The bicycle thief of Shionomisaki
In 2005 I had the chance to go for work to Tokyo. I had been in Japan before and I had loved it. So I decided to not fly to Tokyo, but to Osaka and travel from there by local trains to Tokyo.
South of Osaka is the Wakayama District, with, at the tip of the peninsula, Cap Shionomisaki, which in fact is the southernmost point of Honshu. Hotels were expensive at the time in Japan, but I had stayed in Youth Hostels before, which usually are a good bargain and a great place to meet other people. I learned that there is a Youth Hostel right on Cap Shionomisaki and decided to go there. There is a train line around the whole peninsula. After a couple of other memorable intermediate stops I left the train in Kushimoto and took the bus to the Youth Hostel.
I got a huge room for myself with a view over the ocean where right from my window I could see the freighters going down along the Cap from Tokyo to more southern destinations in Asia. I was the only guest. The location was spectacular. Not only was the building right on top of the Cap, it also was next to the lighthouse, and at the base of the cliff below the youth hostel was a little harbor, where I could go for a swim. I arrived on the 31st of October, but although the Japanese only swim in July and August, the water was still warm and pleasant. A couple of days and a few hundred kilometer further on, I hiked in the snow in the Japanese alps.
Just before the trip I had bought my first digital SLR, a NIKON D70, and I had only one accu. I had the charger, but no adapter for the Japanese plug holes. So the next day I went to Kushimoto again. At most of the Japanese stations you can rent bicycles, so I got one to find a shop to buy the adapter and then go and explore the Shionomisaki peninsula and the neighboring island Kii Oshima.
I am not too tall, but unfortunately all bicycles for rent were rather small. They were all alike, rather simple, no gears and a lock which would make every dutchman shake from laughter. But for a day it would do. I cycled down the quiet streets of Kushimoto to find an electric, household or appliance store which sold adapters. At the first, I could find, I left the bicycle at the door, went inside and explained what I wanted, but they did not have it. Same thing at the second. At the third, they advised me to go to a big hardware store on the outskirts of town.
Finally I found it. It was big and I was hopeful. Before, I had not locked the bicycle, since I only went into the shops briefly and I could see the bike from inside the store. I took out my key and tried to open the lock. The key did not fit. I was sure that I had the right key. They had given me a separate lock with the key inside at the station. At closer inspection, I thought that the lock had been covered in blue plastic. This one was black.
In front of all the shops where I had been before were collections of bicycles. Was it possible that … ???? I jumped on my bike and cycled back into town to find the last of the three shops were I had been. There was no bicycle with a lock which fitted to my key. OK, next one. And indeed. There was an identical bicycle, which had a lock which fitted to my key, and also had a tiny sticker of the station car rental on the mudguard.
I left the stolen bike and got out of there as quickly as possible. I never found an adapter, but the camera battery was sufficient till I arrived in Tokyo.
Typical station along the line around the peninsula
At the time, there was plenty lof staff in all the stations. One guard blocks the overpass because a train is about to leave, while another helps a late coming old woman across the tracks
One of the kiosks selling bento for the traveller in a station
My backpack, always too big for the japanese lockers. So I usually left it with somebody in a shop or a guard in the station. They always were helpful
Managing ATMs is always some guess work
The youth hostel above Cap Shionomisaki
Breakfast in the youth hostel
The lighthouse at Cap Shionomisaki and the little harbor at the base of the cliffs
Kashinosaki lighthouse on Kii Oshima
In Europe the little ports are full of pleasure crafts. In Japan, everybodies pleasure craft seems to be a fishing boat
A real fisherman mending his nets. It is fascinating how much handwork still exists in such a high technology country
These rocks are a mojor attraction of Kii Oshima
The famous bicycle featuring in the story
Sunset from the window of my room in the youth hostel
Dinner with the japanese colleagues in Tokio
