Circling Mt Fuji on ridiculously unsuitable bicycles

My brother and I are two years apart.

Our interests are suspiciously similar.

We’re very close figuratively, but literally, we’ve had thousands of kilometres between us for a few years.

In the mid 2000s — or, as I like to say, the mid-noughties — we both lived in Japan at the same time. In fact, we once met on top of Mt Fuji after climbing up from opposite sides.

Fast forward to 2017 and we are both going to be in Japan at the same time. This is a rare opportunity and we both secure a few days that overlap to donate to a ‘broject’.

In the noughties, we had discussed riding mamachari — shopping bicycles with baskets — from one end of Japan to the other and we’d love to do that this time. Unfortunately, we won’t have enough time for that so we have to think smaller.

“How about we go up to explore some of the areas affected by the 2011 tsunami?”

My brother points out that I’ve already been there and we should choose something we can both experience for the first time. A good point.

Then he hits me with the idea. I love it.

We decide we’ll share our footage at the end of the adventure and each go back and cut a video showcasing the fun and mishaps.

Here’s my video.

And here’s my brother’s video.