If you know me, then you’ll know that Japan is my favourite country on the planet (with Italy a very close second), and that I jump at every opportunity I get to head back there. So, when I received a message from the editor of the famous Bicycle Club magazine of Japan, Hirohisa Yamaguchi, in August 2023, to attend a race there, I said yes without a thought.
‘Where is the race Hirohisa San?’
‘Fukushima.’
‘And how long is it?’
‘211km. Lots of mountains.’
‘Ah… better start training then!’
At this distance, the race was the longest in Japan. The route headed from the Shinchi Town / Tsurushi Disaster Prevention Green Park, some 65km east of Fukushima City, down the undulating coast to Hirono, and then turned right to snake into the mountains to finish in Katsurao Village. At this distance and just under 3000m of climbing – 90% of that packed into the last 50km, this was going to be a tough one…
I’d visited this region twice previously, to Matsushima in neighbouring Miyagi Ken. Fukushima and Miyagi are of course known worldwide for the damage done by the terrible tsunami that was triggered by the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011. With a magnitude of 9.0, this undersea event caused waves as high as 40 meters to strike coastal areas, the quake being the largest ever in Japan to date and the 4th largest ever recorded, since recordings began in 1900. The ensuing tsunami caused the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Records released in 2021 state that 19,759 people lost their lives, 2,553 people were missing, and that almost 250,000 people lost their homes.
When I went in 2017, just six years after the disaster, I saw coastal villages set on hillsides where half or more of the village was just gone. Eradicated. And yet people still lived there, with little temporary shops set in trailers parked on concrete where their neighbours had once lived.
Perhaps some may think it mawkish of me to bring this tragedy up in an article that seems ostensibly to be about a bicycle race, yet what happened on that day and in the ensuing weeks, months and years is central to this story, central to the region, and central to the people who lived through all of this, and who continue to live through it.
It would be remiss of me to not touch on these facts, and in truth, it would be impossible to write the story of this trip, because without including them, it would not be possible to write about the incredible spirit of the people who live there, nor to mention the sheer force of will that embodies them, that allows them to carry on, to build and rebuild. I’m not talking simply about buildings, train lines and roads, but also communities and societies – rebuilding hope, in essence – not just in the immediate aftermath of the tsunami, but every day since then, until now, and beyond.
Indeed, events such as those I went to in Miyagi and this one in Fukushima are designed to increase the number of tourists from Japan and overseas to an area that was hit hard economically by the events on March 11th, 2011.
2017, Matsushima, Miyagi Ken
I arrived at Haneda Airport to be pickled up by a fellow named Yosuke Suga, who was to be my guide and also photographer for the trip.
Being slightly discombobulated from the trip, getting through customs and rushing to load up the car, I didn’t quite recognise Suga San at first, but after a few minutes he mentioned that we’d raced together back when I lived in Japan and was racing in the pro/elite class there between 2007-2009.
We chatted about the old days on the 4 hour drive north to Fukushima, grabbing some noodles on the way, and then headed out for a little ‘easy’ ride – which it was, til we got to a hill and then ended up racing full gas to the top – it ended in a tie!
You can take the boys out of the race but, as we all know, you can’t take the race out of the boys…
The next day was the opening ceremony of the event (which apart from the 211km race also had some shorter routes as options), and also a short social ride was planned, all to start at a place called J Village, a huge sports complex with 11 football fields and a hotel complex, that serves as a national training center for several sports.
We arrived dressed to ride in our cycling kit and headed into the impressive indoor stadium, where there were booths hosting the event sponsors and the local tourism boards. Several cyclists were gathered inside and their bikes were laid out in preparation for the start of the social ride, which was to take place just after the opening ceremony.
It was at this time, just before the speeches got underway, that Suga San approached me to say that due to damage on the event route caused by a recent typhoon, both this day’s ride and tomorrow’s also would be canceled.
Needless to say, I was disappointed by this news, but, being a race organiser and owner of a cycling tour company myself, I understand that the paramount concern for any event, for the organisers, is rider safety. Also, this disappointment experienced by the riders is felt even more by the hosts, who spend many months, if not years, planning these events.
Next time you’re at an event, take a moment or two afterwards to thank a steward or two, a commissaire and maybe someone on a feed station – you’ll make their day!
One highlight of the day was meeting with meeting with some representatives from the Nuclear Accident Response Office, of the Agency for Natural Resources and Energy, who had a model of the plant and explained at some length the efforts made since the tsunami to ensure as best as possible that such a disaster wouldn’t take place again.
