Riding in Shikoku

For spring break this year, I made a plan and went motorcycle riding in Shikoku, Japan's south-central island. My goal was to see the mountains Tokushima and Kochi, and I did.

Date	Day	Activity	Lodging
3月19日	Sunday	Ferry: Tokyo → Tokushima
			Ferry
3月20日	Monday	Ride in the mountains of Tsurugi.
			Guest House Momonga Village
3月21日	Tuesday	Visit the Kotohira Shrine Climb Mt. Tsurugi
			Guest House Momonga Village
3月22日	Wednesday	Ride in the mountains
			Otaniso Hotel in Tokushima
3月23日	Thursday	Ride south around Cape Muroto
			Otaniso Hotel in Tokushima
3月24日	Friday	Circumnavigate Awaji Island
			Otaniso Hotel in Tokushima
3月25日	Saturday	Ferry: Tokushima → Tokyo
			Ferry
3月26日	Sunday	Go home

The overnight ferry from Tokyo to Shikoku is perfect for motorcycle riders. You can read a book and sleep at night, and it arrives in Tokushima around noon. I tried taking a small back road up to the youth hostel, but it was still closed for the winter. Then I made a U-turn, and it started raining. Oh well. The hostel was warm and the people there were friendly. The next day was rainy too, so I kept the riding short: an hour to a nearby city, a leisurely lunch plus some window shopping, and an hour ride back.

For the rest of the trip, the weather was cooperative. The temperature was fairly low, but the light overcast days made for easy riding. I put about 1,100 kilometers on the bike, and the scenery was very enjoyable. March is still early season for Shikoku, and the roads were rather empty.

Ride the motorcycle in the mountains and on the coast, read some books, study some Japanese—that's what it was, and it was good.