2010/08/07

10,000km done! Wait Moscow here we come

8月7日2010
東京ーブダペスト旅中10,000km走りました。
August 7, 2010
On our trip from Tokyo to Budapest we traveled 10,000km!







2010/07/27

車も私も元気にがんばってます。We are doing well.


5,600km以上走って、車もドライバーも元気です。
インターネットを見つけるは、はなかなか出来ないですが出来るだけ下記のブログ(MovingJapan)で日々をアップします。
皆さんは、何日間アクセス出来なくって申し訳ございません。

After 5,600km, both car and driver are doing well.
It is kind of hard to find internet in Siberia, but as much as possible I will try to update the blog below (MovingJapan).
The blog was not working for a few days, but we have fixed the bug now.
Sorry ...

On some good road,     良い通りもあり

And some not so good   と普通の通りもあり


This car seems to be better equipped for these roads
この通りに、こちらの車の方が良いかも


2010/07/06

Daily updates 旅中,日日のアップデート

During the trip, daily updates will be posted here:
http://www.movingjapan.com/ ←click
Please visit to see the progress (or the lack of it:))

出来るかぎる毎日、旅の経過、ハプニングなどをこちらにアップします:
http://www.movingjapan.com/←click

2010/06/18

I got my visa to Russia! ロシアのビザを手に入れた!

Tuesday, I got my Russian visa! 火曜日にロシアのビザを手に入れた!
The challenges are already started, trying to get all the paperwork done. Talked to the Customs, reserved the ferries, started to collect the spare parts.
問題 点を一つずつ解決し、出発日少しずつ近くなります。税関と連絡、フェリーの予約スペアー部品の集まり


2010/06/13

Departure in a month!!! 出発まであと一ヶ月!!

One month left 'till the start of the run.
There is still a lot to do, but the preparation is going well.
Stay tuned for updates.

出発まであと一ヶ月です。
まだやる事沢山ですが、じゅんびは順調です。
アップデートお待ち下さい。

Between two spare tires (+one under the hood) is all my stuff, in one bag
2個スペアタイヤの間に旅の荷物(も一つタイヤはボンネットの下。)
(not) hiding under the rear seat is nothing illegal, just my trusted two-stroke oil 😀
後部座席の下に隠れてる (ではない)は悪いものではなく、いつも使ってる2ストーオイルですよ😁


2010/05/09

Get set, ready, and in July, GO 1について、(7月に)ゴー

This is the itinerary for the great trip with my 42 years old, 0.356liter two stroke engine car from Tokyo to Budapest. The planned start of the trip is mid-July.

やっと、今年の7月に旅に出る事が出来ます。下記のルートを予定しております。
旅の途中に毎日、アップデートしますが、また、こちらにいらっしゃい。


Tokyo, Oarai (ferry to) Tomakomai, Vakkanai, (ferry to)

RUSSIA
 Sakhalin, Kholmsk (ferry to) Vanino, Khabarovsk, Chita, Irkutsk, Krasnojarsk, Novosibirsk, Ufa, Moskva (?), Kursk, to

UKRAINE,
 Kijev, Ternopol, Uzgorod,

HUNGARY
Hajdunanas, Budapest.

Stay with me, I will update this blog daily during the trip.

2010/04/13

Test drive to Toyama Fushiki ferry 富山伏木フェリーまでのテストドライブ

On the second weekend of April, I decided to drive to Toyama Fushiki ferry.
This ferry was/is my first choice to get over from Japan to Russia, and I wanted to see how hard is for the car and for me to take this trip. It was raining again, raining for the whole trip except a few hours. The roads were empty, no wind, I was able to make good time.

It was a lot of climbing, there was still snow on the side of the highway.



From home to the port of Fushiki took 7hours and 40 minutes.

If I came this far, I decided to drive around the Noto peninsula as well.
Beautiful drive would be without the rain...



Leaving for home.
On the way home, I even get a few hours without rain! Great road, very little traffic... Many many long tunnels, some over 4km.
After 12 hours, and 580km, I have arrived home.
On the two weekends I drove over 2,000km without any problem with the car (other than the rain leaking in on the way to Ise).
I was able to drive long hours, and gained trust in my little yellow baby.
Since January, I drove over 4,000km. It is time to see the damage...
The car deserves one complete checkup now, and one before the "big trip".

