[Sangetsu]

I would love to have a gym membership, but here in Japan gyms are not open as many hours as they are in the west. My local gym opens at 10 am and closes at 8 pm. I'm too busy on weekends to go, so there is no point in getting a membership.

Instead, I enjoy long bicycle rides in the countryside or in metro Tokyo. In the countryside I can ride to the beach or to the mountains, in Tokyo, I go pretty much anywhere.

From my girlfriend's apartment in Shinkawa, it takes about 30 minutes to ride to Shibuya. I go to the Imperial Palace, follow around toward Akasaka where the government buildings are, there is a road which runs through Roppongi and then on to Shibuya. The traffic is heavy, and there are lots of hills, so I get a good workout. At most times I can get through town on my bicycle more quickly than people can get around in their cars.

Lately the weather has become too cold to ride my bike, so I've begun hiking in the nearby mountains. I go for a 2 hour hike 3 or 4 times each week. There are lakes, streams, temples, shrines, cemeteries, etc., very many things to see. I do a lot of climbing, so the hikes are a very good workout.