Dear Jody

Dear Jody,

I've never ridden my bike outside of Kyushu (in Japan, that is), so I have no idea what the roads will be like for most of our ride, but when we finally make it to my 'hood, you're in for quite a treat.

The mountain roads around here are amazing, and I imagine you've never ridden on anything like them.

Some of them are fairly narrow, but open to two-way traffic, and they tend to be quite windy, so, even though there is often little to no traffic on them, you do have to keep your eyes open for vehicles at all times.

Other hazards you have to watch out for are stones, rocks, and sometimes even boulders; potholes of various sizes; ditches along the side of the roads; uneven pavement; twigs, branches, and other debris from trees; running water; moss growing on the road. which can be quite slippery; uneven light coming through the trees; and even animals on and along the road, such as snakes, deer, monkeys, and even wild boars.

I'm not trying to scare (if that's even possible!); I just want you to be prepared.

Also, don't forget that we drive on the "wrong" side of the road over here, the left side.

Even after four years of living in Japan, I still occasionally forget which side of the road I should be on, so I can imagine that you will get confused at times, too, and end up on the right side of the road, which is actually the wrong side.

My best advice to you is: Look both ways and be extra cautious whenever you enter the roadway.

Oh, and as far as you not knowing any Japanese is concerned, well, don't worry about that too much. The people here are really friendly and helpful, so I'm sure you'll be OK. Besides, I've got you covered.

What else?

Oh, yeah, the weather. Well, there's not much we can do about that, but just to be safe, I put in an order for lots of beautiful sunshine every day.

I wish I could be there to welcome you to Japan, but you'll just have to make do on your own for a few hours.

See you in Tokyo, Home Slice,
White Bread