Why You Should Cycle Around Hokkaido

Why You Should Cycle Around Hokkaido - Japan Bike Trip #1

Рет қаралды 23,404

6 жыл бұрын

I take a ferry to Hokkaido and spend three weeks cycling around it.
I visit national parks, search for bears, climb mountains, and enjoy the beautiful scenery (when I'm not stuck in clouds).
This is the first video from my Japan bike trip.
In summer 2017, I finished my job and set off to cycle Japan from north to south. Cape Soya to Cape Sata.
Although I've travelled to many places in Japan, this Hokkaido bike trip was my favourite!
The National Parks I visited were:
- Rishiri Rebun Sarobetsu National Park
- Shiretoko National Park
- Akan National Park
- Daisetsuzan National Park
Subscribe to see the rest of my Japan bike trip.
Instagram:
/ ciaranrawlinson
Route (This video): Tottori to Maizuru. Ferry to Otaru. Loop of Hokkaido.
Japan bike trip route (in full): www.google.com/maps/d/viewer?...
Music
Artist: Lemolo
Song: Open Air

Пікірлер: 97

@tiddlestriathlonjourney357 Ай бұрын

I did a Hokkaido trip in 2019 and alot of these roads I recognize and are bringing a tear to my eye. I need to go back! Thank you for posting

@BigRick50 2 жыл бұрын

That was really smart starting at the top and cycling down. Downhill all the way.

@coltonlong2223 3 жыл бұрын

Dude this is basically the same type of thing I want to do when travel to japan opens again! This whole video is a gold mine for me, thanks so much!

@CiaranRawlinson 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Glad you enjoyed it.

@irbishistory462 Ай бұрын

Hello! Me from Israel, watched youre amazing trip. Thank you for that!

@TwoWheelCruise 6 жыл бұрын

This is one of my dream trips.. nice edit btw!

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@mattwake7230 Жыл бұрын

Thanks Ciaran. Hoping to go from Soya to Sata next year following the footsteps of Alan Booth. Your videos are inspiring!

@CiaranRawlinson Жыл бұрын

Thanks! Good luck with your trip!

@Simon..Chapman Жыл бұрын

Really enjoyed this and gave me great peace of mind. I am flying to Sapporo in a few days to do a three week cycling trip, very similar route to the one you did. Thank you for sharing your trip !

@tokyothrift 6 жыл бұрын

This is amazing. Thank you for capturing such a beautiful journey. Major props!

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks so much Emilia!

@Greggsvlog 5 жыл бұрын

Love how you put the maps up for a reference.

@CiaranRawlinson 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I do love maps, and I think it helps give some context to the videos. I'm actually just making my first video from my Canada trip today (way behind schedule) and including plenty of maps on it too!

@wesleytong9127 4 жыл бұрын

I just stumbled onto this video because I'm planning a trip to Hokkaido. Thanks for posting it. Respect for going on such a journey!

@manifbaker 2 жыл бұрын

Hah I’m pretty sure that ridiculous headwind to cape soya is a permanent fixture, looks exactly the same weather as my trip (though a had thicc fog on top of Mt Rishiri 😢) thanks for sharing mate.

@saw141 3 жыл бұрын

I am so happy for you that you got to do this. This is my dream. It would be so amazing to take a year or however long and traverse north-south or vice versa; Hokkaido, Honshu, maybe other islands as well. Thank you so much for documenting your journey in such exquisite detail and sharing it with us. How amazing that you also made a friend during your time! I hope you have perhaps been able to continue communicating; maybe a friend for another future expedition? Amazing video, thank you.

@CiaranRawlinson 3 жыл бұрын

Thanks a lot! I made it all the way down to Okinawa during my 3 month trip, but it did feel a bit rushed towards the end. I'd definitely love to do a south to north trip during spring sometime and take a completely different route! Yes, I'm still occasionally in touch with Kenta. I took a short trip to Japan in 2019 with my dad and brother, and briefly met up with him then.

@Mike-xn8hd 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. A very well made video and quite the adventure.

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

Cheers Mike. I enjoyed some of your videos too. Looks like you're having a good time in Japan!

@shinzuimartin9725 6 жыл бұрын

A bit late to watch your amazing video. Thx for sharing very good moments with us.

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

No problem! Thanks for watching!

