Japon sauvage : le chemin sacré de Shikoku à vélo

Japon sauvage : le chemin sacré de Shikoku à vélo

There is a country in the East where the sun rises earlier than elsewhere. A land of ink and mist, of dormant volcanoes and sacred mountains. It is called Japan. For five chapters, we will take you to meet him from the wild roads of Shikoku to the mystical paths of the Kumano Kodo, the pilgrimage, the 88 temples with suspension bridges, the Kaido, the white castles raised against the sky to the forests where everything seems to whisper along the way, unforgettable encounters with the living, the elusive grace of a salamander, the gaze of a Japanese macaque frozen in the light. Five chapters like the stanzas of a haiku in motion. And at the top of this epic, a film, The Ascension of Mount Fuji. A volcano, a myth, a quest. The story of our first year on the roads of the world. So get ready to dream the world like Imaginers, like Imaginer’s Worlds. First awakening in Japan! Konnichiwa! Konnichiwa! We slept too well. First night. We had a 2 p.m. night therefore Not bad. We have not yet recovered from this interstellar break that hit us in Hanoi. But it won’t dampen our enthusiasm to attack this new Japanese adventure. Come on, let’s go, We’ll take you to discover all this at the same time as us. It’s going to be amazing, It’s going to be crazy, It’s going to be…. Oh! My childhood dream! You haven’t heard the last of this sentence, I’m telling you! Let’s go for this first day in Japan. It’s going to be great! First incredible feeling. We met a lady who was going to play her tennis and the welcome was great. She was smiling. She was super happy that we were there and she told us that hello, it was rather said Ohayou not Konnichiwa since Konnichiwa is rather Hi. Which is a little less usual, let’s say. So there you have it, Ohayou! Ohayou! Well there you have it, that’s kind of the itinerary that awaits us over the next two days. So let’s leave from here on Mukaishima Island! So we just landed on this wonderful little island under the sun. Isn’t that wonderful? We left the prefecture of Hiroshima to reach the one to the south via this world-famous legendary itinerary which is the Seto Islands! So in this wonderful bay that is Seto Bay, so in the Seto Inland Sea and that’s three times Seto. And so there you go, we’re going to pass all these islands Mukaishima Island, Innoshima, Hikuchijima, Omishima, Hakatajima… OK! To reach the small and charming town of Imabari. A wonderful program awaits us my dear Alexandre! If I dare say so! Here we go! Wow! Look at this just for the cyclos! Welcome to Japan! On the Hinoshima bridge! Have a good end to the day. But not the end yet. No. Dusk falls on the Seto Islands and we start looking for a place to bivouac for the night. And you don’t even need to go looking for it since you’ve already found a place, a place for the night. When we tell you that this is the land of cyclos, we have not finished telling you. But really, there are amenities everywhere, really everywhere! There you have toilets open to the public. Super easy to get to, very clean. yes, it’s perfect. The best toilet in the world. Yes. You stop, presto, you have the toilet. Here is water and electricity. What more could you ask for to be happy? Nothing, nothing. But anyway, here it is! A paradise for cyclists? What do you think? But it’s great! Incredible! Last bridge, we’re going to get back on track! Let’s Go! And there you have it, it’s the end of the first day in Japan and we found a small bivouac at the water’s edge. Small free campsite with water. Japan Arigato gozaimasu! Super nice little bivouac. We fall in love a little more every day, with Japan! And this morning, we head for Imabari! What were you saying, Alexandre? I said that they are not alike and that it feels good. Compared to temples in Vietnam, not in Vietnam, it’s more churches… But for example, in Thailand, we have seen them often. They looked alike. It’s beautiful, isn’t it! Today, it’s the opening of the refuge of the eighth and a half station of Mount Fuji, the Goraikokan, the refuge we absolutely want to be able to finish our night ascent at 4 a.m. to hope to have the sunrise on Mount Fuji. So stress, of course! A little tension and we hope we’ll have it. We’re ready to get back on the page at 12 p.m. for the opening since there are only 70 places. I succeeded, but the site crashed in all directions, It looked saturated, it made confirmation, cancellation and I clicked in all directions. It’s okay, it’s booked! We have two places for the summit of Mount Fuji. The last refuge at the eighth station comma five! Very great moment friends, to celebrate our arrival on the island of Shikoku. So this island that we have been waiting for so long. We offered ourselves. This outfit. So what does it symbolize? Because it symbolizes the pilgrimage to the 88 temples of Shikoku, which is one of the most important pilgrimages and one of the three most important pilgrimages for Japanese Buddhists. And so there you have it, we’re going to do a large part of these temples, well some of them, but far too little. And it’s a promise we made to each other because we just met two French people who told us a lot about Japan, who came here about fifteen times, who fell in love with this place as we fell in love with this place right now too. And so, we made a promise with Alexandre to come back to make this pilgrimage of the 88 temples. And so the best way to seal this promise was to put on his garment. The traditional dress with which the pilgrimage is made. And so we’re going to take you to discover some of these temples, a bit like a little teaser of what this next pilgrimage that we will make in the future could be. And then we hope to spend a great spiritual, aesthetic and cultural moment. There you have it, a great moment. Look at how it suits him perfectly. Welcome to Dogo Onsen in Matsuyama City, here west of Shikoku! An Onsen, therefore mythical here in Japan, among the most famous in the country. And so it is here that we will have the chance to try for the first time this cultural custom, but also an incredible place to relax after days of cycling like this. So bathe in the hot baths. But they are also very famous since they served as an inspiration for an artist that we are particularly fond