The BEE Ride 2008

[colin j]

Greetings from the BEE (Bicycle for Everyones Earth) Team.

Every year during the summer months an intrepid band of Assistant Language Teachers cycle from Wakkanai in northern Hokkaido to Kagoshima in southern Kyushu. Riding an average of 70km a day the BEE team covers over 3000 km in 2 months all the while spreading the message of environmental protection and sustainable living. 

In 2008 the team will depart from Wakkanai on August 2nd and ride their way down to Niigata Prefecture along the Sea of Japan before tackling the Japanese Alps. Arriving in Tokyo in late August they will be hosting some events for a few days then will head out along the southern coast of Honshu, skirting round Mt. Fuji and heading for Shiga Prefecture and Lake Biwa by early September. After a few days in Fukui Prefecture the ride goes through Kyoto and Osaka, crosses to Shikoku and travels on to Hiroshima via Ehime Prefecture. By late September they will take the ferry to Kyushu and spend the last 10 days of the month travelling toward Kagoshima Prefecture and the finish line. All along, the team will host events to promote environmental awareness.

Sound exciting? There are still a few positions left on the riding team. Right now we have several riders committed to the entire trip with some more coming along for certain sections. We are still recruiting riders. You can get an application form on the website.

BEE is really a national effort involving hundreds of individuals across Japan. It really cant happen without your support. Here are some of the things you can do to help. 

Do you have some spare futons? Can you cook for a small band of hungry cyclists? Are you a local AJET rep who can help organise an event? Are you interested in learning more about how you can live a sustainable life? Maybe you are an avid cyclist and know your prefectures roads like the back of your hand or else rock the nihongo and are willing to give some of your time to translating for us.
If you can think of anyway to help us then we need to hear from you. The most help we need is in fact along the route. If you are willing to host the team (or part of the team) in your house or apartment why not check out the route and see if we are coming to your area. Check out the route plan on the website.  Just send me an email at teamleader@beejapan.org if you are willing to help us out. Even if you just want to suggest some cool places in your area then please send us an email. 

Thanks for your time.

Colin J
BEE Ride team leader
<a href="http://www.beejapan.org">www.beejapan.org</a>

[J.D.]

I did this ride in 2005 and would recommend joining it.