Today’s ride flanked the foothills of Mt. Kurikoma, a famous inactive volcano, apparently renowned for having some of the most vibrant autumn foliage in all of Japan. Today it was a verdant paradise, glistening in both the mist and rain.
Nothing too untoward, just like a good wet day at home: no monkeys fell on us ( just scarpered); no stoating nor were we too drookit. The latter I thank our waterproofs for. ‘Twas refreshing rain. Others opinions of the severity of the day are of course available. I enjoyed it!
The towns or settlements we pass through seem to be getting poorer with more dilapidated buildings – and the occasional imaculate ones with well tended gardens. Shops selling flowers started to appear.
Another thing worth noting is Minis. Not the modern huge monstrosities. Old fashioned 1960s/70s British Leyland built. Japan’s population is not very diverse – 97.5% of the population is Japanese. Its cars are about the same proportion. The odd VW, BMW (just one Renault); Land Rover etc. By far the most common foreign car is the mini – more than I’ve seen at home in years: quite a rare sighting.
A quick Google thing comes to the rescue. “Classic (Old) Minis are immensely popular in Japan because of their incredibly compact footprint, which perfectly navigates narrow streets, coupled with a deep cultural appreciation for British heritage, retro design, and personalization. Japan has a flourishing enthusiast community dedicated to meticulously maintaining and modifying these iconic vehicles”. Google of course doesn’t speak the King’s English, I apologise for the annoying “z”.
A memorable day heading into tomorrow’s rest day.
Travelling reflections 