2010/04/02

Family trip to Ise and Matsuzaka 伊勢、松坂の家族旅

It's early April, the Sakura is blooming everywhere. We decided to visit Ise Shrine and Matsuzaka.
We have left early for the Irago-Toba ferry. The weather couldn't be worst, half way we got typhoon like wind and rain. This was the first time since I drive my Subaru that I was worried that the wind might blow the roof away from the car... Half of the route, we couldn't drive more thank 50km/h on the highway. Poor Subaru was leaking everywhere.
This was our driving record until the ferry port.

The ferry was only 55 minutes, but it wasn't an easy ride. High waves and rain during the whole trip.




Next morning, we have visited the famous Ise Jingu. I wish that we would have more time, the 125 shrine deserve more time...


After Ise Jingu we drove to Matsuzaka.

The Sakura is incredible everywhere.



We have spent the second night at the Taiya Ryokan. Great food and very friendly staff was making our stay unforgettable. I am not keen having Japanese breakfast (just can't have fish, not to mention natto) They have prepared continental breakfast for me! Something that is hard to get at Japanese ryokans...

On our third day we were heading home. Nice drive until we hit the usual 30km traffic jam on the highway from Oi-Matsuda, 70km from home. We made a pretty good average until that.
The last 70km took us 2 hours and 20 minutes...

2010/03/31

GPS test ナビテスト Garmin 205W, Sony NV-U 35, Panasonic CN-MP50D

Today we have tested three GPS on accuracy, and response.
Garmin 205W,
Sony NV-U 35,
Panasonic CN-MP50D
It was interesting to see that the three GPS were choosing different routes although we put the same goal at the same time for all three.
All three were following the car movement correctly, only that the Panasonic was a little slower re-routing after we diverted from the suggested route.

My favorite is the Garmin, except for one thing that I missed in.
The three choices for road types are not enough. Toll road; Local road or the shortest distance are the options one has to choose from.
I wish it would have another option where local and toll roads are mixed.
It records distance, maximum, average speed that is great help with an old car like my Subaru.

The Sony NV-U 35 has many good options but the screen is the smallest (4,3") and it was the least reliable at choosing the best route. ( We have tested them on a route we know well)

The Panasonic futures digital TV tuner and has the largest screen among the three.
It has the slowest response, and it can not record distance, speed etc...

今日3台のナビをテストしました。
ガーミン nuvi 205W;
ソニナブ・ユー NV-U 35;
パナソニック ストラーダ CN-MP50D

三台のナビを同じにセットして、レスポンスや正確さなど見ながらスバルを走らせた。
車の動きを3台とも確実にフォローしてが、パナソニクのリルートのレスポンスは少し遅かった。
私の気に入りはガーミンです。たりない所一つだけ と思いましたら、今取り説見たら日本語版と英語版は異なるみたいです。日本語では時間優先、距離優先、と直行になってます。
ガーミンは日本語と英語切り替え出来ますので、今まで英語で使いましたが、今度日本語でも使ってみます。

ソニーで色んな設定は可能ですが、画面は小さくて見にくいと思ってます。

パナソニック、ストラーダの画面は5V型ワイドモニターで、ー番大きくて、ワンセグも楽しめますが、距離、スピードなどの記録見れません。3台の内レスポンスは一番遅かったです。


2010/03/03

50 years has passed by... 50年間経った...

KYODO NEWS
A family washes their Subaru 360 in April 1960. On March 3, 1958, Fuji Heavy Industries Co. ushered in an era of affordable family cars with the announcement that a remake of the minicar will hit the market in May with a sticker price of 425,000 yen. The popular 360 had a top speed of 83 kph.

2010/01/22

Incredible India! すばらしいインド



We are back from our family trip to India. Please visit our blog about it.
click> India with kids
今年の冬休みに家族とインドへ行きました。上のリンクでブロゴご覧下さい。