of with Alexandre. One of those who introduced me to Japanese culture when I was younger. I’m talking of course about Miyazaki who used it, who was largely inspired by the Dogo Onsen that are behind me for Spirited Away. One of his greatest masterpieces and what has allowed him to experience a meteoric international rise. So there you have it, it’s a place full of history and emotion that we’re about to discover today. We won’t be able to film inside, obviously, since we’ll have to strip naked entirely. And so it is obviously forbidden and out of the question to film inside. But nevertheless, we are very happy to be able to present you this place and its history and it promises to be a great adventure again. Good. We’re going to try sake. In any case, the Shikoku pilgrimage is a huge success. These people are very proud that we are making the pilgrimage. It opens a lot of doors. And we have to find the bivouac afterwards… PhiPhi It’s for you, you who love sake It smells good. Real Japanese sake from here. I hope he comes from here. No, no, it’s American sake…. Oh! All right Slap the face! Our bivouac place for the night. Yes Welcome to Matsuyama Castle, located in the heart of the eponymous city of Matsuyama. Perched on Mount Katsuyama, it rises to an altitude of 132 meters and protects and watches over the city. A stone and wood giant dating back to the Edo period. It is an emblematic era in Japan’s feudal history. And, of course, the great era of the samurai. Here We have a castle that has stood the test of time, with an exceptional degree of conservation and this is what we are going to discover. They look like Zoro’s blades! Oh my, the beauty of the blades. At the top you have the famous katana, the traditional samurai sword. And just below you have the wakizashi which is the short sword, much less known but very used in case of conflict since the katana could be much too long in this type of corridor or in this type of place. The wakizashi becomes an ideal sword for fighting in an assassination or any type of conflict of this kind. Passion for a screen if one day we have a home, if one day we decide to settle down, I want a screen in my home. For me it is one of the most beautiful proofs of taste in the world to have a magnificent screen with Japanese prints. Magnificent. the size of the beams. Take a look. And there we are at the top of Matsuyama Castle. It’s so beautiful Frankly, it’s one of the most beautiful castles we’ve been to since the castles of the Loire. We had not seen one so beautiful. 100% 200% And now, we’re queuing up to taste our first sushi. Welcome. And we leave the sea for the inland of the island of Shikoku. Ready to make this ascent that will lead us to the Shikoku Karst. Come on! There you go. The weather is nice, we are motivated. And so now we’re really getting ready to go and discover the Japanese hinterland And there you have it, after a small puncture, it’s been a long time. We had to put an end to this idyll that we were living with Japan. But it doesn’t put in any way Our love and our good mood at a standstill. Maybe on the other hand. This little hill that awaits us, it may manage to change a little the mood of our young comrade here. Okay, show us what a cyclo is worth, after eleven months of cycling on the roads. Well, wow! Yes! Ah, it feels good when it’s already less hot! We sweat! We feel that it’s healthy sweating and not just our body that is emptying itself of its water. Park. And there we are, we bivouacked here, right in front of the river last night. And now we’ve just done the little errands to go to the mountains. Yes! Here we go again! The mountains are beautiful. Isn’t that Gagou? Consequently. The trunk is filled with food. It’s not knowing us well to start a pass without having anything in our bags. 2380 meters of elevation gain to reach the Shikoku Karst. Well, Alexandre, we stopped in this little post office because we’re in the middle of the mountains and we absolutely don’t have a lighter anymore since we had to get rid of them at the airport to contextualize a bit. That’s right! And we bought the gasoline, but we forgot to buy the lighter. And I say to Romain yes we’re going to ask because now we’re going to find a solution. So we test, we go to the post office. And done, they gave us an amazing one. It’s just crazy They ran to help us and she ran to get her colleague. His colleague ran to get us a lighter and he told us present, present. He was told. Arigato gozaimasu, Arigato gozaimasu! I love Japan, I love the Japanese, it’s incredible! It’s crazy! The welcome is great here. So we’ll be able to stop in the middle of nature and have something to warm up to eat tonight. That’s right. Arigato gozaimasu! Sayonara! There you go This climb didn’t get the better of us, but we don’t want to break the chain anymore. When you feel that it’s pulling… We push. And here, it must be said that it doesn’t just pull on the chain. It pulls a little on the body too, eh. Whew! And that’s it, at the end of the day, we found a dream bivouac spot. We give you a tour of the owner. If ever it is still useful to convince you that Japan is the dream destination for cycle travelers or even for those who want to travel at all. Here we go! We’ll show you that right away. Small lawn to set up the tent. Alex. Too good there! Small table to eat in the shelter if ever. Family format. And then spring water reputed with medicinal properties. Of incredible purity, it seems. We’re going to taste it. We’ll tell you that if it gets better. And it’s a new day that starts here in Japan, on the island of Shikoku, and we head to the Tengu Highlands and the incredible and wonderful geological formations of the Shikoku Karst. Let’s go this morning for 600 meters of elevation gain before being able to have breakfast. A small logistical miscalculation that my friend may blame me for, but here we are, we feed on the beauty of the world and what it offers us. What does life require? What do the people ask of life? To eat, to eat Shall we go? I am hungry. Good go! Let’s go! Let’s go! Well yes it goes up, right, in the middle of the hill! Head to Shikoku Cast! Karst as karst-ic After the legendary Matsuyama Castle and the mythical roads of the Samurai. In the next episode Heading for the Tangu Islands and the Shikoku Karst! Sayonara