@paultuke5110 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for sharing. I did half of Hokkaido last year, and will do the east side next month. Your pics were great!

@boylefam4eva 2 жыл бұрын

This is a great intro to cycling Hokkaido, thank you, professional level editing, although I’d probably stay along the coast as much as possible. I cycled Shikoku while doing the 88 Temples of the Kobo Daishi and stuck to the coast. The camping, pilgrims huts, good weather and nice people make it wonderful. I was 63 when I did 1100kms on a “mamachari”, camped a bit and did the Shimanamikaido also. I’m 66 now. Will COVID ever end and I get a chance to tackle Hokkaido?

@CiaranRawlinson 2 жыл бұрын

Glad you enjoyed it. Hopefully 2022 is the year when things get back to normal and the borders reopen. 🤞

@zzainonify 3 жыл бұрын

Great video Ciaran. My first visit to Hokkaido was in 1990 and my last was 2002, by car and motorbike. I wish to go back there again and of course on a bicycle. Keep it up bro.

@mrdhanstube 6 жыл бұрын

lovely

@CiaranRawlinson 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@camperstar6stringer 2 жыл бұрын

Dreams come true

@incrediblegenki8416 6 жыл бұрын

so awesome mate

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@MikamisHouse 19 күн бұрын

As long as you don't run into a bear or a bear doesn't run into you, you'll be okay :P

@gsgsgs16 4 жыл бұрын

Very interesting

@doransshield9176 2 жыл бұрын

great video. I hope to do the same thing one day

@protambike7258 4 жыл бұрын

Amazing

@CiaranRawlinson 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks!

@protambike7258 4 жыл бұрын

I can't wait to work in japan 😁👍

@gutzshirano8826 6 жыл бұрын

GOOD!

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

Thank you! 😀

@bluebike 6 жыл бұрын

winter is the best

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

Wow, your video looks great! But it must be so cold at New Year's!

@bluebike 6 жыл бұрын

Ciaran Rawlinson No problem Please come next year. hahaha

@bulblast89 6 жыл бұрын

Masochist

@stevenpaulday4825 17 күн бұрын

Wonderful! I hope to ride this someday soon. By chance, did you follow the route on GPS or is the way fairly obvious?

@CiaranRawlinson 13 күн бұрын

I just followed the coastal road for most of Hokkaido. It's pretty obvious because there aren't many roads up there.

@paul_laws 4 жыл бұрын

🙏

@wotmast 4 жыл бұрын

I will go in 2021 in may, to bad i cant stay longer than 3 months :( Wish i could travel there for 6 months, but cool vid man!

@CiaranRawlinson 4 жыл бұрын

Thanks! I'm not sure where you're from but with some European passports it's possible to extend your visa to 6 months while in Japan. Otherwise you could take a ferry to Korea after 3 months, spend some time there then go back to Japan for another few months. There's no guarantee they'll grant another visa but if you explained your plan and had a flight home booked I think you'd have a good chance. Good luck with your trip!

@AllSoloScarlett 5 жыл бұрын

160km in 2 days... and here i did 80km in 2 days on the shimanami kaido with 30-40lb of gear

@CiaranRawlinson 5 жыл бұрын

Haha. You get stronger when you do a longer trip. My record on this trip is 180km in one day! Hope you enjoyed the Shimanami Kaido!

@Kyoto_Ed 10 ай бұрын

I just did a similar trip. I forgot to take cash on the ferry and they said there was nothing they could do, so I couldn't eat for 22hrs.

@camperstar6stringer 3 жыл бұрын

I'm making about the same trip as you. Be starting in Hagi, Yamaguchi. But I'll be both, cycling and also use the train. Hokkaido to Okinawa. The ferry you mention about Niigata sounded interesting, but wondering if I should bike all the way up north? As far as teaming up with other cyclist, is May a good month to see cyclist up in Hokkaido? As mentioned I'll be cycling all Japan, the Innocent Smiles of Japan adventure tour. Hope to put it all together with video and music like you did. Nice job. Hope all is well where you are.

@CiaranRawlinson 3 жыл бұрын

I actually took the ferry from Maizuru in Kyoto, but it also goes from Niigata. I guess it depends how quickly you want to get up north. You could just start the trip and see how much time you have. Then get whichever ferry suits you get up to Hokkaido in time. I haven't been there in May so this is just a guess. There will probably be some other cyclists in May, but summer is when it gets really busy because more people have holidays.

