Entry 004: Japan
Entry 004: Touring Japan
After returning from the Pacific Northwest, we set our sights towards the next expedition: The Land of the Rising Sun. Packed with everything we’d need for any environment – snow in Hokkaido, sun on the coasts – we opened our arms to welcome all the island had to offer. From steaming mountain onsens, to hand forged Japanese steel, the neon lights of Shibuya and the depths of Lake Tomakomai; the left side of the road never failed to provide us with new faces, new places and all of the beautiful moments in between.
Our trip brought us on two large sweeping expeditions. The first half, done primarily in a late 20th century Toyota Hiace was from Tokyo and out to the rolling mountain regions just south. Nagano and the surrounding areas are chalked full of cultural treasures like fire festivals in Nozawaonsen, and snow monkeys in the neighboring mountains...
The second half of the expedition brought us up to Sapporo and into much higher elevations and much lower temperatures. With deep roots in Minnesota's winter outdoors, we felt strangely at home on vintage snowmobiles fishing for smelt. The scenery may have been exotic to us but the people were just as warm, the snow just as cold. Watching the scenery pass behind the windshield of a vintage Land Cruiser, Sapporo's mountains of massive proportions and deep forests flew by. Japan had started to feel like home...
The second half of the expedition brought us up to Sapporo and into much higher elevations and much lower temperatures. With deep roots in Minnesota's winter outdoors, we felt strangely at home on vintage snowmobiles fishing for smelt. The scenery may have been exotic to us but the people were just as warm, the snow just as cold. Watching the scenery pass behind the windshield of a vintage Land Cruiser, Sapporo's mountains of massive proportions and deep forests flew by. Japan had started to feel like home...
Expedition Guide: Japan
If, after seeing it all, we’ve convinced you to take the plunge, you can see our exact map below and set off down our trail! Or, if you’re feeling more adventurous, use it as a foundation and build your own experience. There’s plenty that we missed and so much more to see.