In 2021, the Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan, Toshumitsu Motegi, released a statement regarding the economic recovery of the areas affected by the tsunami:
‘Since the immediate aftermath of the Great East Japan Earthquake, Japan received countless support and messages of encouragement from countries all over the world. In addition to donations from many countries and regions, people from across the globe came to the affected areas to help search for missing people and support those who were in need. I would like to reiterate my heartfelt appreciation to everyone in all the countries and regions.
‘A decade later, some remain unable to return to their homes, and there still remain challenges toward full reconstruction. Nonetheless, thanks to the support for the reconstruction, the affected areas in Japan have made steady headway, and our ties with the world are now stronger than ever. Exports of agricultural, forestry, and fishery products from Fukushima Prefecture recovered to pre-disaster levels in 2017 and have continued to hit record highs for three consecutive years since then.‘
Whilst I was in Fukushima on this trip, I met several Japanese who had moved from their home areas, some quite far away, to go and live in Fukushima specifically to work there and help to support these local efforts at recovery, from tour guides to teachers to engineers, which I found very admirable.
So, without a race to go and suffer in, Hiroshi San and Suga San set about finding some locals for me to go meet and get a ride in. The next morning we loaded the car with the bags and the bikes and went to meet up with a bunch of guys who were also to have taken part in the 211km event, led by up and coming Japanese cycling celebrity Yutaka Sugimoto.
We set off on the same coastal road we were due to have raced on, and what was slated as an ‘easy’ ride turned out to be anything but! The pace up some of the small rollers was full on race pace and had me wondering where I’d have managed in the race proper!
I was thankful to Suga San for calling stops as he got the camera out to take some shots…
Phew! Taking a break…
We then headed to Ukedo Elementary School. Run by the town of Namie, the school was the first memorial in the prefecture that preserves buildings in their damaged state.
The two-story school is 5 kilometers north of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Walking around the school’s first floor, which has classrooms that have not been repaired at all, was shocking and humbling at the same time. We were all wandering around in a bewildered silence, barely able to imagine the fear the children and staff must have felt as they evacuated to higher ground.
Click image to enlarge.
It was here that I met a woman who had relocated from Tokyo to volunteer as a guide at the school.
From here, we then cycled a few kilometers for lunch and to say farewell to the guys, heading to a farmers market in Namie Town. Delicious food, refreshing drinks and great company!
The trip for myself and Suga San was not yet over, as we were heading to a beautiful village to finish the shooting – but before that, we visited the Tepco Decommissioning Center.
Just 4km from the Daiichi nuclear power plant, criticisms were levelled when the museum first opened, with some saying that the displays failed to explain properly what went wrong when the tsunami hit, due to the fact that the plant was reported to be able to withstand natural disasters. In the face of these critiques, the museum reacted by adding more balanced, fuller descriptions of the disaster and its aftermath.
For my part, the visit was one that allowed me to fuller understand the scale of that happened here, and the work of those on site that day and in the ensuing weeks. One thing not in doubt is that this was a period of utter devastation.
One more jump in the car and we headed to our very last stop, the village of Kawauchi in south Fukushima, to cycle though rice fields and to stop at the old and very beautiful house of Kusano Shinpei, a famous poet.
An incredible end to an amazing trip to Fukushima, even though the big raced failed to happen. As on my previous trips to this area, I was moved by the endeavour and spirit of the people here.
This is what draws me to this place and humbles me so much, and it’s not just the natural beauty, nor the delicious food… it’s the people.
Added bonus – I got to meet Hiroshi San for the first time and have a few beers with him in Tokyo.
Thank you Fukushima, to the race organisers and to Suga San and Hirohisa san, and indeed to Bicycle Club for the invitation.
RECOMMENDED CYCLING ROUTES in FUKUSHIMA:
- Tatehama Lake Beach – Lake Inawashiro Loop 57km / 1500m
- Michinoku Cycling Road 30km / 700m
- Big Bandai Loop 225km / 4500m
Bandai Loop Images
WHEN TO GO:
Well it depends on what you’re into! For cycling, late April through to the mid-October is quite warm, and it does not get too hot (30 max) in summer.
For snowboarders and skiers, the area has some great slopes and often excellent powder, best months for this is January and February.
To enjoy the splendour of the autumnal colours, which are exceptional, plan your trip late September to mid November.
To-no-hetsuri Crags
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