Japan The End

Saturday, 12 August 2023
Japan The End

A wonderful 4months and 14,247kms(125km/day)
104 Free and wild camps, 3 paid camps.
Fuel A$1.44 to $1.55/lt.
Fuel Consumption 13.12/13.81lt/100kms depending on which method I use.
Thoroughly recommend...

Isuzu Plaza

Sunday, 6 August 2023
Isuzu Plaza

Isuzu Plaza - a showcase of Isuzu truck development.
Visited with some great Japanese 4x4 truck Mates.. thanks guys, much appreciated
The Wolseley Truck was manufactured in 1916 by the Ishikawajima Shipbuilding...

The White Road, Edo Village

Saturday, 5 August 2023
The White Road, Edo Village

White Road, Edo Village; Cormorant Fishing, Goodbye Mt Fuji. Japanese Mates

The west coast of Hokkaido offers some great scenery.


















Terraced...

Dakigaeri Shibata Castle; Kurobe Gorge,

Sunday, 30 July 2023
Dakigaeri Shibata Castle; Kurobe Gorge,

Japan- heading south along the west coast of Honshu. Samurai residents; walking Dakigaeri Gorge and watch your head; Shibata Castle; Japan’s heat wave; Kurobe Gorge Railway; and a Beach holiday.
Ishiguro Samurai...

Mammoths, Old trains, Coastal Drives

Sunday, 23 July 2023
Mammoths, Old trains, Coastal Drives

Mammoths, Old trains, Coastal Drives and exiting Hokkaido to Honshu. Nebula Festival,
Life in 2500BC, 69 Corners to the top, 100Sulphur fumaroles, and relaxing at our wild and free Camp No90


Never thought...

The Very TOP of Japan,

Sunday, 16 July 2023
The Very TOP of Japan,

Dinner bells for Black Bears, King Crab, Sperm Whales, Rubbish!, Into the mouth of a volcano, then -20*C. Finally the northern most top of Japan.






Travels in Hokkaido-

Green are the...

East Hokkaido - wild places, remote beaches,

Sunday, 9 July 2023
East Hokkaido - wild places, remote beaches,

Far north east Hokkaido - wild places, remote beaches, rare birds,The Ainu people’s, and finally some disputed territory…

Hokkaido travels to date





























Rugged...

Hokkaido - More Volcanic Activity

Monday, 3 July 2023
Hokkaido - More Volcanic Activity

Japan- Hokkaido
Volcanic eruptions; ‘A’ level volcanic activity rim walk and still alive!
In 2000 a volcanic eruption pushed this road up in steps as the ground rose.

The volcanic Techicnal word is a...

Hokkaido Volcano Climbing

Wednesday, 28 June 2023
Hokkaido Volcano Climbing

Japan- day one Hokkaido- a museum about ancients, 5.2kms of volcano climbing! And a Hot spring ocean spar.mmmm
A very early start at 4.45am to get to the ferry from Oma to Hakodate - Honshu to Hokkaido.















The...

Northern Honshu

Sunday, 25 June 2023
Northern Honshu

Micro campers, smelly fish, Japanese gondolas, underground excursions and more
The Japanese do everything small.

Check out this camping car- Micro












And...

The Tsunami Coast

Tuesday, 20 June 2023
The Tsunami Coast

You have all seen the shocking videos but this is what you see on the ground now….And then there is the Fukushima power plant we get almost illegally close!
Like any coastal town it hugs the beauty of the beach.On...

Northern Honshu

Saturday, 17 June 2023
Northern Honshu

Japan- Northern Honshu- Jizo Status, Shogun Tokugawa, Going by lift to see waterfalls!
These are Jizo statues and that are the guardians of Children, hence they are the most popular in Japan.
These were place...

A Challenging Camp

Friday, 16 June 2023
A Challenging Camp

Some evenings finding a camp spot is interesting.
Touring Japan up to this Camp No54 it’s been easy, wild and free. Tonight proved to be interesting.
We love end of road camps.

This one is a view point...

Central Honshu

Wednesday, 14 June 2023
Central Honshu

A Fuso service; Silk the story, active volcanos, and the no snow Monkeys
Called into the Fuso dealership in Takasaki to check out my squeaky brakes. Their service was beyond exceptional.

THANK YOU










The...

Fuso Canters of Japan

Tuesday, 13 June 2023
Fuso Canters of Japan

Had a truly great day with Makoto and fellow 4x4 Canter owners at the base of Mt Fuji.
Makoto purchased our first Super Single Wheels into Japan quite a few years back and we have kept in touch.
Check out the...

Honshu - The Izu Peninsula

Sunday, 11 June 2023
Honshu - The Izu Peninsula

Japan - Izu Peninsula part 2- spiral bridges; Hakone Tori; Old Buddhas; Fuji views; & train rides.
Now to head further North
The Kawazu-Nanadaru Loop Bridge is one of the most spectacular bridges in the world














It’s...

