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Miyama

On our Japan journey, we discover a beautiful little place: Miyama, more precisely Kayabuki no Sato. Dark timber walls, flowers and enormous thatched roofs beneath wooded hills. The houses seem to have decided to put most of their personality into their hats. A thoroughly convincing appearance.

After all the roads and sweeping landscapes, I enjoy these small lanes. Here, a roof is as worth looking at as the entire village. My BMW is impressively equipped. Next to a thatched roof like this, however, its windscreen looks distinctly modest.

We also photograph Café & Gallery Saika. Its sign sits beneath a roof that makes a persuasive case for the meaning of cosy. Above all, I take one thing away: a photograph of this house.

Outside one house, a woman is tending to leaves on a blue tarpaulin. Everyday life among all those impressive roofs. I like pictures like these: they give a beautiful place something human. Houses appear on postcards. People make their lives in them.

Small things along the way

Our other pictures from the journey have small leading characters of their own: a red postbox, a woman with her loaded cart, a drinks machine with a remarkable selection — and a pug in pink. At least this travelling companion has settled the wardrobe question. Japan provides plenty of material even when the BMW is not centre stage.

About the location: Café & Gallery Saika · Miyama

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Miyama

Auf unserer Japanreise entdecken wir eine wunderschöne kleine Ortschaft: Miyama, genauer gesagt Kayabuki no Sato. Dunkle Holzwände, Blumen und mächtige Strohdächer vor bewaldeten Hügeln. Die Häuser haben hier offenbar beschlossen, den größten Teil ihrer Persönlichkeit im Hut unterzubringen. Ein durchaus überzeugender Auftritt.

Nach all den Straßen und weiten Landschaften freue ich mich über diese kleinen Wege. Hier lohnt sich der Blick auf ein Dach genauso wie der Blick über das ganze Dorf. Meine BMW ist beeindruckend ausgestattet. Gegen ein solches Strohdach wirkt ihr Windschild allerdings ausgesprochen bescheiden.

Das Café & Gallery Saika halten wir ebenfalls im Bild fest. Sein Schild sitzt unter einem Dach, das ziemlich überzeugend erklären kann, was gemütlich bedeutet. Ich nehme vor allem eines mit: das Foto von diesem Haus.

Vor einem Haus beschäftigt sich eine Frau mit Blättern auf einer blauen Plane. Ein Alltag zwischen all den eindrucksvollen Dächern. Solche Bilder mag ich: Sie geben einem schönen Ort etwas Menschliches. Häuser stehen auf Ansichtskarten. Menschen machen darin ihr Leben.

Kleine Dinge unterwegs

Unsere weiteren Unterwegsbilder haben ihre eigenen kleinen Hauptdarsteller: ein roter Briefkasten, eine Frau mit ihrem beladenen Wagen, ein Getränkeautomat mit bemerkenswerter Auswahl — und ein Mops in Pink. Bei diesem Reisebegleiter ist zumindest die Garderobenfrage entschieden. Japan liefert reichlich Stoff, auch wenn die BMW gerade nicht im Mittelpunkt steht.

Zum Ort: Café & Gallery Saika · Miyama

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Looking back at our riding stages

Looking through our photographs, another Japan makes itself heard: sea, sand and the small things beside the road. After the volcanic landscapes, some scenes almost feel like a change of scenery in a film. Fortunately, the cast remains the same. I am still 76, Anneliese is travelling with me, and my curiosity has not applied for leave.

A bridge crosses turquoise water. The motorcycle ahead looks small between sea and sky. A photograph that requires no complicated explanation of why I enjoy travelling so much. Sometimes the reasons fit into a single picture.

Then come the dunes. Sand beneath a blue sky, the group on foot and the sea beyond. In the clip, we first climb a flight of steps and continue into the sandy landscape. The BMW gets a break. Apparently my feet have received another assignment.

In between, our photographs collect colourful portraits on a wall, large figures at a bend, the group outside a shrine and two rabbit figures. A spider is busy with its own network. Small, but apparently well organised. Details like these deserve their place in the diary too.

In the second clip, we are back on the road, with trees, green verges and changing light. Almost a minute of motorcycle travel, right in the middle of being on our way. The grand views are wonderful. But a journey also consists of the minutes in between.

