The Tohoku region in Northen Honshu (Japan's main island) was the destination of Big Ben and the Stinger's first long touring trip. At the time the Stinger was still riding his Honda CBR and Big Ben was still on his Honda Transalp . Funny how tastes change, isn't it? Being so far removed from the hustle and bustle of Tokyo, the Tohoku region enjoys a large amount of scenic beauty still in its natural state.
Here's the Stinger at the picturesque Matsushima,
an area on the coast on the Pacific Ocean
peppered with tiny islands full of pine trees.
There are plenty of winding roads like this
one to be found in the mountain range that
lies on the border of Iwate and Akita Prefectures.
One of the numerous Bodhisatvas to be found
in Aizu-Wakamatsu in Fukushima Prefecture.
Aomori Prefecture, the northern most
Prefecture of Honshu lying just across the sea from Hokkaido, boasts Japan's finest replica of the Statue
of Liberty (don't ask us why), located in
the same position lattitudinally as its counterpart
in New York. We were riding down the road in the middle
of nowhere and saw a sign that said "Japan's
Biggest Statue of Liberty next right."
We had to check it out.
Also be sure to check out the SPLENDOR page for more information on motorcycling in the Tohoku region.
