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Our futons and bedding are all set up, ready for unrolling for the evening You can see the tokonoma (alcove) with the flowers and the hanging scroll. The tatami mats are brand new that's why they are green. They will dry up and turn straw-coloured over time. Some people love the smell of fresh...

Tea bushes growing in some sort of community garden. Cool! Turns out that house was where we are staying. This is the garage! Even our bikes have a Japanese-style roof over them. Cool! All of the AirBnBs run by Japanese people are self-check-in. They e-mail us specific instructions in...

Hitting the highways again in the downpour. ETC is the Electronic Toll Collection system for Japan's super-expensive toll expressways Today is another relocation exercise as we leave the Aichi Prefecture and head to the Mie Prefecture. This region has protected areas and is less crowded than...

Michael is hooking us up with the local motorcycling community. This is what we always search for on our travels, but it's so difficult getting in touch with the right people when you don't know where to look for contacts. When we first left on our trip so many years ago, I was an active member...

Our sleeping mats were initially rolled up in the corner. In Japanese they're called 布団 - Futon! Haha, I didn't know that was a Japanese word! Traditionally, the washitsu is devoid of any furniture, just tatami mats. It serves as an all-purpose room. You can use it as a living room, a dining...

Found it! So cool! It's a Japanese style guesthouse! Our AirBnB yesterday was super nice, but it was also modern and westernized. Our new place is very traditional-looking. It's run by a Japanese lady who speaks a little bit of English, but after we are welcomed into her guesthouse, we are...

Visiting the mall, we get to see what the local Tokonamans do, as well as grab some non-touristy lunch. So, the most popular stall in the food court serves Roast Beef Ohno. I had to line up for 20 minutes to get one! In Japan, beef bowls are a traditional dish, it's simply rice underneath...

Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/395.html I know it's only been a couple of days on the road, but we are taking a little one day rest break. We're feeling very conflicted and guilty doing so since we're on rental bikes and every day we're not riding feels like we're just wasting...

Thanks guys, appreciate the encouragement! :D

We are running down our first tank-full of gas since departing Tokyo. Since I am the one taking point on all communications, I am rehearsing how to ask for High Octane Gasoline in my head as we pull up to the gas station: "Hai-okutan-gasorin. Haiokutangasorin. Haiokutangasorin." However...

We've heard about tatami rooms in Japanese houses. There's also one aboard the ferry! Cool! Tatami mats are made of compressed rice straw and is a popular covering for floors in Japanese houses. I guess the Japanese people are so accustomed to resting on tatami mats that the ferry companies...

Passing more coastal villages on the west coast of the Izu Peninsula Hey! Fellow motorcyclists braving the cold weather as well! First ones we've seen today! We wave enthusiastically Sadly for us, Road 136 - that scenic, winding coastal road we've been following all morning - ends at the town...

Suruga Bay is home to hundreds of these tiny islets, evidence of earlier volcanic activity It struck me that Japan is very much like Iceland, with its geothermal activity and volcanoes. Just with the addition of earthquakes beneath us and nuclear missiles flying overhead... Suruga Bay...

You can't see clearly in this picture, but Neda goes hiking around the coast with a sandwich in her hand Fishing boats in the small marina where we've stopped to take a break In the bushes nearby, I spot some peculiar plants Surprisingly, Neda the botanist couldn't identify these flowers...

Honestly, I didn't really know if this was a footbath or not until an old Japanese lady came by, slipped off her shoes and sat beside me and nodded approvingly! Hot Springs Footbath Confirmed! When Neda came out, she looked at us and laughed. "Looks like you made a friend!" she said. Haha...

From Kawazu, we head back out to the coast We follow the coastline to the tip of the peninsula Stopping for a little break in the town of Minamiizu. Neda is saying, "I'm going to the washroom, you stay here and watch the bikes" We're parked in front of the train station, and while I'm...

Updated from http://www.RideDOT.com/rtw/394.html We're up bright and early to try to make as much of the short daylight hours as possible. Except that's it's not so bright this morning. A bit overcast and very chilly! Other than the bikers at Izu Skyline, we haven't seen a lot of other...

The Izu Skyline is about 40km long, I stop for a quick snap on the bikes and then we're off again! We made it to the end of the Skyline just as the sun disappeared below the Izu mountain range to the west of us. Despite the interminably slow start trying to escape the gridlock of Tokyo, our...

More bikers returning from their last run of the day on the Izu Skyline Because it's so early in the season, the days are still very short. We'll have to zoom through the road without stopping otherwise we'll be riding in the dark very soon. Sorry, the light wasn't good enough for pictures and...

From the Mikuni Pass, we head back south away from Mount Hakone and towards the Izu Peninsula We are only here for one thing: The Izu Skyline! One of the most popular motorcycle roads in the area, some argue that it's the best in the country! (Oh yeah, we parked beside a nice-looking Africa...