Whenever you think of traveling to Japan, your mind’s instantly taken to the wild and bustling city life of Tokyo: whether it’s the iconic Shibuya crossing, the neon night lights of Shinjuku, the glitchy gaming-glitz of Akihabara Electric Town, or the punk-rock petty-ness of Harajuku.
Our recent trip however, completely changed everything I knew and loved about Japan.
For years, I would visit to ride bike parks exclusively — Fujimi Panorama, Fujiten, and Million Petal are some favorites I’ve always returned to. Never in my life did I think that I would be able to ride the way we rode last October, so when we were invited by none other than Yamaha Motor to visit Japan’s countryside and ride their E-MTBs down Kodo trails, it was literally an impossible dream come true.
Before we begin, let me briefly explain what Kodo paths are. “Kodo” translates to “the old ways”, a key part of Japan’s heritage and has been in use for get this: about 1000 years. The Kumano Kodo (熊野古道) is a network of pilgrimage trails in and around Japan that roughly translates to “the old roads”, and were recently opened to develop and encourage outdoor and adventure tourism.
DAY ONE: Yamanashi
As soon as we arrived in Narita, we all met up with the vans that would take us to Kofu, Yamanashi, which is about a 2-3 hour drive, depending on how fast you go and how many konbini stops you make along the way (we did 1). The plan was to chill there, get a good night’s rest, and then start riding early the next morning.
Kofu is very, very relaxed — far from what I’m used to when hitting the trains that connect Tokyo’s towns to each other. There is an actual castle in the middle and the whole place just really lives around it, making for a very scenic and instagram-ready experience. Right away, we took time to walk around this place and take it all in.
The next day, we started early at Ichikawa Park, a local bike park 30 minutes away from town, and this is where we got our bikes delivered to us: the Yamaha YPJ MT PRO E-MTBs (which we’ll talk about in a REVIEW). Ichikawa Park was built and managed by local legend and mountain guardian Ryo Hazuma and his team. Hazuma was also featured in Specialized bikes’ “Soil Searching” video series on YouTube, which you can watch below. He’s a passionate advocate for mountain biking and the outdoors.
The park served as our HQ to start the day, we were briefed on what kind of riding we’d be doing, who would be our guides, and we got to “get to know” our bikes — the very capable MT PRO E-MTBs from Yamaha. I’ve actually ridden them the last time I was in Japan mountain biking, mostly in Million Petal so I was already familiar with how brilliant they were. However, I was keen on seeing our team fall in love with the bikes as the days’ riding adventures went on.
After warming up at the park’s tracks and features, we made our way to the first Kodo Trail: Sakura-Toge. A fast and flowy 2.5KM track that was perfect to start our gravity riding tour, it’s everything you’d want in an all-natural track. A bit of tech, steep chutes, berms for days, and of course, an unmatched vibe that really speaks to how connected we are and should be to nature. Flying downhill on a bike, through scenery that words and cameras can never completely capture is just something else, it’s spiritual. A theme that was consistent in this trip.
The day’s second Kodo trail was a 7KM, tech-filled, gnarly ride down Shibireko and it was probably the most technical riding I’ve done in Japan so far, more so because you don’t stop. I’m used to tackling rocks and roots a part at a time, session-ing certain spots and features, which we didn’t get to do at all at this track, just point your bike down, follow Hazuma, and go.
Not to mention that most of the trail had been roughed up by wild boars, the inoshishi.
It was one big death grip all the way down, “in Hazuma we trust,” was what I told myself downhill. Breathtaking and physical, Shibireko was everything I prepared for. All the weight-training and mobility exercises (yoga and dynamic stretching) got me really ready for this: IT WAS JUST THE FIRST DAY and we rode both trails blind.
DAY TWO: Shosenkyo Gorge
The second day was very different from the first for a very cool reason when we got there: we were riding the Shosenkyo Gorge, an actual tourist spot that just so happened to have a Kodo trail in it. The Kodo here was a short but awesome 1.6KM downhill track called Bakuzaka Trail.
Getting up to the top wasn’t a bike ride up but a cable car one. We packed our bikes in, smiled for the cameras, and a few minutes later we were at the top of the hill, with the great Mt. Fuji in full view. It was nice up on top, there was ice cream, a tourist shop, and even photo spots that highlighted Fuji’s massive glory. The nice lady who ran the food shop wowed us with her adventure-filled stories that featured bears and boars alike, both she fended off by herself.
Her tales were some of the best parts of our day.
When we got to the trailhead, it was a fun shred down one of the most dynamic tracks I’ve ever experienced. It also helped that the weather and conditions were near-perfect — it was just damp enough to pack the dirt in and keep things just the right amount of spicy for that little kick downhill. The track was so well-made and maintained that we felt really spoiled riding it, it’s that good.
There are three things I love about these Kodo trails: first, how natural they are kept. Yes they’re maintained and “cut,” but done in ways that make it more enjoyable (and safe) but I would say that at least 90% of the trails are kept with its original intentions in tact. The jumps and drops occur when they do, the berms are never out of place, and everything just really melds and melts into the scenery, it all just “makes sense”. Second, I love the relationship that the people have with the land and wilderness around these trails, the communities that surround it live with and off of these ancient parts of Japan and it’s truly awe-inspiring to see and experience how connected they all are.
Third, is the history. The deep, rich history that speaks decades and centuries of use. Riding down these tracks, you can’t help but feel the energy of the millions of stories that have passed through. I don’t think that there are places like this in the world.
DAY THREE: Mori-machi
The third day was in one of my favorite small towns in Japan, Mori-machi in Shizouka. I’ve been here before, I rode in Million Petal Bike Park a few months prior to this trip — this is also where I met and rode with my hero and now good friend Kotaro Ogura, one of the best riders I’ve ever gone down a mountain with, and a local legend in snowboarding too.
The power of these Kodo trails lie not just in the earth but also in the hands, feet, and the hearts of all the people that have made them and continue to make them accessible to all. There is real magic in these parts of the world, you undeniably feel it the moment you participate in its existence. What I’ve learned from my friends here is that you become responsible for the joy that you share in, it becomes a part of you that you need to grow, you need to protect, and ultimately take with you to the rest of the world.
We began our third and final day of riding Kodo with a trip to a bonafide Zen Master, THE Zen Master. He guided us through a shortened version of their exercise to get us ready. At the start of it, I found it hard to stay still but as we went along, I finally felt calm and at peace; this wasn’t prayer, this was practice.
The climb up was long but I enjoyed it, we were all on E-MTBs anyway. We were also able to session some parts, which was a nice treat after riding everything almost-always blind and nonstop. It allowed us to immerse ourselves and feel the area more, something I really love to do.
The Kodo tracks in Mori-machi were steep and spicy, as seen in the video above, and we rode two of them: “Black Rock” first and then “Bullet”. Just like the other Kodo tracks we rode the days before, these were special and made more so by the stories behind them.
Ancient rock markers and shrines were everywhere and they really added to the whole gravity (pun intended) and weight of the experience.
We ended the third and final day of riding at Million Petal Bike Park, which was definitely the best place to do it. I feel a kinship with the people there — Osamu, Ginga, Kotaro, Takeshi, Gucci, and everyone else there that makes the place what it is: a shining example of humanity’s role as stewards.
We are meant to make this life more meaningful.
In the end, it was really about the people. Everyone we met, we’ll never forget, and we’ll always hold this experience in our hearts with awe, gratefulness, and joy.
There is a concept called “Misogi” (禊), something I learned fairly recently. It’s challenging yourself, pushing yourself to do one thing that defines your year, every year. I can confidently say that for 2024, this trip is it for me.
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