Hokkaido's Seaside by Motorcycle
Hokkaido's Seaside by Motorcycle
Overview
John Daub and his friend Peter von Gomm take viewers on a scenic motorcycle journey along the coast of Hokkaido. Stopping briefly on the Shakotan Peninsula, they admire the dramatic views of the Sea of Japan crashing against the shore, surrounded by mystical clouds and mountains. This video serves as a travel update and behind-the-scenes look at their filming process, highlighting the challenges of capturing adventure footage while riding.
The duo discusses their route, heading from their current location to Shakotan for a reserved sushi dinner featuring fresh uni (sea urchin), before ending the day in Otaru. John shares insights into their daily schedule, which involves late-night editing and early mornings, as well as details about their motorcycles—a Yamaha Tracer 900 and a Honda 400X. The episode captures the romantic, gloomy weather reminiscent of the Oregon coast and emphasizes the freedom of exploring Hokkaido's remote areas by bike.
Highlights
- 00:09 John introduces the stunning coastal view on the Shakotan Peninsula.
- 00:39 Peter removes his helmet while John tests the communication mic unit.
- 01:04 They confirm their destination is Shakotan, 30km away.
- 01:15 John shows their location on the map, pointing out Yoichi and Sapporo.
- 02:31 Behind-the-scenes look at their late-night editing schedule.
- 03:04 Comparison of the scenery to the Oregon coast and the movie Twister.
- 03:38 John spots a sand flea on the beach.
- 04:14 John reads a viewer comment from "Otarukko" regarding the Kickstarter project.
- 04:46 Details on the motorcycles: Yamaha Tracer 900 and Honda 400X.
- 05:47 Plans to enjoy Otaru as a walking town without bikes.
Timeline / Chapters
- 00:00 Intro: Scenic coastal stop on Shakotan Peninsula.
- 00:39 Gear check and route discussion.
- 01:15 Map overview: Yoichi, Sapporo, Otaru.
- 02:31 Filming logistics and daily schedule.
- 03:04 Scenery comparison to Oregon coast.
- 04:14 Kickstarter update and viewer messages.
- 04:46 Motorcycle gear and camera setup.
- 05:47 Evening plans in Otaru.
- 06:21 Closing thoughts and departure.
Japan Travel Tips
- Motorcycle Access: Some scenic coastal areas in Hokkaido, like parts of Shakotan, are best accessed by car or motorcycle.
- Otaru Exploration: Otaru is described as a "walking town." It is better to park your bike and explore on foot to enjoy the atmosphere.
- Weather Preparation: Coastal weather can be gloomy and change quickly; bring appropriate gear even in summer.
- Sushi Reservations: Popular sushi places, especially those specializing in uni, may require reservations.
- Filming on the Road: Capturing high-quality footage while traveling takes significant time; plan for extra hours in editing and backup.
Japanese Language & Culture Notes
- Uni (ウニ): Sea urchin. A delicacy in Hokkaido, often served fresh as sushi or sashimi. John mentions this is the specialty of their dinner destination.
- Otarukko (小樽っ子): A term meaning "person from Otaru." Used here as a viewer's username during a livestream read.
- Hokkaido Geography: John references Yoichi as the place where whiskey is made (Nikka Whisky Yoichi Distillery), a notable landmark for tourists.
Food & Drink Guide
- Uni (Sea Urchin) Sushi
- Where: A sushi place in Shakotan (reservation required).
- Details: John mentions the specialty of the day is uni.
- Context: Hokkaido is famous for high-quality sea urchin due to its cold waters.
- Timestamp: 04:59
People
- John Daub: Host and creator. Riding the Honda 400X. Narrates the journey and handles most of the filming logistics.
- Peter von Gomm: John's friend and fellow American living in Japan. Riding the Yamaha Tracer 900. Provides commentary and companionship.
- Caller (Voice Message): A viewer named "Otarukko" who sends a message encouraging John to visit Nagoya.
