Highlights To Ponder On Island-Hopping Japan

During the Island-Hopping Japan Cycling Tour there are many famous sites to visit, sometimes solemn, such as the Hiroshima Peace Museum. There are the daily highlights to experience along the route each day as well, from interactions with locals, to the varied and rich cuisine, to the well-deserved Onsen baths to be enjoyed after an incredible day of cycling.

Then there are the ones, partly due to the fact that they are different enough culturally or naturally, that give pause, and perhaps create a sense of awe, and certainly a chance to ponder and absorb the experience into your own history. For many, these opportunities to experience the new and unique are one of the greatest joys of travel…

Here are a few of the unique sights to ponder while cycling the Island-Hopping Japan Tour…

Maishima Incineration Plant, Osaka

The start of the Island-Hopping Japan tour takes place during the World Expo in Osaka in 2025. Arriving early to explore the pavilions, art and architecture is highly recommended. While not part of the Expo, and likely not something many people think of when planning a city visit, you may also wish to check out this waste disposal facility, the Maishima Incineration Plant. It was designed by the Austrian architect Friedensreich Hundertwasser, who may have had some inspiration from Dr. Seuss. The design brings attention and a chance to ponder our society’s relationship with our created waste.

Naruto Whirlpools

Did you ever wonder how long it would take the ocean to drain if there were a plug somewhere down below? I didn’t until I saw a photo of the Naruto whirlpools. Not that you need to worry. While the whirlpool looks similar to your bathtub emptying, it is not actually draining. The whirlpools are caused by high and low tides changing between the Pacific Ocean and the Seto Inland Sea.

Taga Shrine

“Fertility symbols at Taga shrine” by Maarten1979 is licensed under CC BY 2.0.

Dedicated to fertility, longevity and perhaps sexual curiosity, the Taga Shrine is renowned for its 2m long wooden phallus statue and for the sex museum located next door to the Shrine. Visit the shrine on its own or dive into the 3 floors of exhibits in the sex museum as well. It is sure to make one reflect on the relation between sex and Japanese culture as a whole.

Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine (Yukushima/Princess Mononoke)

As Atlas Obscura describes it, the Shiratani Unsuikyo Ravine is “The Magical Mossy Forest that inspired Princess Mononoke.” If you have not watched the Japanese film, Princess Mononoke, it’s highly recommended to do so! Located on the isolated island of Yakushima, it’s clear to see how the ravine and forest’s serene beauty would inspire both art and a sense of a greater spiritual world. Perhaps in the quietness you may experience Shirin Yoku, the Japanese practice of relaxation known as ‘forest bathing’.

Okinawan Bullfights

Sometimes travel offers a person opportunities to see something they thought they knew, but in a new light. The bullfights of Okinawa would fit into this category for most of us. A contest of strength between 2 bulls, but without an outcome of harm for the bulls. Each bull in the contest is coached in its strategy by their handler, as well as prevented from becoming too aggressive and hurting the other bull in the ring. Drinking beer and gambling is also a common indulgence of the local spectators. Perhaps at the end of a long and satisfying cycling journey to Okinawa, one may let themselves be taken in by both the unique and also the familiar.

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