October 19th marked the grand reopening of Michi-no-Eki Uzushio, and I had a chance to check it out …. by bicycle, together with a few friends.
Even from a distance, the place looks amazing. The whole area has been redesigned with open decks, and unbeatable view of the Ōnaruto Bridge stretching over the bubbly Naruto Strait. The weather was perfect for cycling, and arriving there on two wheels somehow made the burgers taste even better, and we were able to avoid the traffic jams 🙂
Burgers and Happy Noise
Despite the crowds (and there were plenty), we managed to get our hamburgers in about 20 minutes!!! pretty impressive considering it had just opened. We grabbed a spot outside and enjoyed the atmosphere while kids danced nearby and a woman started playing the violin.
Everything just clicked…… good food, good company, and that Awaji Island vibe.
And yes… apologies for my photo of the hamburger. It doesn’t do justice to how tasty it was. Local onions, juicy meat , honestly a great burger….. Oh and the Awaji Cola! Wow it was something else …. spicy
Looking Ahead
From the terrace you can see not only the bridge but also the future — literally. In a few years, they’re planning to open the Naruto Bridge for cyclists, which will finally let you ride all the way between Awaji Island and Shikoku. It’s going to take around three years to complete, but when it happens, this place will be the perfect starting (or ending) point for that trip.
So I spent a whole day just walking around Kobe, racking up some 45,000 steps, which apparently translates to about 33 km.
I have no idea how many calories that burned, but I’m pretty sure I put them all back on with my lunch and dinner. Yes, hamburgers are actually really good in Japan these days compared to what they were 35 years ago when I first arrived.
What’s really amazed me is the English level of the staff at these restaurants. With all the inbound tourism in Japan right now, the staff have really stepped up their game. The woman who served me spoke incredible English… sure, I could’ve cut it short and said, “Hey, don’t worry, I speak Japanese,” but honestly, I’m past that now. It actually makes me happy when I go into a restaurant and a local comes up to me speaking flawless English
The weather was overcast, which made Kobe look a bit dull, but no matter how many times I see the Port Tower, it still mesmerizes me. My long stroll took me through Motomachi, Chinatown, and many of the arcades (商店街), which I absolutely love in Japan. Honestly, I consider them a national treasure.
After wandering around, checking out bicycle shops, and buying a few things I’ll need for my camping trip along the Shimanami Kaido, I finally took a train back to my son’s house, only to find he wasn’t home. Thankfully, there’s an onsen nearby, so I could soak and rest my tired legs there.
One great thing about living in the countryside is that when you go to the city… riding trains, hearing the noises, getting jostled on crowded buses, trying all sorts of foods… it almost feels like taking an overseas trip.
The perfect balance! Kei-truck, tent, and bicycle.
When I’m not beekeeping on the weekends, I think I’ve found the perfect pastime. I’m actually quite sad it took me so long to cotton onto this. Before, on the motor scooter, I would just pack everything up and go. Granted, I’d walk around a little when I got to the place, but generally, I’d do most of my sightseeing on the scooter.
Now I get to cycle and walk around for hours, taking photos and enjoying Japan at a slow pace. It’s highly addictive, and I can’t see myself buying a motorised two-wheel machine for the next few years. On top of that, you get great exercise, which means you can scoff more food while travelling, ha ha.
Snow Peak Land Nest Dome M
Snow Peak 「ランドネストドーム M」
Overview
Price: ¥29,800 (tax included, official store)
Capacity: 3–4 people.. Very comfortable with two
Weight: 8.7 kg
Packed size: 70 × 21 × 25 cm
Materials:
Flysheet – 75D polyester taffeta (PU coating 1,800 mm waterproof, water repellent, UV cut)
The flysheet has no front or back – either side can be the entrance. You can’t go wrong sitting it up
Hanging inner tent (detachable, so the flysheet alone can become a shelter)… Probably the reason I bought this tent.
