The Project

I believe that traveling by bike is one of the best ways to travel. It allows you to travel with a reasonable speed and at the same time being closely connected with the surroundings: the nature, the people and the culture.

I am going on a bicycle trip from Sendai to Singapore: it starts in Japan and passes trough China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore. It will take me about three and a half months.

The aim of the journey is to document the culture and traditions of the different regions I pass trough. Any type of traditional culture expressed trough music, dance, gastronomy or any other form of art will be of my interest. This is therefore a way to understand the different societies trough their cultural heritage. A way to understand and document the context of the different cultures.

As an example I would like to discover, (among many other things);

Japan

Taiko drums existed and were used in the ancient Japan over 2000 years ago. According to some archeological and anthropological researches, people in the Jyomon era already used drums as a communication tool or an instrument for religious rituals.

Taiko drums

The Geisha is a symbol of Japan’s culture and tradition. From their appearance to their arts, Geisha have been fascinating the Japanese as well as people around the world for more than 400 years.

Geisha

The Koto is a traditional stringed musical instrument.

Koto instrument

China

The Yao people living in Huangluo Village believe that women’s long hair can bring longevity, wealth and good luck, which means that the longer a woman’s hair is, the more luck she will bring her family.