In the summer of 2009, my 8-year-old son, Sho, and I set off on our own to ride connected bicycles the length of mainland Japan, covering about 2,500 miles in 67 days.

Gion Hatanaka is a very lovely ryokan with the concept of 'comfortable silence in the city'.

We set off on the "beginner's" trip of Japan-Tokyo, Hakone (Mt. Fuji) and Kyoto. What we discovered was a country rich in culture yet affordable in cost.