Honshu- The Izu Peninsula

Thursday, 8 June 2023
Honshu- The Izu Peninsula

Japan: The Izu Peninsula- Frozen Coelacanth,
Fuji view Camp, 1500 year old trees, GOLD, continental collisions, and  Monkeys
Drove to the Numazu Port for lunch and discovered a 350million fossil still living...

Honshu - Mt Fuji

Tuesday, 6 June 2023
Honshu - Mt Fuji

Japan Mt Fuji. It’s one impressive mountain.
Even better to drive up.
Our first view of Fuji.
We are 150kms away and awoke at 5am to clear sky- let’s go











Our...

Honshu - Toyota’s Automobile Museum

Sunday, 4 June 2023
Honshu - Toyota’s Automobile Museum

Toyota Automobile Museum-Nagoya a preview for car lovers. Toyota’s story

Leonardo da Vinci designed the first deft propelled vehicle in 1495. It was propelled by springs.

Although he never built a working...

Honshu - Toyota's Truck Museum

Saturday, 3 June 2023
Honshu - Toyota's Truck Museum

Toyota’s car museum in Nagoya but first the TRUCKS
There are actually 2 museums about an hour apart, both very impressive .
















The display the whole...

Honshu’s Mountain Roads ...YES

Thursday, 1 June 2023
Honshu’s Mountain Roads ...YES

This is just part of the this squiggly track












Look no guard rails and just a 200+m drop





We zig zagged all the way up this valley and back down...

Central Honshu Part 4

Friday, 26 May 2023
Central Honshu Part 4

Amazing waterfalls that if you drink from them they offer longevity!
The oldest and largest timber building with one big Buddha, and a live prehistoric animal that just crawled out of the primeval swamp.

At...

Southern Honshu Part 3

Wednesday, 24 May 2023
Southern Honshu Part 3

OK now back in Japan and collected the vehicle and on our way again.

Koi Peninsula in Southern Kansai/ Japan
One on the most photogenic places we have visited- The thickly forested Koys-San and the most...

56 hours in South Korea

Monday, 22 May 2023
56 hours in South Korea

South Korea...WHY ??
We have planned 4 months in Japan, however the allowed visa is 90 days so a quick 56 hour trip to Seoul will re-start our 90 day visa.

That was just enough time to visit the DMZ and...

Honshu Island Part 2

Thursday, 18 May 2023
Honshu Island Part 2

Kita Village was designated as a Heritage Site in 1993 as it reflects the original Kitayama style straw roof farmhouses. Most of them are 150 to 200 years old. The locals works co-operatively to preserve the village...

Honshu Island Part 1

Friday, 12 May 2023
Honshu Island Part 1

Parked up amongst the Big Boy Trucks

Entered the southern part of Honshu island tracking our way north to Hiroshima then eventually back to  Kobe, where we will store the truck for a week whilst we hear to...

Kyushu Island Part 2

Saturday, 6 May 2023
Kyushu Island Part 2

Chiran Peace Museum.

In this small town is a museum dedicated to the futile loss of life  with the Kamikaze pilots.

Chiran is the air base where over 1,036 Japanese pilots headed out on one final flight.

Known...

Kyushu Island Part 1

Monday, 1 May 2023
Kyushu Island Part 1

Into the cavernous hull of the ferry ship from Shikoko island to Kyushi island.
Cost  for a 6.2m vehicle and 2 travellers Y22700 = A$250

Its a 2.50 hour voyage from Yawatahama to the port of Usuki.








First...

Shikoku Island

Wednesday, 26 April 2023
Shikoku Island

From last nights camp is was more small roads but this time through Bamboo and Maple Forests.












At our 7‘Eleven coffee stop we started chatting to a couple of guys...

Vehicle collection in Kobe

Friday, 21 April 2023
Vehicle collection in Kobe

“Of the gladdest moments in human life, methinks is the departure upon distance journey to unknown lands” Sir Richard Burton - 19th Century Explorer.

Japan for us is unknown, with much to learn and explore....

Exporting RoRo

Friday, 7 April 2023
Exporting RoRo

We have been packed and ready to ship since the end of January, however shipping delays and the availability of a ship, has meant the actual chosen vessel the Hoegh Jacksonville was only just loaded on the 5th April...

Japan in a GX..

It has been 3 years since our last Overland vehicle returned from Iceland and with COVID and the exponential growth of Australian Adventure Vehicles, overseas travel has been on hold...until NOW !

A NEW vehicle - our Global Xplorer-  and a NEW Country: Japan, with great scenery and  very different culture and food, it has been on the life list for some time.