I have loved cycling since the summer I was four, when I borrowed my neighbor's bike and began to ride it in his driveway. This led to BMX racing at 13, followed by road racing from age 17. Although I quit the sport at 25, I have cycled for fun and fitness ever since, often using my bike to commute to work in Vancouver, Canada.

When I was accepted as an assistant English teacher on the JET Programme, one of my wishes was to be placed where I could continue to enjoy cycling. It was with much anticipation that I packed my (t)rusty old bike into a cardboard box, and headed to Hamada. My fiance? from Izumo, told me Shimane was quite rural, so there would be lots of good roads. On my arrival, I was thrilled to see that she was quite right.

My first ride was on the semi-highway called Route 9, which runs alongside the Japan Sea, and is probably the busiest road in Shimane. Despite all the cars, trucks and buses, the scenery was still beautiful: hawks circling overhead and sunlight dancing on the waves. However, in the hills above, the bamboo was beckoning me, so I left Rt. 9, and began to wind my way up the slopes. The rolling roads greeted me with beautiful scenery around every corner, and I rode for an hour without seeing a single car! I felt like I was home again.

Inspired, I began to look for new roads to explore. Within view of my school was the tallest local mountain, Taima-san, whose peak I could see from my desk. I knew the only road up was a 9km ascent, a serious commitment, but daily I set my sights on the top, knowing one day I would be there.

Chris at the start of a race

Finally, the time came: Children's Day, May 5th, a national holiday in Japan. A very appropriate day for this boy and his bike to have a new adventure! I rode along Rt. 9 to the base of the massive mound and turned onto a narrow mountain road. Except for my deep breathing, I was instantly enveloped in silence and beauty. Lush valleys with freshly planted rice, many varieties of fruit trees, and the everpresent bamboo were my only audience. After about 5km, the road turned under a massive torii and suddenly became steeper. My arms were straining, my hands were clenched tightly, my legs were screaming
"Mercy!"- but I gave them none. I kept on climbing, almost in a trance.

Then a strange thing happened at about the 8km mark. Cars, lots of them, were parked alongside the road. Not knowing what to expect, I soon heard drumming and singing, and saw the peaked roof of a shrine as I came around a corner. Taima-san Shrine was having a celebration for Children's Day, and I had ridden right into the middle of it! The parking lot was full of kids, dogs, barbecues, while a performance of kagura (traditional dance with three or four drummers, flutes and a hero who battles many formidable serpents) was the main attraction. I stopped and watched for a few minutes, but the bewildered stares at my lycra shorts and jersey quickly reminded me of my quest.

I left the crowds and drumbeats and headed up a bumpy paved path, barely big enough for a car. This final section was the steepest and my legs and lungs strained like never before. Finally, gasping and in pain, I crested the last rise and flopped down on the first patch of grass I saw. Soon my watering eyes spied a little picnic area with a view to the sea and I walked over there.

Ohhhh yessss! This was what I had been waiting for! Perched on a picnic table, high in the sky, I could see for miles and miles! As I peered down the mountain of waving green onto the sea of waving blue, I felt like a little kid again: king of the mountain, on top of the world. After a few minutes of searching I found my school, and I let out a deeply satisfied sigh. In the following months I bought a new racing bike, entered a race on a mountain called Sanbe-san in the city of Oda, and joined some group rides in Matsue. Although I have had many memorable rides in Japan, nothing quite compares to the effort, surprise and bliss I experienced on that Children's Day ascent of Taima-san.