Schweiz
Paul Ingram ©
Two cyclists ride past cherry blossoms in motion blur along a bridge in Japan.

Bikepacking Under Cherry Blossoms

Two friends, two months, one country: Paul Ingram and Josh Tippet cycled from Kagoshima to Tokyo — and dove deep into Japanese cuisine along the way.

Paul Ingram and Josh Tippet star in “Okawari, Please!”, a film that is part of the second season of the Bike Film Tour. For more information about the film, click here: Okawari, Please! film page

Paul, how did it all start?

Paul Ingram: Josh and I first visited in 2018 — a pretty classic tourist trip with a Japanese friend who showed us the ropes and gave us a lot of context. After that, we knew we had to come back. Josh and I are really passionate long-distance hikers at heart. But hiking through Japan didn't quite make sense — the country is so well developed, there are no long, continuous trails. That's how the bike entered the picture. And when Josh started seriously thinking about opening his own restaurant — with Japan as a growing source of inspiration — it suddenly felt like: now or never.

Map of Japan showing a bikepacking route from Kagoshima to Tokyo.
The Route: From Kagoshima in the south to Tokyo in the north — roughly 1,250 miles across Japan.

Why the bike — and not hiking again?

When we hike, we usually carry several days' worth of supplies and we're often pretty far from civilization. Japan was the complete opposite: convenience stores, vending machines, little towns were almost always within reach. That made the whole trip more comfortable than our typical "dirtbag" adventures. But grinding uphill for four hours without any real training — that'll wreck you physically. The difference is, at the end of it, you're not necessarily crawling into a rain-soaked tent. Sometimes there's a cheap hotel waiting — or a hot coffee from the vending machine around the next bend.

Three-part image: A bowl of unagi rice with chopsticks, a selfie of two men under cherry blossoms, a loaded bicycle against a mountain backdrop.
Paul Ingram ©
Unagi, cherry blossom selfie, and mountain panorama: two months in Japan, three pictures.

How did your perspective on Japanese food change over those two months?

I knew the food would be great and varied — but just how regional and complex Japanese cuisine really is genuinely surprised me. I love good food, but I'm no expert. Josh comes at it differently: he's worked in Michelin-starred kitchens. He really wanted to understand how things are made.

Just when you think you've got Japan figured out, it surprises you all over again.

Paul Ingram

Ordering without speaking the language — did that make meals more exciting?

Definitely — though Google Translate gets you pretty far these days. We'd photograph menus and translate our questions. But even then, there's often a moment of surprise: you think you understood, and something completely different shows up. And honestly, that's half the fun. Beyond that, smiling, patience, humor — that's a universal language. We've both traveled a lot and we lean heavily on that kind of nonverbal communication.

Three-part image: A close-up of a loaded bicycle with tattooed legs, a cyclist on the street with Mount Fuji in the background, a plate of gyoza, and a bottle of beer.
Paul Ingram ©
Loaded up, focused, hungry: the bikepacking routine — with Mount Fuji as a backdrop and gyoza as the reward.

What does Japan taste like to you?

That's tough, because the range is so wide… but probably yakitori. And I don't just mean "chicken on a skewer!" Yakitori is so special because every single part of the chicken is treated with precision and then grilled over charcoal — giving you completely different textures and flavors from each piece. We ate it as street food and at a really high level — and it was always unbelievably good.

Did this trip change anything in your day-to-day life — something that stuck?

Funnily enough, it deepened my appreciation for truly great white rice. That simplicity — rice, miso soup, pickled vegetables, small components — sounds basic, but it's anything but. I came to understand how much quality and care goes into a meal that looks so "simple." The same goes for things like soy sauce or tamari: a real respect for the effort that goes into the little things. That mindset is contagious — it inspires you to be more detail-oriented yourself.

Thank you for chatting with us, Paul. Now we're definitely hungry!

Dreiteiliges Bild: Kirschblüten von unten, rote japanische Daruma-Laternen bei Nacht, Person mit Stirnlampe im Zelt.
Paul Ingram ©
Sakura, Daruma lanterns, a night in the tent: Japan surprises you by day and by night.

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Program & trailer

There are many facets of cycling, whether you're riding on gravel or asphalt, in a peloton or alone. The six films of Bike Film Tour Season 2 showcase almost all of them.

Film: Okawari, Please!

Bikepacking in Japan: Two friends explore the Land of the Rising Sun—and its cuisine.

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