Cycling around Japan to raise money for a good cause

Embrace Cooperation Ltd Executive Director, Dirk Bischof, is getting on his bike to raise money for the West Norwood based not for profit company he works for. His journey will begin on 3rd May 2009 and it will take him 6 weeks to complete his amazing journey through the Far East. To find out more about this amazing challenge or sponsor Dirk please phone Embrace Cooperation Ltd on 0208 670 1221, check out Dirk's blog website http://1000mileschallenge.blogspot.com/ or email dirk.b@myembrace.org.

Embrace Cooperation Ltd is a non-profit organisation based in London promoting work placements, teacher/educator exchange schemes, personal development workshops as well as media (digital photography / video film) and environmental conservation work. We started as Embrace Unlimited - a volunteer organisation in 2000 and since October 2004 operate as a non-profit making company under the name Embrace Cooperation Ltd.

We work mainly with and for disadvantaged young adults and provide a variety of services that enables them to integrate and perform well in mainstream society. Embrace does this through a number of learning schemes, including arts, media, personal development, placements, exchange programs and environmental conservation projects in Europe and UK. Our main objective is to support those with the least opportunities, so that they improve the quality of their life and contribute to self-sustaining communities. Embrace engages around 150 - 200 young adults every year through the provision of holistic projects, which bring together the skills and abilities of the young people with the opportunities Embrace can offer.

UK based environmental conservation project:
Embrace Cooperation Ltd received a Heritage Lottery Fund grant to run a community project promoting Streatham Common. The project highlights the history, environmental importance & recreational significance of the Common as a natural heritage site. The project started in January 2008 and will finish in June 2009. The project aims to create long-term participation of the local communities in the conservation of Streatham Common. The project aims to raise awareness of the environmental importance of Streatham Common by organising nature activities and working with local community groups. Embrace Cooperation Ltd would especially like to work with those local community groups and youth organisations which would not otherwise be involved in environmental conservation. The project so far has engaged with over 300 people, involving them in community environmental conservation events on Streatham Common.

Project myspace page: www.myspace.com/streathamcommon

Project blog http://streathamcommon.blogspot.com/

UK based media projects:
Embrace did four media projects in 2008 with over 30 young adults (living in hostels; refugees; and those from housing estates and not in education, employment, or training). All projects focused on participatory media work using photography, graphic design and film to capture the creativity of the young people. The practical work gave them a chance to lose their inhibitions working with media equipment and also to use techniques such as story boarding, directing and editing in such a way which will make them applicable to their life. It also gave them the experience whether they really could see themselves starting an apprenticeship or work in the media industry as we facilitate visits to media colleges and film companies.

Other Embrace Cooperation Ltd Project websites

African project myspace page
http://www.myspace.com/embracelondon

European Renewable energy best practice exchange project for professionals
http://raise-project.blogspot.com/

European work experience project for media students
http://www.ealing-media.co.uk/berlin/

Dirk arrived in Japan, without his bike at first, but then a day later he was reunited. He travelled from Tokyo\ Narita Airport to Noda, some 75Km away.

Dirk said :-

On the first day of cycling it rained pretty bad and my so called "water proof" clothing gave up after about 3 hours in the rain. I had printed my map using Google which would have been a good idea... if I was able to read Japaneseor Japanese road signs. You can imagine what followed. I got lost pretty bad in some rice paddies which seemed to stretch from one part of the horizon to the next. I used my newly aquired compass to, at least, get the directions right. Considering that I have never had to use a compass I did pretty well. In the rice paddies, I also managed to go through a big puddlewhich instantly deflated my rear tyre, already struggling to stay alive with the 30 Kg on top. I managed to push the bike to the nearest habitation where I spotted a woman with her son. I asked whether I could stay to fix my bike. She was very kind and also spoke some English. She immediately cleared their garage for me so I can get the bike fixed without getting wet... A nice gesture considering I was already soaked.The nice lady made me some Japanese tea and brought some cream buns. This was soo good and it definitely kept my spirit going.

Back on the bike I managed to cycle another 2 hours to make camp in a forest near the route 16. It was getting pretty dark so I had to hurry. Good for me that I never tried out how to pitch the tent... Some 20 minutes later I was sitting inside the tent and got the camping stove going.

The next day I cycled to Noda where I found a nice spot for the tent in a Buddhist temple park. This is gonna be my home for this week as I am attending training classes here at the Bujinkan Hombu Dojo every day. My financial plan is to live off YEN 4000 a day, considering that the training will cost me quite a bit too. The upside of camping in the middle of town is that everywhere I need to go is not far. In the morning I get some water for my tea and do some stretches and exercise. This is followed by a 20 minutes meditation under the temple pagoda. Then I make proper breakfast before heading to training. I shave in the local library, making it look as the most normal thing for a gajin (foreigner). Any other washing is done at night in the temple - where they get the water for the plants... brrrr. All other bodily functions are being attended to in the local library oterai or well... wherever. I am very impressed that my tent in the park has not roused any suspicions. I feel so very safe here that I would leave all my belongings on display without really worring about them. I am not going to do it, but this is how safe Japan feels to me. All people are overly friendly and its pretty simple to get by using only the most basic Japanese. On Monday I will continue with my journey going to the West - with the Sea of Japan firmly in my sight... after about a week. I will have to stick to main roads as I really dont want to get lost too much. If you look on a map, it's all mountains. I will follow the Route 16, 17, 18 top get to the sea. All smaller routes are too tricky as I can't make out the road signs... over and out for now and all the best to you out there!

Dirk is planning on starting out in Narita Airport (A) and from there go to Noda (B) on the first day (some 50miles). I will stay for a few days to meet friends and do some martial arts training for a few days. From there I will continue my journey to The Sea of Japan (G). My journey will then lead me south along the coast and then inwards towards Gujo (H) and then back through the mountains towards Noda (B). This is the route as I envisage it and as I planned it. The total length of the route is between 800 - 1200 miles and it will depend on my map-reading skills and of course on where the journey will take me. I aim to stick to the route as it will lead me through the mountains of Japan, along its coasts and also through remote villages along the way. I try to avoid industrial areas such as the east coast or big cities where possible.

Why biking? It's a green and enjoyable mode of transport, which allows for close encounters with the environment and people. It is also my favourite leisure time activity, which I enjoy alone and with friends going places and enjoying what the British countryside has to offer. So far Dirk has never done such an extended bike trip and Dirk has never camped for such an extended period of time. The longest outdoor experience was in 1999 when a friend and Dirk went to Scotland to camp rough for 3 weeks. This was a tremendous experience and we had such great fun travelling independently, getting food from the fields, trees & bushes, supermarkets. But this was done using a car which was a very comfortable way to travel as we could take as much stuff we needed to be comfortable.

This journey is different. Dirk need to be very specific and only take the most necessary items. It will require me to stay within me luggage restrictions on my bike, around 60 - 70 litres (30 - 40kg). Within these limits Dirk need to take equipment to keep me safe from the sometimes hostile environments of the Japanese mountains (at around 3000m), functional clothing, bike equipment, foodstuffs, and gifts (small they may be but essential for travelling in Japan).