Cycle Around Japan (2014) : 10x8

Tochigi is a lush green inland prefecture on the Kanto Plain, north of Tokyo. It's the height of spring, fields glistening with snow melt from the mountains and nature returning to life as we ride through the Nasu Highlands under hundreds of streaming carp banners, catch spawning river fish fat with eggs, learn the secrets of clay making from a Mashiko potter, and join a local festival, helping carry a hand-crafted dragon through town to ward off misfortune. Our final encounter is with a young couple committed to farming in tune with the natural cycle, even making their own soil from gathered leaves.