With the exception of this past Sunday, I’ve been biking every day miles and miles for pleasure and exercise. I’ve been to neighboring cities and towns and a few times I’ve even ridden as far out to neighboring prefectures ― it was the ride back in those times that was really tough.

With all my riding, I was given a chance to see a lot of Japan that most of the other people here in my situation will never see ― the real Japan. In the area I live in, everyone travels by a select few streets to various places. On these streets and as well as the destination places (restaurants, various stores, supermarkets, etc), everything is cleaned up and made to look presentation-quality, but just venture outside of those streets to a few blocks left or right and you’ll see a whole different Japan: one that’s more real and more common than the glits and glamor; you’ll find rural Japan.

It was in these areas mainly that I traveled by bike, but not because of by choice most of the time but mearly because I had ventured so far out on those glamored streets that they simply ended. I was able to see everyday-life Japan.

I hadn’t taken many pictures because, honestly, there wasn’t anything picture-esque to capture ― a real photographer would say otherwise but I don’t consider myself a photographer, real or otherwise. I don’t plan on stopping my biking adventures, but I’ve been doing them alone as Lee has been away. When she returns I’d like to show her what I’ve seen.