2025 GW Shikoku Long Touring [DAY FINAL (5/4, 5) Cape Muroto, Awaji Island, Returning Home, Summary Edition]

Finally, the last day

It has been two months since I started writing this, but the record of my Golden Week trip finally comes to an end with this post. I managed to finish it before my summer vacation camping trip in July. (Sweat)

Well, I woke up feeling refreshed at the campsite on the Muroto Skyline a little after 8:00 AM on Sunday, May 4th. After enjoying some mate tea and packing up my tent, I chatted with a fellow motorcycle camper riding a W800 in the next site, sharing various stories about bikes and camping.

"I rented that bike (which has the same engine as the NC750X) in Hokkaido, and it's a really easy and good bike to ride. Take good care of it."

I was in a great mood from the morning after having my beloved bike complimented. (Laughs)
I've had the look of my CTX700N, which is a rare bike in Japan, complimented before, but this was the first time someone complimented what's inside.

"Alright. CTX, do your best to get us to Tokyo today!!"

Actually, since I had one spare day left, I was debating whether to camp for one more night in Tokushima Prefecture.
However, because I had started to feel a bit of a rut in this trip (since the day before) and my bike's front tire was wearing down, making it feel slippery on winding roads, I decided to head home while taking naps along the way.

That's right, let's go to Awaji Island too!!

I left the campsite a little after 10:00 AM. First, I went down the Muroto Skyline to Cape Muroto. Since I had just passed by on Route 55 four years ago, I parked the bike and took a short walk.

It was a clear day again, and the view of the Pacific Ocean from Cape Muroto was spectacular.
In Shikoku, every stretch of the coast is truly a series of breathtaking views. I continued north along the scenic Route 55 toward Tokushima City and took a break at the roadside station in Toyo Town a little after 11:00 AM.

After enjoying the Minami Awa Sun Line in the early afternoon, I arrived in Anan City around 1:00 PM. When crossing from Shikoku to Honshu, there is the Kobe route via Awaji Island and the Wakayama route by ferry.
I considered taking the ferry for a relaxing crossing to Honshu, but...

"Since I'm here, let's ride through Awaji Island too!!"

I finished crossing the Onaruto Bridge around 2:30 PM. I took a break at the Awaji Island South PA while eating some local soft-serve ice cream. I decided to get off the expressway at the Awaji Island South IC and enjoy a short tour of Awaji Island.

"The traffic on the east side of Awaji Island is terrible on holidays!!"

Having been warned by the fellow camper at Cape Muroto, I headed straight for the Awaji Sunset Line (Prefectural Road 25/31) on the west side.

Indeed, the Sunset Line was a scenic road with no traffic jams. At first...
However, as we approached the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, the Sunset Line also became heavily congested... (crying)

In the end, the traffic jam didn't clear up even after getting onto the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge, and it was past 17:00 when I arrived in Kobe City.
Also, the day-trip hot springat the foot of the Akashi Kaikyo Bridge was also extremely crowded in the middle of Golden Week.

"I can't get as much rest as I thought..." (crying)

Highway in the middle of the night

I entered the Kobe day-trip hot spring facility just before 18:00. I thought about staying until the 24:00 closing time, but I left at 23:00.
I rode as quietly as possible through the residential areas of Tarumi Ward, Kobe City, and after refueling, I entered the expressway from Fusehata IC around 24:00. From there, I just kept riding toward Tokyo via the Sanyo Expressway, Shin-Meishin, Meishin, Higashi-Meihan, Isewangan, Shin-Tomei, and Tomei Expressways.

On the way, the temperature at Gozaisho SA on the Higashi-Meihan Expressway was 5°C, and unable to endure the cold and sleepiness, I fell asleep in the empty food court from around 2:00 to 3:30...

It was a battle against the cold on the Shin-Meishin (Meishin) and Higashi-Meihan Expressways before entering the Isewangan Expressway.
On the boring Isewangan and Shin-Tomei Expressways, it was a battle against sleepiness.

I ended up riding the midnight expressway while taking breaks, but maybe I should have rested comfortably until morning at a hotel or internet cafe in Osaka instead of the day-trip hot spring in Kobe. However, I managed to avoid traffic jams on the Tomei Expressway and arrived safely at my home in Sumida Ward, Tokyo, on the morning of Monday, May 5th.

"In the end, I rode a ridiculous distance on both the outbound and return trips this time... I need to seriously consider my route next time..." (sweating profusely)

That said, Shikoku was a series of spectacular views this time as well. This was my longest long-distance tour yet at 9 days, but every day was truly fun. So, I want to visit again without waiting another 4 years!!

With this, the entire series is (finally) complete.

DAY FINAL Summary

Gasoline cost: ¥5,833
¥174x7.14L=¥1,242 (Distance at refueling: 243.5km)
¥176x5.11L=¥899 (Distance at refueling: 147.9km)
¥207x10.49L=¥2,171 (Distance at refueling: 330.9km)
¥186x8.18L=¥1,521 (Distance at refueling: 253.8km)

Expressway tolls: ¥8,620
Naruto Kita -> Awaji Island South (Onaruto Bridge): ¥580 (Holiday discount)
Awaji -> Tarumi Daini (Akashi Kaikyo Bridge): ¥760 (Holiday discount)
Fusehata -> Miki Higashi (Sanyo Expressway, etc.): ¥500 (Late-night discount)
Miki Higashi -> Tokyo (Shin-Tomei Expressway, etc.): ¥6,100 (Two-wheeled flat-rate discount)
Tokyo -> Hamacho (Shuto Expressway): ¥680
*I was tricked by a stupid navigation system from Fusehata to Miki Higashi...

Bathing fee: ¥1,600
Taihei no Yu(including bedrock bath)

Distance traveled: 840.3km (measured)

Summary of the entire trip

Dates: April 25 (Fri) - May 5 (10 nights, 11 days)
Distance traveled: 3,639 km
Gasoline costs: ¥22,698
Toll road fees: ¥17,260
Ferry fees: ¥4,890
Transportation costs: ¥460
Accommodation costs (hotels, campsites): ¥24,700
Sightseeing costs (admission fees, hot spring fees): ¥6,950

The themes for this GW long touring trip were:

1. "(Aside from the trip to and from Shikoku), don't push yourself too hard while on the road."
→ Various things were left unachieved... The fact that I couldn't camp in Iya Valley due to rain on the third day was a big factor. However, I also rode much further than expected on the way to and from Shikoku, which is a major point for reflection...

2. "Properly complete the tasks left over from last time. Specifically, definitely ride the UFO Line and Shikoku Karst. Also, the Shimanto River and Sada Misaki."
→ Achieved more than expected. With Shodoshima and Mount Tsurugi, which weren't in the original plan, I fully enjoyed Shikoku this time!!

3. "If possible, use camping frequently to keep accommodation costs down."
→ Unachieved... Due to bad weather, I ended up staying in hotels for three more nights than planned. (In the end, I only camped for three nights...) However, I discovered that accommodation in Shikoku is cheap, so I might budget for more hotel stays from the start for my next Shikoku tour.

While there were many things I couldn't achieve and many points for reflection, I enjoyed Shikoku even more than the remaining tasks from theme 2. The only task left for next time is camping in Tokushima Prefecture. It was a very satisfying trip.

Also, there were major points for reflection regarding maintenance, such as having to replace the chain during the tour and the front tire wearing down completely. I want to apply these lessons to my long touring trips from now on!!