The weather was incredibly hot, but it felt good, and I was able to dry my clothes too. Distance: 93 km

I rode into Kitakyushu until late last night, so by the time I pitched my tent it was already 11pm. I climbed a big 266-metre hill and camped there. I know it's ridiculous to climb 266 metres with luggage that heavy, but I really wanted to see the view.

I woke up at around seven, and the moment I got out of my tent, a group of elderly men and women happened to be doing radio exercises in the same spot. After chatting for a bit, they invited me with "want to join in?", so I gave it a go and it was fun. They had never been abroad, and they also said it was "because we're not interested." I thought, well, Kitakyushu is so beautiful that there's no need to go to another country, and it made sense to me.

I also went to the Kanmon Bridge viewpoint, and the view was lovely. There was a beautiful shrine beside the Kanmon Bridge too. I met a Thai man called Withyr. Despite his age, he had cycled from Kyoto to Yamaguchi, which was pretty impressive. On the ride towards Yamaguchi I took a beautiful panorama as well. The big man-made roads often run right through old towns, which makes for quite a contrast, and I liked that.

I found a small road near Ube. The houses were really lovely, and a shrine had been built in the centre. I was impressed that such a small town could have such a lavish shrine. It reminded me once again how important Buddhism and religion really are in Japan. I spoke to an old lady standing at the roadside. The road was built 200 years ago, and her house was built 130 years ago. After she saw me off, I thought once again how kind elderly people in Japan really are.