Key Takeaways
- Hokkaido's coastal scenery offers dramatic views comparable to the American Pacific Northwest.
- Filming a travel documentary while riding motorcycles requires significant time management and late-night work.
- Shakotan and Otaru are key destinations for seafood and scenic rides in Hokkaido.
- Remote areas are best explored with private transport like motorcycles or cars.
Notable Quotes
- 00:09 "This is Hokkaido at its best. This is just a little stop on our motorcycle trip as we appreciate the view..."
- 03:04 "Peter noted that this is very much looks like the Oregonian coast side on the east west coast."
- 04:46 "And you can only get here by car or motorcycle."
- 06:21 "This brings back memories of me hitchhiking, seeing part of the country out on the road, smelling it, tasting it."
- 07:30 "See you, everybody. Say goodbye to the Jurassic Park Mountains."
Related Topics
- Hokkaido Motorcycle Tours
- Shakotan Peninsula Travel
- Otaru Canal and Sushi
- Behind the Scenes of Only in Japan Go
- Japanese Road Trip Logistics
Search Tags
#only-in-japan-go #hokkaido #motorcycle #shakotan #otaru #sushi #uni #travel #yamaha #honda #sea-of-japan #japan-travel #roadtrip
Full Transcript
00:09 John Daub: This is Hokkaido at its best. This is just a little stop on our motorcycle trip as we appreciate the view, take a couple of drone shots in the area. But Peter and I both thought that this was an amazing place where you could see the Sea of Japan crashing along the coast of Hokkaido. Wow. We just rode our bike through a massive tunnel through here and if you look up the mountains, you have this very mystical cloud going through it.
00:39 John Daub: How you doing everybody? We have this mic unit on which is so helpful. I can communicate with Peter but he took his helmet off and he doesn't look as cool. I'm still playing with the toys. We're going to head to this place called, what's it called Peter? Shakotan.
01:04 Peter von Gomm: They're 30k away.
01:04 John Daub: It's probably going to take us half an hour to get there and then we got a reservation to film a sushi place and I'm getting hungry for sushi seeing all this seaside.
01:13 Peter von Gomm: Yeah. Wouldn't you say sir?
01:15 John Daub: Indeed. Indeed. Here's where we are now. We're heading to Shakotan. We're right here on the peninsula. Oh wow. If you zoom back a bit. We've still got a ways to go. We're heading over here for our sushi. And Yoichi, that's where the whiskey's made. If you, if we zoom all the way out in Hokkaido, you can see that's where we are kind of the far side. Not a lot of people have made it out here. Sapporo is right there on the right side, right? There you go. This is our destination. Final destination for today is Otaru. We'll be spending a night here. So we have a little bit of riding still ahead of us, but it's amazing. Even though the weather's not totally cooperating.
01:58 Peter von Gomm: No.
01:59 John Daub: It's at least not raining. Well, the drone did and that was a really nice shot that we got. We might get it out one more time, but we're... You know, it's funny because when you're riding the motorcycle and trying to film an adventure, you lose so much time, right? It's already like getting close to the end of the day and we just, it seems like we just started. Where did the time go?
02:19 Peter von Gomm: It's also a time to rest and enjoy.
02:31 John Daub: I'm tired of not buying it. I can't complain. We are up until about midnight every night, 11 p.m. midnight, backing up the footage. Yesterday was the latest. After midnight. Got, we were done until we finished it around midnight. Back up the footage and plan the next day, go over everything. And then we wake up at 6:30, 7 o'clock. We're back at it. We took this morning a little slower. Just show you the Jurassic Park mountain. And then we're back at it. It's pretty cool.
03:00 Peter von Gomm: It is really cool.
03:04 John Daub: Night owl. Jim, how you doing, buddy? Peter noted that this is very much looks like the Oregonian coast side on the east west coast. Sort of like the scenes from the end of Twister, right?
03:16 Peter von Gomm: Yeah.
