We take you to a place where you will not find in major guidebooks of Japan. It is 1,300km away from Tokyo. Amami-Oshima is an island situated in the sea between Kyushu and Okinawa Prefecture. The sea around the islands, designated as the National Park, is blessed with transparent waters, bright colored coral reefs and tropical fish, and is known as a fantastic diving spot. This subtropical island is home to several rare or endangered endemic animals and plants. In addition to that, it is warm during winter. We will start our cycle trip from the northern part of the island where the Amami Airport is located. You will meet the people inherit original island's culture, such as island songs, and Oshima Tsumugi, the traditional high-quality hand-craft. Please join us, on this 330km journey around southern wonder island, Amami-Oshima!

In this new episode of CYCLE AROUND JAPAN, we will recommend a journey that you may start cycling as soon as you arrived at Japan. Our destination of this episode is Boso Peninsula in Chiba Prefecture. Chiba Prefecture is located directly east of Tokyo. A large part of the prefecture is made up of the Boso Peninsula which shields Tokyo Bay from the Pacific Ocean. Actually, Narita International Airport is located northern part of this peninsula, so we will start our trip from this airport. Chiba is known as the bed-town-area for Tokyo, but once you get past the cities and watch the sharp descent into rural countryside of sprawling rice fields, rolling hills and striking coastlines, you will realize why Boso Peninsula has been variously called "Tokyo's Breadbasket" for long time. Then, we will ride along the Pacific coast line where is dotted with many traditional fishing villages, and young surfers from Tokyo are attracted by the waves.

This episode features the Yaeyama islands in Okinawa Prefecture, where the lifestyle that has existed since ancient times is still strong. The trip is filled with discoveries, including the sabani boats of Ishigaki island made from logs, the exquisite scenery of Taketomi island, and a woman who carries on the tradition of minsa fabric. A stop on Hateruma leads to the island's only school, where kids from kindergarten to junior high study together. Immerse yourself in a 4-day journey through nature and culture.

This time we visit Toyama Prefecture in the Hokuriku region. Toyama is about 2 hours from Tokyo by Hokuriku Shinkansen. Bordered by the Sea of Japan to the north and the 3,000-meter Tateyama mountains to the south, this has been a fertile and prosperous area since ancient times. We'll climb into the deep mountains to visit villages that preserve the old ways of life, adapted to surviving and prospering in a harsh environment. The Gokayama region was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1995, they are famous for their traditional gassho-zukuri farmhouses, some of which are more than 250 years old. The climax of the trip is a festival in Yatsuo that's been held continuously for over 300 years. Slow, graceful dancing that will touch your heart.