Shikoku Hiroshima Ride

[gaijin]

I decided to take a week off for a long ride before end of riding season.
Day 1: take off from northern japan, heading south passed by favorite post (my traditional stop).





Stay with cheap gas, just kidding. Nothing is cheap in Japan. Closed to $4.00 per gallon

Day 2. After a stop in Tokyo, riding toward Kyoto, Osaka to Kobe. This is to get across to Shikoku Prefecture.


After I got on this bridge, I want to get off it. Cross wind and rain.


These guys came across the bridge before me while I got lost in Kobe, rain rain.

Day 3: It is still cloudy but the forecast is for sunshine.







Matsuyama Castle. Did not go inside.


Day 3 and 4: Hang out in Kochi, Shikoku for two days and do some more sightseeing.






Met a French guy, doing some pilgrimage. Walking to 88 temples on Shikoku


Get blessing for my bike

Day 5: Crossing back to Japanese Main Island (honshu).


World Longest Bridge (Seto), connecting Shikoku to Honshu.


stop at Hiroshima, see more castle.


Get stop and ticket (Yen 6000) by this Hiroshima Cop, using bus only lane. Well. I cannot read Japanese.


Got to Kintei Bridge. built without using any nails.



Day 6 and 7: Hang out near Hiroshima to do sightseeing.


Japanese Navy Submarine, Live Size.


Battleship Yamato Meseum, 1/10 ratio or closed to 34 meters in length


Ate some of these oysters, Good eating!!




Shrine on Miyajima island



Day 8: Heading home


found a leak


he fixed it


18 hours in the rain


he is freezing his bud too.

[sjbmw]

Awesome pics! Thank you!

Where I live, it's illegal to pump your own gas, but they won't pump motorcycle gas. (Fear of accidental spillage, and a mad motorcyclist.).

The attendant pumped your gas for you!

[gaijin]

Nuts!!
In Japan, saving money and more profit. They are adapting self-service now but I would prefer to let gas station attendant do it. The union claimed that it is unsafe to let motorist do it themselves.

[iowabeakster]

Thanks for the great pictures, again...

I find it kind of funny about the safety fears of pumping gasoline. I must have started pumping my dad's gas for him when I was about 10 years old.

I accidentally pulled into a full service gas station about 15 years ago. I hadn't seen one in a long time. I couldn't figure out why that gas station guy was coming over to help.

[gaijin]

Japanese is following American way of doing business, cut labor cost and make money. In most places, gas station still provide services to customers, filling the tank, empty ash tray, trash can, check oil and anything that you asked. Drivers do not have to do anything except paying the bill.

As far as the price of gasoline full services or self-help, there are no difference.

[Buckster]

Rain or no rain...that looks like a fantastic ride! Great pictures too!

[sweatmark]

Great photos, thanks! Seeing the rider's perspective from other continents makes this group special.

Like New Jersey, we in Oregon have a law against pumping gas - except for motorcyclists, thankfully.

[gaijin]

thanks for comments.

I have fun on this trip, 4500 kilometers of riding within 9 days. Riding across the high bridges with cross wind and rain were not fun. Getting a ticket (go in bus lane only) by Hiroshima Cop was not necessary; he should given me just warning since I traveled into bus lane no more than 20 feet. I could use that Yen6000 on gas and other things.

Most of money were spent on gas, zig zag all over the country. Sometime I rode almost 12-14 hours to get to designation, due to road condition and speed allowed on Japanese roads. Example, 100 miles (60 km) would take just an hour to travel in USA; that is 2 hours plus in Japan. Maximum speed on national highway is 50 kmh.

Fun Fun Fun.