When I think of Japan, I am more apt to picture teeming throngs of people moving like bovine herds through the
streets or crowding onto subways. With the exception of a long-standing desire to hike Mt. Fuji, I generally don’t
think of outdoors activity. But as this article points
out, outdoor sports are becoming all the rage in Japan, including mountain biking.
The author gets to hang out for a bit with Team Kaminari, (which translates to mean “Lightening &
Thunder”), and checks out some of the mountain biking offerings in the Land of the Rising Sun. He heads to (well, here
you go) Mt. Fuli, where for a brief period in and around mid-September, the mountain offers itself up to mountain
biking. Heading out with team Lightening & Thunder, he navigates the twisting trails, gnarly switchbacks,
all-too-frequent checkpoint, and the piles of loose scree to find himself enjoying a pleasantly unusual biking
experience. Add this one to your list of mountain biking must-dos.