03:17 John Daub: Where's the pirate ship? The weather is very much like the Oregon coast as well. The weather in Oregon is kind of morose like this. Gloomy. But romantic at the same time. I like it. You see the water splash up?
03:33 Peter von Gomm: Yeah.
03:38 John Daub: Oh. It's cool. Again, look at the little crab going by your foot.
03:44 Peter von Gomm: Ah, Peter, you almost stepped on the crab.
03:47 John Daub: That's not a crab. That's a, what do we call these? Sand fleas?
03:58 Peter von Gomm: Yeah.
03:59 John Daub: Whoa. Alright. It's gonna crawl up your sleeve and lay eggs and hatch when you sleep. And then its infants will devour you toast. It wouldn't be the first time that's happened. I've seen a lot of movies.
04:14 John Daub: Otarukko [?]. I was just getting settled in my bed with my iPad. Welcome aboard. So this is just a very quick update for everybody. Again, the Kickstarter project, we're like 20, 30 people away from our goal. We can get 20 or 30 more people.
04:29 John Daub: We're gonna jump at Lake Akan, which was frozen when I visited in February. Like people ice fishing in it. So I wonder what the temperature is.
04:38 Caller: You've encouraged me to visit right to Nagoya John.
04:41 John Daub: This is so cool. And you can only get here by car or motorcycle.
04:46 Peter von Gomm: Motorcycles.
04:46 John Daub: Let's go show them the unit over there. Show us the bikes on the road and we will hit the road, Peter, because we got a date with a sushi platter. I'm hungry. And this sushi place says that their specialty today is uni (sea urchin).
05:02 Peter von Gomm: Uni.
05:03 John Daub: Yeah. This is this Tracer 900. One more look at it. And I've got the Honda 400X, which has been really a nice ride. I got an Insta360. Should be tilted a little bit further. That's been going a little bit higher to get nice views over the windshield. This documentary is going to be pretty sweet, I think. But this is the last main day, though. It's supposed to rain tomorrow and the next day. So we don't have the best weather, but we're getting a lot of travel done while we have daylight here.
05:35 Peter von Gomm: Absolutely.
05:36 John Daub: And we'll have a fun time in Otaru. So walking around the town. Yeah, tonight this evening, we might put the editing away a little bit and focus just on the fun. And having a decent dinner.
05:47 Peter von Gomm: Yeah.
05:47 John Daub: Maybe go out a little bit. Us have fun. Have a little fun. Yeah, we'll try to film it. I won't go live, but maybe we'll add a little bit in the documentary. Stuff that you can do. Otaru is more of a walking town. You don't want to ride through it. Kind of enjoy yourself.
06:04 John Daub: Peter is probably going to use the restroom.
06:07 Peter von Gomm: Find a bush.
06:09 John Daub: Number one or number two?
06:15 Peter von Gomm: I think he's just joking. I think.
06:21 John Daub: Have you found some garbage? Okay. That's good. Keep the roads clean. All right, everybody. I hope this was fun for you. We wanted to share just a nugget of what we're doing out here. And this brings back memories of me hitchhiking, seeing part of the country out on the road, smelling it, tasting it. Ah, this is adventure at its best. And next stop is there. 30K to Shakotan. And then eventually Otaru. I can hear you now that you get your helmet on, the mic unit.
07:02 Peter von Gomm: Yeah.
07:02 John Daub: All right, everybody. My backpack is so packed. We'll see you later. Thanks, guys, for supporting.
07:11 Peter von Gomm: Bye.
07:12 John Daub: Yeah. Back on the road. See you tomorrow, probably.
07:16 Peter von Gomm: Zamzam.
07:17 John Daub: Those fences keep the raptors in.
07:19 Peter von Gomm: Yeah.
07:20 John Daub: See you guys. I don't know. I didn't see anybody in that car. It's kind of creeping me out.
07:29 Peter von Gomm: Yeah.
07:30 John Daub: I don't know. Just let it be. All right. See you, everybody. Say goodbye to the Jurassic Park Mountains.
07:38 Peter von Gomm: Bye.