What Have I Secretly Been Planning?

I tried Coca-Cola Clear, which has been everywhere in Japan recently. It smells like Sprite and tastes like 'over-carbonated Sprite, with a dash of lemon and a hint of despair.' It's incredibly fizzy, so much so that I think if you shook the bottle and threw it against a wall, it could take out half a city block. If you want to experience it outside Japan, just pour some Sprite into a Coca-Cola bottle – it's essentially the same, if not better.

I'm undertaking a 2,000km, one-month journey across Japan by bicycle. The route will kick off in Yamagata Prefecture, my spiritual Japanese home, then cycle down along the Sea of Japan, across the plains of Niigata, and into the ancient streets of Kanazawa. From there, I'll go around Lake Biwa and into Kyoto, then Kobe to cross the Akashi Kaikyō Bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world. I'll then go through Shikoku, doing my best to avoid mountains, cross the Seto Inland Sea via the Shimanami Kaido cycle route with its half-dozen bridges, turn into Hiroshima, go through Yamaguchi, and cross into Kyushu. I'll inevitably end up in Fukuoka to eat some Tonkotsu pork ramen, then go through Kumamoto, and finally down to the southern tip of Kyushu island, Kagoshima, where I'll gaze upon the city's majestic volcano, completing the journey. I have about 3-4 months to prepare, as I'm currently not fit and don't even own a bicycle, but I'm determined to do it for the adventure and creative challenge.