When you are on the road as long as we are, there are moments that are less exciting but rather functional. In our case, it’s the transitions between regions, longer drives without any intended points of interest along the way. These are the times when we do some planning, while Ben is grinding it behind the wheel. These are the days when we exchange the charming, but narrow mountain roads for toll roads to move ahead faster. The Japanese toll roads are expensive but top notch, and the roadside stations are very nice and plentiful, with showers and all you need.

The following three days should be entirely dedicated to our Yuru Camp pilgrimage, and believe me, the places it took us, and the discoveries we made are nothing short of spectacular. I will go into the details of this quest on its dedicated page, but here, in this blogpost, I want to show you some of the discoveries me made.

We are leaving Izu Penisula to continue our roadtrip further north, where some exciting destinations await. First stop is Ito, a tiny, casual restaurant in the town of Fujinomiya, Shizuoka Prefecture, which is part of our Yuru camp pilgrimage. It is the kind of place that would probably go unnoticed, but is highly cherished by locals for the kind of comfort food that makes you feel at home. After a short waiting time, we are led to a room in the back in typical Japanese style, where we settle at the low table and study the menu. But before long, the owner comes to offer us a seat at the counter, and this is where the real fun begins, because we can watch firsthand how our meal is being prepared. We choose Gomoku Shigure, a kind of savory, stuffed pancake cooked on a large sizzling hot iron plate. It is hearty and delicious.

If yesterday’s experience of Izu Peninsula was one of waterfalls, today it is all about the ocean. But, in the end, all of the destinations we visit, are part of the Izu Peninsula UNESCO  Global Geopark, which was established to protect and showcase its unique geological heritage of international significance, shaped by millions of years of volcanic activity and tectonic movement. It is the only place, where two active volcanic arcs collide, creating a rare and dynamic geological landscape. I have always been fascinated by volcanoes and everything related to their activity, therefore Izu Peninsula definitely belongs in my itinerary.After a short run to a coin laundry, we set out to meet the sea! Our empty stomachs drive us toward a unique pizza shop, Fermen, located directly by the beach, that serves sourdough pizza baked in a huge pizza oven. We are greeted and served with the usual professionalism and friendliness, and the pizza, combined with the stunning view of the turquoise waters, is just delightful.

Izu is a peninsula in Shizuoka Prefecture, just south of the Mount Fuji area. It is mostly overlooked by visitors, who rush from Tokyo to Osaka and Kyoto, and boy, do they miss out on this natural beauty! Whereas most of Japan is all about mountains, Izu tells the story of water – and we embrace is wholeheartedly!

Monday morning, and we are back on the sinuous mountain road that we had tackles the evening before in the darkness. I had no idea, that the Roadside station, that I had chosen on a map at the southern tip of Mount Ashi, wasn't actually on the lake's level but high up in the mountains, as you can see on the last picture of my last blogpost. 

Saturday morning, and we’re all excited to start our road trip. This shall be a day of many firsts! Our van rental company, Japan Campers, is located just south of Narita, but the commute is so much easier this time, now that we are experienced public transportation users. They have a free shuttle service and pick us up at Narita station, and on the way to the rental office, the driver already gives us some advice regarding a hike we had planned. Check out is smooth and easy going, and we finally take ownership of our brand-new motorhome and hit the road!

Leaving peaceful Lac-Mégantic (5808 residents) for Tokyo (14 Mio residents) seemed daunting at first. We left home on a frigid Monday morning (-24°C) for Montreal, where we parked our car at our friends Stephane and Nancy (big thanks!) and spend the night with our wonderful hosts Thulasi and Suren, before boarding our airplane for a 13.5 hour flight. We arrived the next day in the late afternoon, totally jetlagged, but we still had to navigate the complex Tokyo public transportation system from Narita Airport to our hotel in Ikebukuro, which meant 2 transfers with all our luggage. We met up with Yann, checked in and hit the bed.

A Journey never starts at the departure. It begins with a dream, becomes a project, evolves into a plan and finally a trip. I, as well as Yann, have been dreaming this journey for a while, preparing for it in the long run by starting to learn the language a few years ago, and discovering the culture through reading, watching anime, talking to Japanese friends, tasting the food and finally diving into the matter.