AARON WHITFIELD PHOTOGRAPHY

travel: Japan Cycyling Road Trip

Reid McCord and Aaron Whitfield cycled over 3,500 kilometres from the north to the south of the four main islands of the Japanese archipelago. Starting on August 9, 2005 in Sapporo, Hokkaido, they rode touring bikes and pulled B.O.B trailers with all their gear to Fukuoka, Kyushu. On October 26, 2005 they departed Japan on a ferry to Busan, South Korea.

See published story at: http://www.ucalgary.ca/umagazine/issues/2006-02/features/samurai.html

   
Ride day one began in Sapporo, Hokkaido with an afternoon start and a few gear pitstops on the way out of the city. Photo taken by friend.
   
Beers and beautiful places were a common theme along the journey. Reid and Aaron enjoy the last sunset of the ride with a cold beer on the island of Kyushu.
     
  
Reid McCord winds down a coastal pathway on the island of Shikoku.
   
Aaron Whitfield and Reid McCord relax in the natural hot springs (onsen) in Kurokawa, Kyushu.
   
A baby Japanese Macaque peers over a railing at Jigokudani Yaenkoe.
     
  
A young girl is supported by a loving hand while she reaches out to the swans in front of Matsumoto Castle, a Japanese national treasure in Matsumoto, Honshu.
   
A young boy scans the still water with his fishing net as his sister and dad stand near-by and a young couple sit at the end of the dock on a peaceful night.
   
A group of school children pose for a photo while on a field trip to a farmers field on Nagashima Island, Kyushu.
     
  
Young school children sit in the shade of a large tree in Nakano.
   
A drummer plays on the elevated stage during Oban Celebrations in Oshamanbe, Hokkaido.
   
A woman chats on the phone while her dog sits patiently in a hand basket in the city of Hakodate, on the northern island of Hokkaido in Japan.
     
  
A man tees off on hole one of a park golf course in Honshu. Park golf is a sport very popular all over Japan, especially with the elderly. It is a combination of regular golf and mini golf, with a croquet flavour.
   
Trays of seedlings are placed in rows in preparation for planting in Kyushu.
   
A rice farmer checks his crops. All through Japan the sight of rice farming remained constant.
     
  
A grass roofed hut is juxtaposed with a modern wind generator that is illuminated with a blue spotlight.
   
A couple takes in a sunset on the Japan Sea coast.
   
After riding 60 kilometres through the tail end of a typhoon, we were rewarded with a free camp spot and a clear view of Gujo-Hachiman castle in Honshu.
     
  
A couple tours the side-streets of Gujo-Hachiman, in Honshu.
   
Two women have a street-side chat inGujo-Hachiman. Umbrellas are a very popular item in Japan, commonly used to keep the sun off and translate into a fashion accesory.
   
Two men pass on the street while out running errands in Gujo-Hachiman, Japan.
     
  
Two girls take some shade and pose for a photograph while on a rickshaw tour in Takayama, Honshu, Japan.
   
A rikshaw runner chats with his guests in Takayama, Honshu, Japan.
   
A Japanese couple gives a friendly wave as they pass in a rikshaw in Takayama, Honshu.
     
  
A man rides his bike through the Nagano Station bike parking during rush hour in Nagano, Honshu.
   
An elderly woman chats with us and became overwhelmed with emotion as it was the first time she has talked with foreigners.
   
Motie in an outdoor onsen (Rotemburo,) near Hakuba, Honshu, Japan.
     
  
Kurodani Temple lanterns illuminate the night in Kyoto, Honshu.
   
Golden Pavilion, Kyoto, Honshu, UNESCO World Heritage site.
   
A pilgrim prepares for another day on the road as he searches for enlightenment on the 88 temple pilgrimage around the island of Shikoku, Japan. The pilgrimage is a 1000 year-old tradition and it is the 116th time this man has made the trip.
     
  
The shirt of a pilgrim is already soaked as he heads out for another day on the road in search of enlightenment on the 88 temple pilgrimage around the island of Shikoku.
   
A burning tree is hoisted at the beginning of a festival in Nakatosa, Shikoku. The tree was paraded into the centre of town where teams battled with huge drums during the all night long affair.
  
School kids run the 400 metre relay, the final event of sports day, in Sakawa, Shikoku. The kids train for months for the one day emotionally charged event.
     
  
School kids clasp their hands in anticipation of the results during sports day in Sakawa, Shikoku.
   
School kids react with joy and elation after the posting of the results during sports day in Sakawa, Shikoku.
   
And the winner is...the final results are posted during sports day in Sakawa, Shikoku.
     
  
Chris Molyneux snags the disc with a backwards through the legs leaping grab.
   
Three boys have fun on the beach after being burried in the sand.
   
A handmade paper artisian sits in front of his work in Ino Town, on the Japanese island of Shikoku.
     
  
There were fields of rice from the north to the south of Japan. Harvesting the rice is a family affair as seen outside of Otachimisaki, Kyushu.
   
A farmer takes a time-out from burning off the excess vegitation in a rural area on Honshu.
   
Fishing boats lie in wait beneath the worlds most active volcano, Sakurajima, near Kagoshima, Kyushu.
     
  
The hands of a clock sit at 11:02, the moment the atomic bomb hit Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Atomic Bomb Museum. Nagasaki, Kyushu.
   
Japanese school girls visit the hypocentre marking ground zero where the atomic bomb hit Nagasaki on August 9, 1945. Nagasaki, Kyushu.
   
A woman shares a laugh while offering some candy in the mountains on the island of Kyushu, Japan.
     
  
1400 year old Zenkoji Temple, Nagano, Honshu.
   
A person walks under the shade of an umbrella in the grounds of 1400 year old Zenkoji Temple, Nagano, Honshu.
   
McCord and Whitfield sit on a bridge in front of Matsumoto Castle which is a Japanese national treasure in Matsumoto, Honshu.
     
  
Reid McCord rides up Norikura Skyline route. At over 2700 metres, it is Japan's highest road.
   
McCord rides the tight lines across a bridge.
   
McCord muses.Shikoku.
     
  
Much of the ride afforded beautiful views of the rugged coast line.
   
A fishing boat passes through the sun's reflection with commercial tankers in the distance.
   
Reid McCord looks out from Sakurajima Island, the worlds most active volcano, near Kagoshima, Kyushu.
     
  
Reid McCord riding a breakwall on Amakusa-shimoshima Island in Kyushu.
   
McCord crests another hill while riding on the island of Shikoku. Bike touring leaves plenty of time for self reflection.
   
Reid McCord reaches the light at the end of the tunnel while riding on the island of Shikoku.
     
  
Succcessful completion of an adventure of this magnitude requires teamwork, trust, and a lot of hard work. Reid McCord and Aaron Whitfield celebrate the last sunset of the ride in Kyushu.