From childhood rides to the Olympic stage
My love for cycling began as a child. In middle school, I would ride with my friends to distant fishing ponds in the countryside. Over time, I realised the cycling itself had become the main draw, with fishing as an added bonus at the end of the ride.
Around that same time, I watched the Tour de France on TV for the first time. I remember it specifically sparking this desire to try competitive cycling myself. That’s where it all began.
By high school, I had set my goal of becoming an Olympic cyclist. Looking back on more than twenty years as an Olympian, what stays with me most is that feeling at the start line.
Even with everyone so fired up and all the noise and pressure, and chaos around you, those moments were the calmest I’d ever felt and it’s a feeling I still carry with me today.
From racing the world to returning home
As a professional cyclist, I’ve raced in countries all over the world. Actually, experiencing those different places and environments made me increasingly appreciate how unique Japan’s cycling is. The more I travelled, the more aware I became of what it is we have right here. And after all those years abroad, my conclusion is and will always be ‘Nagano’.
When the opportunity came by to promote Nagano as a cycling destination, working alongside local and national government, I jumped at the chance to bring a long held vision of mine to life. That’s the Japan Alps cycling project, a 100km route that showcases the very best of Nagano by bike.
People sometimes ask why I created Ride Nagano. It’s really very simple. My love of cycling. That says it all. And the desire to keep sharing it.
I want people to discover the beauty of Nagano Prefecture through cycling.
Ride together, connect, and become friends, and then teammates! Beyond Nagano too, I want people from all over the world to experience the real Japan.
That is what Ride Nagano exists to do.
