When I started exploring bike touring in Japan, one of the first things I did was look at the package tours.

I have a hard time imaging that riding in a group would appeal to me, but with our limited time for biking and lack of Japanese, it was certainly an option I was willing to entertain. Having someone lug all your luggage sounds nice, eh?

The bike tours I saw in Japan were too much for our budget. However, they were a helpful place to begin research as they are usually in the best cycling areas of a country or in a region with lots to see or do. It is a great way to learn about things you might see along the way, and a good estimate on the time it might take to bike it.

We are now in Kanazawa, where we will sightsee for a day before continuing to the northeast and the Noto Peninsula. It has taken us four days to get here from Obama. Every tour I saw online in this area would have had us skip those miles.

I don’t know what lies ahead, but behind was mostly perfect cycling: scenic, low traffic, good tarmac, and some very helpful kind folks we are thankful to cross paths with.