Motorcycle trip

Japan

Geography Japan

The Japanese Archipelago is situated in the Far East, between the Japan Sea and the Pacific Ocean, facing South Korea, North Korea, the immense China and the big Russia. Located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Japan stretches over around 4000 Km from the North to the South. The country is made up of four main islands: Hokkaido, Honshu, Shikoku and Kyushu. Your motorcycle trip in Japan starts with Honshu, the biggest island which houses the capital, Tokyo. The Grand Tokyo forms a megacity with nearly 40 millions inhabitants. With three-quarters of the country being mountainous, there are 270 volcanoes in Japan. The perfect silhouette of Mount Fuji, a mythical volcano that is extinct since the 16th century, attains a height of 3776 metres. In the central region of Honshu, the Japanese Alps separate the “Front of Japan” where Tokyo is situated, from the “Back of Japan” where the coastline overlooks the continent. Almost 70% of Japan is covered by forests. A significant number of conifers, bamboos, oak trees, pine trees, fir trees, as well as camellias, lotuses, not to forget the famous cherry tree blossoms.  

History and Culture of Japan

During a motorcycle trip in Japan, you plunge into the fascinating history of this mythical country. In the 3rd century B.C., Japan was invaded by Korean and Chinese people, who brought rice cultivation to this country. Later, other invaders from Korea governed Japan and introduced Buddhism and Chinese script. From the 7th to the 12th century, the country developed its national identity through art and literature. Thanks to its strong piracy, Japan escaped Chinese colonisation in the 13th century during the Mongol conquests. At the end of the 14th century, the warlords started to take over power and there were a series of wars. In the 16th century, dictators came to power and eliminated the big warlords. Economically and militarily united and powerful, Japan escaped European colonisation in the 16th century. The country opened up to the rest of the world in the late 19th century. Edo, renamed as Tokyo, became the capital. Nationalism and imperialist desire pushed Japan to numerous wars against China, Mongolia and Korea. In the 20th century, the country took part in the Second World War. Despite the trauma and the damage caused by the global conflict, Japan rose from its ashes like the Phoenix to become one of the greatest economic powers of the world.