I made it to Haneda. The above map is all the cycling I did this trip, minus the disastrous first day via Yokohama and Enoshima. The direct cycle from Atsugi to Haneda is definitely a slog – the first part is very mildly hilly but mostly annoying because there are so many roads and urban sprawl to navigate. Once I hit route 4 it was surprisingly green and lovely, I didn’t think to see more trees and forest towwards Tokyo. Even the urban buildings and infrastructure were covered in greenery. That, combined with the fact that there were very little people around, reminded me a lot of the Last of Us. Fortunately I did not get bitten by zombies.
After that the journey turns into a very pleasant riverside cycle all the way up to Kawasaki. The cycle path is smooth and easy to follow, and I quite enjoyed, although it was surprisingly cold today. I never thought I’d be buying a hot drink from the conbini in late May, but I did, and it fixed me right up. Kawasaki was easy to navigate, and before I knew it I was already in Haneda. I’ve not done the cycle to Haneda that often yet, but it is ‘customary’ for me to have a little break at the shrine in front of the airport before ‘finishing’ the journey. It feels like it’s the last moment of ‘Real Japan’ before heading into the international airport area, where there are lots of foreigners and everyone is rude again.
The last time I cycled to Haneda I also had an early morning flight – I cycled to Haneda late in the afternoon and tried to get some sleep in the airport, which was a terrible idea and I felt like crap in the morning, so I got a hotel this time. Yup, that’s lifestyle inflation, right there.
Two things stand out as things I’ve noticed on this trip. The first one is that there are just a lot less conbinis everywhere. I was talking to a friend and she didn’t think so, but I definitely noticed it. The ones I used to go to are all gone, and in all the places I’ve cycled at this time there’s the telltale tiles of former 7-11s and Lawsons everywhere that have now turned into moving companies, dentists and whatnot. Lots of dentists.
The other thing that was impossible to not notice when cycling Japan is the absolute terror and havoc caused by Japanese moms on electric bicycles.How do I know that they’re moms? There’s a very specific electric bicycle type that’s made specifically for carrying little children. It’s lower than a regular bike and has at least one kid seat, usually in the back. These bicycles are truly a menace to society. There are no rules, no laws. They do what they want and they go as fast as they damn well like. Will they pass you on the left or the right? Or will they play chicken with you and expect you to get out of the way? It’s a mad max world out here on the cycle paths of Japan. Moms on bikes have always been chaotic, but the rise of electric bicycles has supercharged the madness. Make your intentions known very early and give a very wide berth. Or, just stay on the road. It’s usually better.
So, what next? Am I done cycling Japan now? Am I going to do another one of these trips? Chances are very high that I’ll be back in Atsugi again for cycling, although I wish there was a better way to do it other than bringing my own bicycle. It’s always such a hassle. You can’t carry bicycles on trains any more (even when bagged) apparently, and the bus company for the bus from Haneda to Atsugi has said to me that they’ll no longer accept bagged bicycles as luggage. They’ve said this to me at least three times now, and some pleading has worked in the past, but it’s not exactly a reliable option going forward. Then there’s the hassle of bagging the bike up, unbagging it, hoping that nothing broke in transit, and then tweaking all the little things like brakes, gears, saddle and handlebars. It’s not too bad, as long as nothing breaks, but that’s always a worry.
A better way would be to just have a nice bike available on arrival, but the electric rental bikes are.. almost great, but often not. They’re not always available, and if they are, I found that there’s a fair chance that the battery won’t be fully charged. As I found out last winter, they are an absolutely pain to use when the battery’s dead, and it’ll drain quickly when someone my size cycles it up a hill.
So I’m not sure yet. I am wondering if perhaps the next time I will bring my own bicycle and cycle somewhere else. I don’t want to commit to “the big trip up North”, but perhaps I can do a casual sneak peek and see if it’s a thing I’m still interested in. We will see. For now though, I’m coming back from this trip feeling ten years younger and very excited about the future. It’s been a classic.
(On a totally unrelated note, I started playing Balatro this trip. It’s a fantastic game, definitely worth checking out even if you’re not into card games.)