Limited slots available - what happened?
Or how we unintentionally dissappointed people
Since its inception in 2015, the Japanese Odyssey has always been a very small event.
Starting initially with four riders, it gradually grew through word of mouth.
At its peak, in 2019, we reached sixty-four participants.
Now Is the Time! Register for the 2025 Japanese Odyssey
The wait is finally over! Registration for the 2025 Japanese Odyssey is open.
Women* Found
When we launched our “Women* Wanted” operation, we realized that the gesture was highly symbolic.To be honest, we didn’t expect much response or many applications.
Boy were we wrong.
We got kind of overwhelmed by your applications - especially Caroline, who had the arduous responsibility of selecting the winners.
Well, better let her tell how it went.
Women* Wanted
In 2018, we have had our first woman to enter the Japanese Odyssey. Since then, women have signed up for every new edition. We are happy to see that happening, but there is still a big gap with male participation.
Finish Line - Matsumoto City Alps Park
This year, the Japanese Odyssey ends in Matsumoto City Alps Park. Located at the north of the city, it will be the final hill of your Odyssey.
Discover the 2025 route
Good things take time, but here we are!
For the 2025 edition, starting line is set at the foot of Sakurajima volcano in Kagoshima.
The finish line is deep in the Japanese Alps, in the city of Matsumoto.
To get there, 20 checkpoints and mandatory segments await.
Check out the route in details
Forgotten Tōge
Tōge(峠) is the Japanese word for mountain pass.
Its kanji transcription is both obvious and very interesting. It is made up of a radical kanji meaning mountain (Yama) and two other very common kanji in the Japanese language meaning: up or above and down or under.
A pass is not just a topographic point or an intersection with a ridge line associated with an altitude. The kanji transcription shows us that a mountain pass can be a dynamic point. That there is an ascent to this point, which requires an effort.
The date is set for the 2025 edition
For the third time, the Japanese Odyssey will be launched in Kagoshima city, at the foot of the Sakurajima volcano.
Taking the short ferry ride to the starting line in the early morning, facing the lava monster, feeling the gentle breeze, and smelling the scent of the sea will undoubtedly be drops of calm and beauty falling on you. I don’t want to be a spoilsport. But the calm will be short-lived.