Plenty of mesh panels for ventilation…. cold in the winter?
1. Easy setup
The symmetrical frame means you don’t spend ten minutes wondering which way is “front.” If you’ve ever been halfway through pitching a tent and realized the door faces the wrong direction….. In the first F word out of your mouth is not front.
2. Spacious comfort
It’s roomy enough for three adults or two adults + two kids without feeling like a sardine can. There’s decent headroom, and the vestibule (front area) can actually hold gear instead of just shoes.
3. Great airflow
With multiple mesh windows and dual-side openings, it breathes well—even in the sticky Japanese summer. Plenty of campers mention it stays surprisingly cool and dry overnight.
4. Solid value
At under ¥30,000!! and its SNOWPEAK!!
Things to Keep in Mind
1. It’s not exactly featherweight
At 8.7 kg and 70 cm packed length, it’s fine for car kei-truck camping, If you’re thinking “bikepacking minimalism,” you might reconsider.
2. Not made for deep winter or high winds
There’s no skirt along the bottom edge, so cold air can sneak in. And while the fabric is durable, it’s not fire-resistant…. This could be a problem for me….
So basically
The Land Nest Dome M is one of those rare tents that gets the balance right between price, practicality, and design sanity. It’s ideal for people who like camping but don’t enjoy solving geometry puzzles every time they pitch a tent… You can even get drunk while pitching it…
Setup is quick, the space feels civilized, and it carries that calm, understated Snow Peak aesthetic – modern but not flashy. It’s the kind of tent that makes you look like you know what you’re doing, even if you only go camping twice a year.
On the flip side, it’s not the “one tent to rule them all.” If you’re doing winter camping in Hokkaido or hiking into the wilderness, you’ll want something lighter or more insulated. But for weekend trips, lakeside sites, or family car camping, it’s nearly perfect….. On second thoughts don’t go to Hokkaido right now 🐻
And let’s be honest:
“The less time you spend wrestling with tent poles, the sooner you can start the campfire and open a beer.”
I joined my friend on a cycling ride with the group Charinko (チャリン娘). It’s been taking me a while to get back into riding again… and honestly, I’m still relying on my e-bike for most rides. It’s hard to keep up with the road bike crowd… at least until we hit the hills, where I easily pass them.
チャリン娘のライドに参加しました。
最近また少しずつ自転車に戻ってきていますが、まだ電動アシスト（Eバイク）に頼っています。
ロードバイクの人たちについていくのはちょっと大変💦 でも坂に入ると、こっちのほうが速いんです。
It was only a short ride, about an hour or so. We went out toward Nadakuroiwa Suisenkyo (灘黒岩水仙郷) on Awaji for a test run and stopped off at Fuku Café (ふくカフェ) to try their curry.
今回はだいたい1時間くらいの短いライド。
テストランとして灘黒岩水仙郷まで行って、ふくカフェでカレーを食べました。
Somewhere along the way, I actually broke a spoke… didn’t even notice it at the time, being the dimwhip I am.
Still, the ride was all good fun. It felt refreshing to spend a day joking around in Japanese again… something I’ve really missed over the past few years. I’ve been too wrapped up in beekeeping by myself lately, so it was nice to just ride, laugh, and enjoy the day.
I also got to try the world’s best Coke… that’s Coca-Cola, not the white powdery stuff.
And it happens again just as I’m getting nice and fit, dropping a little bit more weight, getting really used to cycling around, and what happens? I hit a deer.
Yes, I’m okay, but I did crack my helmet. I think I cracked it because I had a light attached to the back of it and the pressure went on there. My head was fine… no headaches, nothing. My groin muscle, though… that’s a different story. I don’t know what I’ve done to it, but I’m a week in now and I still can’t walk properly.
Seriously, this time I’m a little bit peeved. Honestly, check the video… that deer was just aiming for me. The funny thing was, after I checked the video, I realized I didn’t know the deer came up from under the guard rail. All I remember is suddenly seeing a deer in front of me.
