When I was planning my first trip to Japan, I was so excited and had been posting about my upcoming trip on Instagram. An old colleague saw my stories and reached out to me. She'd moved to Tokyo a few months prior and suggested getting dinner while I was in...

T's Tantan is one of the most beloved ramen purveyors in Japan, and for very good reason. An offshoot of the popular T's Restaurant in Jiyugaoka (near the gorgeous Saido, another great vegan restaurant), T's Tantan has been around since 2011 and now has four branches: two in Narita airport,...

Down a dark alley in Tokyo's quiet Jiyugaoka neighbourhood I had the most creative meal of my life. Saido restaurant is voted one of the best vegan restaurants in the world on Happy Cow, and for good reason. The chef, Kusumoto Katsumi, opened his restaurant in 2018 after spending years...

In early October this year, I found myself sitting on a bike on top of a 4km long suspension bridge, nothing but water below me. I was soaking wet, my waterproof jacket having long given up on doing its job. My legs ached, one of my backpack straps was digging...

If you've ended up here, you're probably planning your Shimanami Kaido adventure and frankly, I'm pretty envious of you. I've put together the ideal two-day Shimanami Kaido itinerary, based on personal experience and what I've learned since. While it's possible to complete the entire route in a day, it means...

You've booked your bike, you've stuffed your packing cube, you've planned your stopover and now you're asking: How do I get to the Shimanami Kaido? Japan's famous cycle route runs between Onomichi and Imabari, and most cyclists start at either end. I've put together this Shimanami Kaido access guide to...

Cycling the Shimanami Kaido is an awesome adventure, and it's best enjoyed at your pace, not rushed. While many people do cycle the whole route in a single day (and honestly kudos, my backside could never), doing a multi-day trip gives you the time to enjoy the islands, stop for...

Completing the Shimanami Kaido cycle route in Japan is an incredible experience, but for most of us foreign travellers, we're not going to have our own bikes with us. Luckily, because it's such a popular and well known cycle route, renting a bike is super easy and there are plenty...

Mukaishima Island Mukaishima is the closest island to Onomichi, and the first of the Shimanami Kaido islands after leaving Japan's main island of Honshu. There's a ferry available from Onomichi to Mukaishima, which allows bikes on board. A ticket, including bike passage, costs about ¥110. Many cyclists choose to take...

Introduction Planning a vegan Shimanami Kaido cycle? It's easier than you might think, but it does need some forward planning. In October, my husband and I visited Japan for the second time. He's a keen cyclist, but we weren't able to make the cycle happen last time round. We'd agreed...