Exfarmer(on a bike) blog: A Japanese adventure

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
I am starting this thread as it is only a fortnight before we fly to Japan, to cycle from Tokyo to Hokaido, 700 miles in 7 days. The bike has new wheels, tyres, gears, brakes etc. Training has been stepped up to 250 + miles a week.
We will be travelling in rural areas, so apart from the language barrier there is one thing I am having to work at

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Those peas are damn tricky :)
Sayonara

This has been a practice but watch this space.
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
Thanks for the good wishes. This trip is not fundraising, I have always been fascinated by the culture there, which in many ways is very alien to ours, so the chance of a cycling holiday through so much of rural Japan was too much to miss.
We spend a week in Tokyo first , where we hope to do some of the markets and go up Mount Fuji, which should give some stunning views. I hope to post as I go along
 

Wombat

Member
BASIS
Location
East yorks
Thanks for the good wishes. This trip is not fundraising, I have always been fascinated by the culture there, which in many ways is very alien to ours, so the chance of a cycling holiday through so much of rural Japan was too much to miss.
We spend a week in Tokyo first , where we hope to do some of the markets and go up Mount Fuji, which should give some stunning views. I hope to post as I go along

If you go to Osaka go to Osaka castle
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
Out training tonight, Snetterton was open to cyclists for charity. Managed 14 laps in 2 hrs 30 dead covered 41.3 miles.
Slightly less than the bikes coming in tonight will be doing I think.
Lovely running on smooth Tarmac :)
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
Landed about 6 hours ago checked in to a hotel in Tokyo and started a bit of sightseeing.
Nearby we found a department store with a vast food hall, I am sure that the prices would put an envious look on some beef men's faces
image.jpg

Yes that is over £600 a kilo ! Best Wagyu mind, but who eats it?
We settled for a Ramen restaurant nearby where the noodles in a fish broth rice cake, with a couple of dumplings cost us a fiver. The best eating places are easy to find as they have long queues, but service is quick and they expect you out in in a few minutes and no tip. After eating had to get my head down , jet lag has hit in a big way
 

llamedos

New Member
Landed about 6 hours ago checked in to a hotel in Tokyo and started a bit of sightseeing.
Nearby we found a department store with a vast food hall, I am sure that the prices would put an envious look on some beef men's faces
View attachment 153606
Yes that is over £600 a kilo ! Best Wagyu mind, but who eats it?
We settled for a Ramen restaurant nearby where the noodles in a fish broth rice cake, with a couple of dumplings cost us a fiver. The best eating places are easy to find as they have long queues, but service is quick and they expect you out in in a few minutes and no tip. After eating had to get my head down , jet lag has hit in a big way

How beautifully it is displayed.
 

jre

Member
Location
East Fife
How beautifully it is displayed.
You will not go hungry over there especially if you like rice ,eggs and cabbage !!!. Try and find a "shabu- shabu " restaurant where you get thin sliced beef (hopefully wagu) and dip it into a pot of boiling water to cook it. You'll need to use your chopsticks.! All washed down with a few plum sakes. wonderfull!!!
I'm sure you'll have a great time over there.
 

Robigus

Member
Landed about 6 hours ago checked in to a hotel in Tokyo and started a bit of sightseeing.
Nearby we found a department store with a vast food hall, I am sure that the prices would put an envious look on some beef men's faces
View attachment 153606
Yes that is over £600 a kilo ! Best Wagyu mind, but who eats it?
We settled for a Ramen restaurant nearby where the noodles in a fish broth rice cake, with a couple of dumplings cost us a fiver. The best eating places are easy to find as they have long queues, but service is quick and they expect you out in in a few minutes and no tip. After eating had to get my head down , jet lag has hit in a big way
I'm sure that @dontknowanything will be encouraged
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
Currently in Shinjuku, Tokyo for 6 days then a range of stops till Sapporo a week later
image.jpg

Getting the hang of these chopstick things, but breakfast was challenging, sloppy scrambled eggs and not a fork in sight :)
 
Location
Cambridge
Very jealous. Here's what I would do if I were you

Go to Tsukiji market one morning
Walk around Ginza at night
Eat fried pork at Butagumi (must have Iberico if it's on the menu)
Go to the Tokyo national museum
Wander round akhihabara at night, it's what blade runner was based on

Have fun!
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
cheers we are off to tsukiji in the morning , hopefully breakfasting on Sushi if the restaurants aren't full.
Went to the museum today, but it was closed Monday, Doh :(
I presume this is the one in Ueno park , will have to go back in Cherry blossom time, but also in midsummer when the Lotus are blooming.
Will see if. We get to Butagami , we had Tonkatsu last night in Shibura station , after spending an hour looking for the place, it is vast!
The food was very good!
Raining tonight so went to a little Ramen place just up the road, caused a bit of chaos as they were veryconcerned having 2 foreigners in the place, bless them. Wanting to give us forks etc.
Anyway food was delicious with 2 large beers all of £20!
Been doing a bit of walking around at night,incredible feeling of safety, and seeing some very small bars with only room for 6-10 people, how do they make money?
 
Location
Cambridge
OK, I Can see you might not want tonkatsu twice, but it is worth the effort! If you feel like fast food Mos burger is actually very good, and different enough to mcdonalds to be fun. Ichiran ramen is also good, and is a chain so there's always one about.

I've also wondered about the small bars/restaurants. Doesn't make sense from a Western economic point does it?

Have you read these? Pretty relevant to what you're doing,

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Roads-Sata-2000-mile-Through-Classroom/dp/1568361874/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Hokkaido-Hi...962321&sr=1-1&keywords=hokkaido+highway+blues

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Fukuis-Sake...962344&sr=1-2&keywords=hokkaido+highway+blues
 

Exfarmer

Member
Location
Bury St Edmunds
Real japanese food , sushi , at the fish market the most popular restaurants are Dai and Daiwa. There are no reservations and the queue is normally over an hour. This is for breakfast.Some people get here at 4 am!
The wait is worth it, if you like raw fish.
image.jpg
image.jpg

A mix of tuna, prawn, mackerel, eel, sea urchin, and omelette ( the block on the end) plus soy sauce, sliced pink ginger, rice and washed down with meso soup and green tea.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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