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Ein Bildrückblick auf unsere Fahrtetappen

Beim Blick durch unsere Bilder meldet sich ein weiteres Japan zu Wort: Meer, Sand und die kleinen Dinge am Rand der Straße. Nach den Vulkanlandschaften wirkt manches fast wie ein Kulissenwechsel. Zum Glück bleibt die Besetzung dieselbe. Ich bin weiterhin 76, Anneliese reist mit, und meine Neugier hat noch keinen Urlaub beantragt.

Eine Brücke führt über türkisfarbenes Wasser. Das Motorrad voraus wirkt klein zwischen Meer und Himmel. Ein Bild, bei dem ich keine besonders komplizierte Erklärung brauche, weshalb ich so gern unterwegs bin. Manchmal passen die Gründe auf ein einziges Foto.

Dann die Dünen. Sand unter blauem Himmel, die Gruppe zu Fuß und das Meer dahinter. Im Clip geht es zunächst über eine Treppe hinauf und weiter durch die sandige Landschaft. Die BMW darf Pause machen. Meine Füße haben offenbar wieder einen Auftrag bekommen.

Dazwischen sammeln unsere Fotos bunte Porträts an einer Wand, große Figuren an einer Straßenkurve, die Gruppe vor einem Schrein und zwei Hasenfiguren. Eine Spinne arbeitet an ihrem eigenen Netzwerk. Klein, aber offenbar bestens organisiert. Auch solche Einzelheiten verdienen einen Platz im Tagebuch.

Im zweiten Clip sind wir wieder auf der Straße, mit Bäumen, grünen Rändern und wechselndem Licht. Knapp eine Minute Motorradreise, mitten aus dem Unterwegssein. Die großen Aussichten sind wunderbar. Aber eine Reise besteht auch aus den Minuten dazwischen.

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A Japanese dinner together

At our Japanese dinner, a long, beautifully laid table awaits us. Bowls, vegetables, finely marbled Wagyu beef and an individual cooking pot at every place. A Japanese dinner that is a pleasure simply to look at. Even the anticipation has been neatly arranged.

The food was wonderful. And for me, that long shared table belongs to the journey just as much as the roads and landscapes. During the day, I am interested in what comes around the next bend. In the evening, I am quite happy for that interest to extend to what is on the table in front of me.

Motorcycling in Japan has its luxurious and comfortable sides. That deserves a mention. There is no need to make every travel story suggest that pleasure is only allowed after considerable hardship. In my personal itinerary, a good meal needs no justification.

At 76, I have accumulated enough experience to know that the pleasure of a good bend in the road and the pleasure of a good dinner go very well together. Anneliese and I are discovering Japan through our own photographs and stories. The table earns its place among them. For this part of the programme, the motorcycle helmet is happily off duty.

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Ein gemeinsames japanisches Dinner

Beim japanischen Dinner wartet eine lange, wunderbar gedeckte Tafel auf uns. Schalen, Gemüse, fein marmoriertes Wagyu Beef und an jedem Platz ein kleines Kochgefäß. Ein japanisches Dinner, das schon beim Hinschauen Freude macht. Hier ist selbst die Vorfreude ordentlich angerichtet.

Dieses Essen war großartig. Und die große gemeinsame Tafel gehört für mich genauso zur Reise wie die Straßen und Landschaften. Tagsüber interessiert mich, was hinter der nächsten Kurve kommt. Am Abend darf es ruhig auch das sein, was vor mir auf dem Tisch steht.

Motorradfahren in Japan hat seine luxuriösen und angenehmen Seiten. Das darf man ruhig dazusagen. Man muss nicht bei jeder Reisegeschichte so tun, als wäre der Genuss erst nach einer beträchtlichen Portion Entbehrung erlaubt. Ein gutes Essen benötigt in meinem persönlichen Tourplan keine Rechtfertigung.

Mit 76 habe ich genügend Lebenserfahrung gesammelt, um zu wissen: Die Freude an einer guten Kurve und die Freude an einem guten Abendessen vertragen sich ausgezeichnet. Anneliese und ich entdecken Japan mit unseren eigenen Bildern und Geschichten. Die Tafel bekommt darin ihren Platz. Der Motorradhelm hat für diesen Teil des Programms erfreulicherweise Pause.

