Hokuriku and Noto

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Photo Mikkabie · Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 and others, credited in the gallery

• How do you cycle Japan end to end, from Cape Soya to Cape Sata?

  Japan's National Cycle Routes stop well short of joining the northern and southern capes, so riders link them with ordinary roads. Ride Hokkaido covers the island, this guide picks you up at Aomori, and the season decides the direction.

• How do you send skis, boards and bikes ahead in Japan?

  Hand a covered ski or board bag to Yamato two days before you ride and it waits at the resort desk. A bike goes only boxed, within 200 cm and 30 kg, and Sagawa's web booking stays down after its September 2026 breach.

• How do you stay safe on a cycling trip in Japan?

  Heat sends far more people to hospital than anything with teeth, so the heatstroke alert is the first thing to read on a summer morning. After that come hornets and bears on forest roads, dark tunnels, typhoons from August, and what to do when the ground shakes near the sea.

• What are Japan's cycling rules and fines in 2026?

  Since 1 April 2026 the police can hand any rider aged 16 or over a blue ticket with a fixed fine. Holding a phone costs ¥12,000 and a red light ¥6,000, and the rules apply on a rental bike the same as on your own.