The Japanese Odyssey

The Japanese Odyssey is an endurance cycling event.
It's not a race.
It's about discovery, about exploration, about challenging yourself. Be prepared.
During our visits to Japan, we fell in love with small forest paths ; what Japanese call Rindo (林道). Through 12 checkpoints deep in the woods, we want you to experience riding those special roads. Starting from Tokyo on October 31st, 2018, this fourth edition will take you deep into the dense forests areas of Honshu.
Are you ready to discover the hidden rindo?

One stage

You have 10 days to cross the twelve mandatory checkpoints, and then head back to Tokyo. How to manage it is up to you. You decide when, where and how long to stop off.

Go your way

Apart from the mandatory checkpoints, nothing is imposed. Speed along highways or venture off the beaten track, the choice is yours.

Unsupported

The Japanese Odyssey is a long distance unsupported cycle adventure. We want to ensure equal opportunity for all riders, either local or non-japanese. This means that private assistance or pre-arranged support are prohibited. You may eat, sleep,  and service your bike at places also available to the other riders or at commercial shops.

No stopwatch

The Japanese Odyssey is a demanding adventure. And yet, it is not a competitive event. We definitely don’t see it as a race. Some riders will try to reach Tokyo as fast as possible. Others will ride for the sheer pleasure of making it to the finish line. There won’t be any ranking, nor official finishing times. Successful riders will be those who accomplish the course within 10 days. And that’s it.