Into The Unknown — 15 Days Alone Across Southern Japan

What started as my first real motorcycle tour quickly became something more. I set out to make a travel film across Japan, but somewhere along the road the journey began changing me too. Over 15 days, I rode alone across Southern Kyushu — from the volcanic landscapes of Kagoshima, through the freezing coastal roads of Miyazaki, and deep into the mountains and remote backroads of Kumamoto Prefecture. What began as a solo motorcycle trip slowly became the foundation of Project 47: an ongoing cinematic documentary journey across all 47 prefectures of Japan. Along the way I faced: 🌋 Active volcanoes and ash-covered roads beneath Sakurajima ❄️ Frozen mountain passes, brutal winds, and winter camping in Miyazaki ⛺ Remote campsites, hidden shrines, waterfalls, and isolated coastal roads 🌸 Endless cherry blossom mountain roads across Kumamoto 🍜 Small encounters, shared meals, wrong turns, and unexpected kindness ⚠️ Crashes, exhaustion, near misses, and the realities of long-term solo travel But more than anything, this journey became about the people. I’ve lived in Japan for 26 years, and I thought I understood this country. But traveling alone across rural Japan showed me how much I still had left to learn. This is not a guide to Japan. Not a motovlog. Just the experience of crossing the country alone. ⸻ PROJECT 47 An ongoing solo motorcycle documentary series exploring all 47 prefectures of Japan through long-form cinematic travel films. If you enjoy immersive travel documentaries, solo adventure stories, rural Japan, motorcycle journeys, and atmospheric road films — welcome to the journey. ⸻ Locations Featured: Kagoshima • Miyazaki • Kumamoto • Sakurajima • Mt. Aso • Nichinan Coast • Cape Toi • Amakusa • Chiran • Lake Ikeda • Kumamoto Castle #JapanTravel #MotorcycleTravel #SoloTravel #TravelDocumentary #Project47 #CinematicTravel #JapanDocumentary