Japon sauvage à vélo : de Setouchi à Shikoku, entre mer, temples et montagnes sacrées.
Une première étape inoubliable au Japon : traversée du Shimanami Kaidō, bivouacs sauvages, pèlerinage des 88 temples, ascension mystique du Shikoku Karst, halte millénaire aux Dōgo Onsen et découverte du château de Matsuyama.

Depuis Onomichi, nous quittons Honshū pour plonger dans l’archipel de Setouchi. Entre ponts suspendus, îles maritimes et lumières dorées, le Shimanami Kaidō nous mène jusqu’à Shikoku, terre spirituelle et sauvage. Là commencent les rencontres avec les pèlerins du chemin des 88 temples, les bivouacs battus par la pluie, l’ascension dans la brume du Shikoku Karst, avant de se ressourcer aux Dōgo Onsen, les plus anciennes sources chaudes du Japon, puis de conclure face au majestueux château de Matsuyama.

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Ce que vous découvrirez
• Le Shimanami Kaidō, route mythique suspendue entre mer et ciel
• L’archipel de Setouchi : 6 îles et 7 ponts entre Honshū et Shikoku
• Bivouacs sauvages et tempêtes de pluie
• L’arrivée sur Shikoku, porte du pèlerinage des 88 temples
• Rencontres avec des pèlerins japonais
• L’ascension du Shikoku Karst, montagnes dans la brume
• Les Dōgo Onsen, sources chaudes millénaires
• Le château de Matsuyama, joyau du Japon féodal

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Chapitres

00:00 Prologue – Japon sauvage, portes de Setouchi
00:13 Shimanami Kaidō – route suspendue entre Honshū et Shikoku
03:36 Premier pont – sensations à vélo
04:22 Imabari – lumières dorées au bord de mer
06:41 Coucher de soleil sur la mer intérieure de Setouchi
07:57 Bivouac sauvage – nuit dans le vent et la pluie
10:35 Shikoku – porte du pèlerinage des 88 temples
12:44 Sur le chemin des pèlerins japonais
14:30 Rencontres et partages avec les pèlerins
18:25 Montée vers le Shikoku Karst
20:53 Ascension mystique dans la brume
24:30 Fin d’étape – ouverture vers l’épisode suivant

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Qui sommes-nous ?

Nous sommes Alexandre & Romain (Imaginer’s World) — deux aventuriers à vélo qui explorent le monde pour raconter la beauté et la fragilité du vivant, caméra au poing.

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Soutiens l’aventure
• Abonne-toi pour suivre la suite de notre aventure au Japon sauvage
• Laisse un commentaire (nous lisons chacun de vos mots)
• Partage cette vidéo à celles et ceux qui rêvent du Japon mystique

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Partenaires de route

👜 Berthoud Cycles – sacoches & selles artisanales
🛡️ Chapka Assurances – Cap Aventure
🚴‍♂️ Chef de File – tenues vélo sur mesure : confort & éthique
🧢 Cyclable – équipement bikepacking

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#Japon #Shikoku #JaponSauvage
#ShimanamiKaido #VoyageJapon #Cyclotourisme
#DogoOnsen #ChateauDeMatsuyama #AventureNature