A couple of good things: I wasn’t going too fast, about 23 km/h according to my watch, and I did break my fall, although my head hit the ground afterwards.
Leaving late on a Friday isn’t ideal, but it’s the only option if you want to spend Sunday relaxing.
Hopping into my kei truck, I set out for what should have been an easy one-hour drive. But after about 40 minutes, the exhaustion from a busy Friday started to catch up with me. The yawns turned into tears, and I realized the best thing to do was stop and crash in the back of the truck… before I really crashed.
I hadn’t properly planned my Saturday, but I knew I wanted to go for a walk and probably visit an island somewhere. In general, islands tend to be the most fun, with not too many people around. If the bees and vegetables aren’t bugging me, I like to get out of my neighborhood on my days off and walk or cycle somewhere new.
Just before nodding off, I checked the map and decided I’d head to two islands: Megijima (女木島) and Ogijima (男木島).
It’s good to set aside a day when visiting a small island in Japan… you never really know what kind you’re going to get. I figured I’d do both islands in one day since my main goal was just to enjoy a nice walk.
Technically, we’re still in rainy season, but it’s already starting to feel like summer. Not exactly great walking weather… oh well.
First stop Megijima
As per normal, when I go somewhere, I don’t like to research it online. So when I got off the ferry and saw a sign about caves, I decided to walk up the mountain to see what it was all about. Most people took the bus, but since today was about walking, I went for the 2km hike up the hill. At the top, I paid the ¥600 entrance fee for the caves… and I think an ¥800 bus ride back to the port, because I would’ve missed the boat to the next island if I hadn’t walked it.
The caves! 😀 These tourist traps have always amazed me in Japan. I can’t even get angry at them anymore… just weird. The good thing about the cave was that it was nice and cold inside, around 16°C… outside was 30-something, so that was nice. And since I’m a fan of the Momotaro story, that part of the cave… I guess was kind of interesting.
Next on to Ogijima
I was a little pressed for time… these islands really should’ve been a two-day trip. So the next stop was all about getting lunch, flying my drone, and going for a little walk… maybe not much of a walk, because I knew I’d miss the ferry back if I wasn’t careful.
default
Ogijima was actually super interesting, and I’d like to spend a bit more time walking around it. I only got to visit the port town, but it looks like they have campgrounds and other things to see. My lunch was spectacular, and for the size of the port, there was a good number of coffee shops. After chatting with some of the locals, they mentioned that half the population is now made up of people who never lived on the island before… and half of those are from the Kanto region of Japan.
My two cents… grab lunch and a drink at Ogijima, skip the caves in Megijima. Maybe Megijima is better for swimming?
The year 2024 was full of significant events. In March, I welcomed my third grandchild into the world. Then, in July, my mother embarked on a trip to Japan to spend time with her grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Unfortunately, in September, I was involved in a motor scooter accident, which left me on the ground but thankfully with no major injuries. Since then, I have taken up cycling as my preferred mode of getting around.
There are two types of people who own motorcycles,Those who have crashed, and those who will..
– motorcycle riders
After riding my scooter all over Japan for six years with almost no problems, I was involved in my 3rd accident. (The first two were super minor and like this one, zero fault on my part.)
A 70-year-old man in a white car hit me while I was stationary. I was extremely lucky to have been able to fall gracefully off the bike, avoiding serious injury.
My foot and hip were injured, but thankfully, there were no broken bones.
Unfortunately, my bike was significantly damaged; the frame was bent, though it didn’t look so bad at first glance. Fortunately, both I and the car in front of me had a dashcam, which was crucial because the driver accused me of stopping too suddenly.
Personally, I think he was on his phone or something because the way he hit me, there is no excuse for that. He paid for the damages, but since he wasn’t insured with non-compulsory insurance, I didn’t get as much money as I would have if he had been insured properly.
