BEE buzzes through Hiroshima

Our ride: A-bomb Dome to Miyajima: 20 km ride (about an hour)

It was a cloudy morning when I met the B.E.E (Bicycle for Everyone's Earth) group at the a-bomb dome at 8am.

They are a small group of 4 riders, 2 Japanese, 2 Western (Australia and Canada) an even matching of two men and two women who came together because of a conviction to live cleanly and a love for cycling. They were travelling together from all the way north in Wakkanai in Hokkaido and their trek would end in Kagoshima. Some of the members are planning to go as far as Okinawa, others to Yakushima island. When I met them they had been cycling for about 6 weeks so far on their 2 month ride through Japan. The day before I rode with them they had been presenting information about their ride and talking with students at Hiroshima Ichiritsu University.

We stood around for a while to let the group get ready for our ride to Miyajima (20 km) and to take some photos in front of the genbaku dome. I was surprised to be the one rider willing to accompany them on this small leg of their journey, I hope we can rally more interest from our bicycle riding local community for next year!!
Being the only local, they let me lead the ride and to be honest, I was pleased that we didn't get lost.
It wasn't as hard as I thought, so if there are any of you out there thinking of doing the ride, this is the route we took:

From the bridge in Peace park, we headed straight through the back streets until we hit a river. Head left along the river, at the second big bridge, turn right (route 2), when you see the sign for the Shoko Center turn left and follow route 2 for the rest of the ride. There is a bicycle lane for most of the journey (although it is used more often as a parking lane) and I suggest staying on the left side of the road (not on the sidewalk), go early in the morning to avoid traffic and wear a helmet. The ride took us just under an hour.

When we arrived at the Miyajima ferry port, the BEE group went in search of a mid morning ice-cream (they can eat anything since they are burning so many calories) and then we boarded the ferry with our bicycles (just over 500yen for the return fare including the bicycle charge). When we got to Miyajima, we did a short scenic ride to the main beach (head left on the road at the port) where we spent the next 45 minutes doing a bit of beach clean up. We couldn't clear the beach of trash completely (Typhoon 14 brought a lot on shore) and there was a sofa and other huge garbage we couldn't budge, but we filled a wheelbarrow and a few gomi bags full of recyclables, random plastics (most of the garbage), metal and burnables, managed to keep the deer away long enough for us to put them in the bins, got a quick thank you from the shop owner and off we went for an okonomiyaki lunch.

After lunch I said good-bye to this friendly group and wished them the best of luck as I left them to explore the island as I had a sleepy toddler on my hands. It was a nice way to spend the morning.

Plans for next year

We were a bit last minute in planning to coordinate with the BEE group this year, some ideas for next year include a scenic river ride with the group and a clean-up at a designated littered site along the way followed by a picnic in Chuo koen. It would be great to get more people involved even if they are not free to do the ride, they could meet for the picnic or clean-up part of the plan. Alishan Tengu who was the main sponsor of the BEE group this year, is planning to do a bicycle recycling and self-help workshop in coordination with the group, that might be an idea for us in Hiroshima too. Please get in touch (through Feedback) if you are interested in helping organize pro-bicycle events in Hiroshima.

About the B.E.E group

• BEE began in 1996 by a small group hoping to encourage environmental awareness by riding through Japan
• BEE connected ride through Cambodia to raise money for a school in Siam Reip - PEPY ride
• To join one of their rides or get more information, Visit their bilingual website

JR not bike friendly

I had planned on taking the train back, but the station manager at Miyajima-guchi eki wanted me to take both wheels off the bike, get it in a bike bag and carry it onto the train as well as my 3 year old and our various bags, I decided it was easier to simply ride back. If you would like to get your bike on the train, I suggest making it as small as possible, wrapping it in a bike bag and just carry it through the gate with you. Whatever you do, don't ASK if it's okay- that was my fatal mistake.

Others have suggested going to a smaller station nearby that is usually unmanned and getting it on there, making sure you take up as little space as possible on the train, but you may still be hassled when the conductor comes, just argue that you didn't know any better. JR East (Tokyo area) and the subway system in Sapporo are now allowing some trains for passengers to travel with their bicycles without breaking them down. Lets hope this is a sign that someday Hiroshima JR will also be bicycle friendly.
Folding bicycles are supposed to be allowed on all trains at no extra charge.

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• Paths Of Peace