa, a city that once had more watering holes per capita than any other municipality in Japan, I caught up with a college friend from the United States. Takikawa is now popular among glider enthusiasts.
Written by urgent.news from The Mainichi's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
