Greetings from the Founder & Rider
Hi there! I’m the founder and owner of Bikepacking Japan. (Ken-ichi)
To kick off this service, I set out on an ambitious adventure in the spring of 2021: cycling the entire length of Japan, from south to north. My journey connected two "holy grails" for Japanese cyclists—Cape Sata, the southernmost tip of Kyushu, and Cape Soya, the northernmost point of Hokkaido.
I spent 50 days on the road—45 days of pure riding and 5 days of well-earned rest. While I initially planned a leisurely 60-day, 3,500km trip, the magic of the journey took over. Between chasing the cherry blossom front northward and discovering the most optimal (and sometimes surprisingly long!) routes, I ended up covering a total of 4,367km.
I’ve documented my daily rides on video and shared my actual GPS routes here to help you plan your own epic adventure.
A quick tip from experience:
While these routes worked for me, they occasionally include busy national highways or tunnels to keep the momentum going between destinations. As you plan your trip, I highly recommend checking current traffic conditions and choosing paths that best suit your riding style.
I hope my journey inspires yours. Let’s get riding!