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8 October 2026 · A small observation at the hotel

Today is another beautiful day. Outside, Japan is showing its finest side. Inside, we have found a name for another part of the travel programme: Breakfast Battle.

It sounds like a sport. What we mean is breakfast at our all-inclusive hotel. A social experience with a remarkable noise level. The motorcycle tour has many facets. Apparently this is one of them.

A buffet that almost deserves its own postcode

Before reporting on the volume, I must do justice to the food. These breakfast buffets are astonishing. I have never encountered such a selection in Europe or on my travels in the USA. Hot food, cold food and still more: there seems almost nothing you cannot find. I estimate the total buffet length here at roughly a hundred metres. Not a surveyor’s measurement, I should add — but a breakfast where choosing can become a small walking tour.

So the amazement is certainly positive. This hotel puts on a breakfast spread whose variety impresses me. With such a selection, you can at least understand why so many people are enthusiastic about it. Guests could probably arrive with completely different ideas of breakfast and still leave satisfied.

Politeness takes a short break

What surprises me is the contrast. Elsewhere, I experience so much calm, reserve and courtesy. In the hotel restaurant, when many guests gather at once, the atmosphere suddenly feels different. Some people seem to switch from discreet to distinctly audible.

Yesterday, the meal was incredibly loud. I had the impression that people almost transformed in this large gathering: louder, livelier, less reserved than I usually perceive them on our journey. A hotel restaurant can be a fascinating supplement to the guidebook. Sadly, you cannot print the sound.

All inclusive, including the volume

The all-inclusive offer apparently includes quite a lot. The volume is certainly supplied generously. Until now, I had associated Japan with an impressive capacity for consideration. That makes this large, noisy gathering over a meal all the more surprising to me.

Our expression Breakfast Battle has earned its place in the diary. You travel to Japan to discover landscapes, temples and people. Then breakfast, of all things, delivers a little study of behaviour in groups. A social experience, without a seminar room.

This is my observation of this hotel and this situation. Such differences make travel interesting: you have an image in your head, and everyday life kindly refuses to obey it all the time. Otherwise, after three days you would already understand everything. How terribly boring that would be.

A beautiful day awaits outside

Fortunately, a beautiful day awaits outside. Today’s programme already has two sides before we set off: the grand amazement at Japan and the smaller amazement at what a crowd around the breakfast table can produce. Who says only motorcycling counts as an adventure?

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Kyushu · Beppu, Chojabaru and the Aso region · Itinerary: 1–2 October

If I initially associated Japan mainly with cities, temples and an extraordinary ability to live together in an orderly way, the landscape has now lodged an objection. An impressive one. On Kyushu, steaming earth, wide grasslands and mountains enter the picture. Apparently our travelling companions are not the only ones with temperament.

Japan is bubbling beneath the surface too

After Yamaguchi, the guidebook takes the route across the strait to Kyushu and the Beppu area. Our photographs show Anneliese at the thermal springs and the group stopping at Chojabaru. Aso follows. In the itinerary, these stages belong to days six and seven. The guiding thread becomes green slopes and rather a lot of steam.

A volcano does not need to become a metaphor for one’s life. It is interesting enough already. But a little comparison suggests itself: on the BMW sits an older gentleman with a surprising amount of enthusiasm for movement. Beside him, a landscape that has certainly not decided to spend the rest of its days lying still.

A short clip, a very wide view

In our little video, Anneliese and I stand before Aso’s broad green landscape. Hills, grassland, clouds — and two heads in the foreground that naturally wanted to be in the picture too. You travel halfway round the world and discover that your own hairstyle still comes along reliably.

For me, the finest thing is the sense of space. I never thought Japan could gather so many different landscapes along its island chain. After Osaka’s market lanes, this area looks as though someone has replaced the entire backdrop of our film. Only the cast remains the same.

A paradise with bends

The quiet roads, mountains and open views make this journey a paradise for motorcyclists. Our guide has his warm laugh, Mr. L his preferred position in the convoy, and I my delight in the BMW. The landscape makes sure we have things to discuss even without studying one another’s characters.

The guidebook continues towards Kumamoto and then Fukuoka. For this chapter, Aso is enough: an area that makes a very convincing case for how much Japan offers beyond its big cities. I am 76. Fortunately, my curiosity shows no sign of retiring.

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