2008 Japan Three Island Tour: April 4th:

<We started the day at the Iwashita Collection: an unassuming building on the side of the road in a small town in Japan which happens to house one of the most impressive collections of motorcycles anywhere. One hundred and fifty unique motorcycles greet the visitor. One of which is a side car which was owned by Steve McQueen. >

 Another is a Ducati Apollo - the only one of its kind in the world.  From the first Honda motorcycle ever built, to 3 sweater Amazonas Side Car....this collection offered it all to the motorcycle enthusiast.  The admission to this museum was waved on accordance we were with Mr. Nakano, who is a good friend of Mr. Iwashita.

    As we toured the collection, you could see in the eyes of all the riders that the excitement of something special. It seemed every nook and cranny of the entire second floor was filled with a defining piece of motorcycle history.  

   After the group enjoyed the collection, they were offered a cup of coffee (on the house) while we listened to a dated jukebox spin oldies. After a spell, we went outside and took a group picture.

   Mr. Nakano announced that he would not be riding with us to Shikoku and bid us farewell. It was a pleasure to ride with Mr. Nakano and Mr. Yoshikawa, and it was sad to say farewell.

    Along the coast we sped past lines of cherry blossom trees, smoke stacks, city traffic and industrial roadways.  We stopped at a sea side restaurant and enjoyed some fresh fish, and were on our way again. Soon, we came to the ferry terminal for the island of Shikoku.

    We parked in the designated motorcycle parking, in front of the other cars and trucks in line. (Why don't we have more designated motorcycle parking in the USA?) We filled out paperwork and waited. In the meantime, a group of biker showed up on Harleys. What was most impressive about the group was that three out of the four were foreigners. We had not seen but handful of foreigners all week, so I went over to talk with them. They were on a one week ride to Kyushu and were based in Hiroshima. One of them had been living in Japan for 16 years. Another was friends with an acquaintance of mine...what a small world. They were all having a great time, except for the fact that they had to head back to work.

    We loaded the ferry and enjoyed the ride over to Shikoku. The sky was blue and wind blew fairly hard. Fishing boats and heavy cargo ships could be seen coming and going. The open ocean lay before us. The tide ripped through the straights and I wondered what the fishing was like. We left the volcanoes of Kyushu for the small fishing villages and remote villages of Shikoku.      

    Of the four main islands of Japan, Shikoku is considered the second most undeveloped. Until only a few years ago, it did not have bridges leading to it. It is very mountainous and boasts the only unobstructed natural river in Japan. The canyons and rivers are spectacular. Don't be surprised if you go through over 60 tunnels in one day! The riding in Shikoku is as Arch put it, "The unknown gem of Japan." There are twisty roads all over the island, perfectly manicured with little traffic.

   Shikoku literally means "four lands". It is well known for being a spiritual center for Japan. Along the roads can be seen pilgrims - people dressed in white robes wearing round thatched hats, sandals and carrying canes. They are there to walk to some or all of the 88 shrines on the island. It is said that it can take months to visit them all.

   The cherry blossoms were "mankai" (full bloom) as we pulled into the small town of Ehime. Our goal that evening was a tiny fishing town no one has heard about. The best thing about this town is the fact that it is not a tourist town. It was just small boat harbor and home to local fishermen. It sets on the far west end of Misaki Peninsula of Shikoku. The local hotel was known for serving a world class sea food feast. You can see the owners of the restaurant carry the fish literally from the fisherman's' boat to the table!

   The other thing that is great about this town is that it is surrounded by these narrow paved roads which wind all over the peninsula, and make for terrific riding. 

    After we disembarked from the ferry and headed west toward the end of the peninsula past orange trees and wind farms. The towering propellers added to a futuristic scene. We arrived at the hotel, quickly deposited our bags, and I cut the group loose to explore the roads around town. Karl, Michael, Akiko and I headed out to the very end of the point to see the lighthouse. As we did the sun was setting over Kyushu. We picked a serpentine, one-laned road that lead down to a very small boat harbor. We parked the bikes and sat on the water break and watched the sun quietly disappear. The sound of the ocean and the sea birds added to the effect. Cargo ships slipped quietly by in the distance. No one was around.

    That night, the feast was truly unique. We were served fresh clams, oysters, abalone and mussels - to be grilled on a small grill on the table. Then, we fired up small gas stoves and heated up large ceramic pots. Inside each pot was a very delicious lobster stew. Periodically, during the grilling of the live ones, an oyster would pop open, spraying those nearby. It must have been their way to get us back! In all, this was the most hands on dinner of all, and a feast that nobody would soon forget.

     Arch took a shot of water from an oyster. Laughing, Arch wiped his eye and said, "This is great!"