@camperstar6stringer 3 жыл бұрын

@@CiaranRawlinson Thanks for your reply.

@bulblast89 6 жыл бұрын

Do you have a headlight on the bike? I couldn't tell. Of the 4 parks you visited does one stand out to you more than the others?

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

Yeah. My handlebar bag covered the light, but I attached it to the left fork (left hand side of the wheel) instead. I also carried a headlamp that I sometimes used in long tunnels or when cycling at night. I loved all 4 parks. Hard to choose a favourite. This video covers 3 weeks and was definitely my favourite part of the whole trip!

@patnaika 3 күн бұрын

When you went climbing in Rishiri, did you just leave the bike at the camp? Was it safe?

@CiaranRawlinson 3 күн бұрын

I cycled from the Yuni campsite up to the foot of the mountain (arriving at Hokuroku parking) and parked my bike there. I'm sure it happens, but I've never had anything stolen in the 6 years that I've been living/travelling here. That includes usually only locking my bike to its own wheel (so it would be easy to lift if anyone wanted to steal it).

@longheadedshorthorse 6 жыл бұрын

Is this in February? I'm planning to do the same route in June. Great video.

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

Bret Mason Thanks! I started on July 31st so this was mostly in August. June should be great too. Long days and probably less tourists than when I was there. And I've heard Hokkaido doesn't get the rainy season in June like the rest of Japan.

@1uniqueislander968 6 жыл бұрын

I see August must be grey and wet most the time in Hokkaido :( My planned 2-3 week tour is this August. Great video and edit btw Ciaran :)

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

1MadassGrom Hey, just seeing this comment now. No, the weather was quite nice for most of the time in August. Maybe one week where the rain was on and off. (From Cape Soya until Akan) But I had two weeks of mostly sunshine! Hope the weather is good for you this year!

@1uniqueislander968 6 жыл бұрын

Ciaran Rawlinson Thanks Ciaran 👍😃 It's so nice on sunny days, rain or shine i'll be 😁happy anyways to be cycling in Japan. I👍like your touring set up, looks travel light with the 2 panniers and bar bag.

@MrlonTV05 5 жыл бұрын

How much you spend for those days trip, I’m planning also for that route with my wife.

@fukunaga-kane 5 жыл бұрын

What ferry did you take? Did you take the price for per vehicle or per person? What are the charges for bringing a bike on to the ferry? I really don’t know anything about Japan’s ferry system and could use some advice from you. I’m really interested to go Hokkaido from Niigata port in 2020

@CiaranRawlinson 5 жыл бұрын

www.snf.jp/english.html I took a Nihonkai ferry. Here's the link. The price differs depending on what time of year you travel. I took the cheapest option for passenger and then paid to take my bike. It was about ¥15,000 total, but it will be cheaper from Niigata.

@fukunaga-kane 5 жыл бұрын

Ciaran Rawlinson thanks mate!

@coltonlong2223 3 жыл бұрын

Forgot to ask! Are most roads open to bikes? I'm looking to really get around during my 90 days when I'm over there, and it seems like it could be hellish going by bike if you cant use major roads.

@CiaranRawlinson 3 жыл бұрын

You can't cycle on the toll roads but most other roads are fine. But I actually preferred the smallest roads because they had less traffic and were always paved in Japan. I often used Google maps walking route, or the cycling routes on Komoot or Maps.Me apps.

@coltonlong2223 3 жыл бұрын

@@CiaranRawlinson oh... maybe backwoods michigan has colored my expectations haha. I was so used to dirt roads and what not I guess I didnt consider they might have more paved roads! Cant wait to get over there!

@SkyHermit 5 жыл бұрын

I am staying in Hokkaido as well! I am wondering how can you quit your teaching job and cycle around in Hokkaido and go to Dublin and come back again with your bike in Japan? Are you still under Humanities Visa or do you come back as a traveller's visa?

@CiaranRawlinson 5 жыл бұрын

I changed to a tourist visa when I quit my job, and when I came back in October I was issued with a new 3 month tourist visa.

@1uniqueislander968 6 жыл бұрын

Wow, so many places I want to cycle to and mountains to climb! Work will only allow 2-4 weeks for my vacation. My first short bicycle tour away from home is planned for this August.. warmest time in Hokkaido I hear. Do I need them summer type compact sleeping bags? I have a Coleman Alpine 50, bit heavy and takes a lot of space. Thanks Ciaran!

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

This video was only about 3 weeks around Hokkaido. You can definitely have a great time there with 2-4 weeks! I think that sleeping bag is ok if you can carry it. I had a light summer sleeping bag (15°c) and it was sometimes a bit cold, especially on the east coast.

@nguyenducthuan6618 3 жыл бұрын

the song is so lovely ! Can you tell me the singer sing this song ?

@CiaranRawlinson 3 жыл бұрын

It's called Open Air by Lemolo.

@ramstaana 4 жыл бұрын

why is there a saw on 0:25???

@CiaranRawlinson 4 жыл бұрын

Haha, I've often wondered how many people notice that. My friend's hand was in the air because he'd cut his finger the night before while cutting firewood with a saw. So I'd put the saw into the video to make fun of it. Well spotted. 😂

@waddo 6 жыл бұрын

Enjoyed the video very much. Pity you didn't show more of the places, for example a 3 second still of those waterfalls was such a waste of a place. And the music, well guess it's a matter of taste!

@CiaranRawlinson 6 жыл бұрын

Thanks! Yeah, I didn't want the video to be too long, and it was hard to fit more in as I told the story of the trip. But that's a good point, maybe I should go back and make a video about my favourite places, including more scenery, once I finish the videos of the rest of the trip.

@huehue5286 4 жыл бұрын

How are the roads? Is it safe? When I cycled in Brazil the traffic was pretty crazy and they seem to don't respect cyclists.

@CiaranRawlinson 4 жыл бұрын

Yeah, I felt pretty safe on the roads in Japan. However there were a lot of tunnels, sometimes several km long. So make sure you have good lights!

@kanga66prso 4 жыл бұрын

Why such a lack of sunshine?? What season?

@CiaranRawlinson 4 жыл бұрын

It was summer! But it was just cloudy and rainy for a week up north.

@jari4493 Жыл бұрын

How long did it take you to bike trough Japan?

@jari4493 Жыл бұрын

For the whole trip not just Hokkaido

@CiaranRawlinson Жыл бұрын

It was around 3 months total. Maybe a little more.

@jari4493 Жыл бұрын

@@CiaranRawlinson Thank you for the answer. I was thinking about doing the Hokkaido cycle trip in early November (I mean october), so I can see the autumn foliage. Do you think that would work, or is it too cold then?

@jari4493 Жыл бұрын

Or which month would you recommend the most?

@CiaranRawlinson Жыл бұрын

@@jari4493 My trip in this video was in August. Even then some of the mountain passes were cold, and you need to be prepared for the weather like we had going over Shiretoko Pass. I wouldn't attempt this trip too much later in the year. Maybe September. Mid-September is when the Autumn leaves start in Hokkaido. My next video in the series was from Sapporo to Hakodate in mid-October and it was getting cold then. I'm not sure what the northern parts are like then. This is a good site that might have some useful information for you. hokkaidowilds.org/keeping-safe-while-hiking-in-hokkaido I can't advise much because I've only experienced Hokkaido only those two sections of my trip, but definitely make sure you're well prepared for whenever you do it. Good luck!

@user-pu2uj2mp8m 5 жыл бұрын

Great work!! but I have one thing I want to say. 07:52 They are not Russian islands but Japanese islands!! The fact is that Russia has occupied the islands illegally since 1945/08.

@CiaranRawlinson 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks! And thanks for letting me know. Yeah, I didn't realise at the time because some other tourists told us they were Russian Islands. But I found out when I was making the video so I wrote that they are disputed islands.

@user-pu2uj2mp8m 5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your early reply and correcting the video. I'm a bike tourist too, so your video reminds me of my bike trip in Hokkaido. I hope you will be able to continue your trip safely. Take care !!

@MouthBreather_ 4 жыл бұрын

damn son did you filter that water???

@CiaranRawlinson 4 жыл бұрын

I didn't! And I'm still alive two years later. You generally should filter the water in Hokkaido but this was a famous natural spring called Kanrosensui (listed in the top 100 most exquisite waters of Japan, or something like that), and there were many signs directing us to fill up here. So I think it's safe.