Congratulations to team: Japan Randonneurs 8 – Members: Shinji Kohara, Hideaki Yamana, Kazuhiro Eguchi, Shigeki Yamanaka, Tomoharu Yahagi, Masato Taki, Yoshiaki Philippe Misawa, & Masahiro Ogo for setting the Japan N-S team 8x record on upright bikes. 18-49 age-group

Record attempt

Japan N-S 8x Team

Name of riders

  • Shinji Kohara
  • Hideaki Yamana
  • Masato Taki
  • Yoshiaki Philippe Misawa
  • Shigeki Yamanaka
  • Tomoharu Yahagi
  • Eguchi Kazuhiro
  • Masahiro Ogo

Start date and exact start time to the nearest minute

Sep 19, 2026, 21:00

Exact start location described so that someone else could find the same spot

In front of the monument “The Northernmost Point in Japan” in Cape Soya

45°31’22.2″N 141°56’11.7″E

What were conditions like?

A typhoon was approaching Japan right around the time of this attempt. We had originally planned to do the attempt from S to N, but at the last minute, we changed the direction to N to S to avoid the worsening weather. This decision worked out well, and we were able to complete the entire attempt without encountering any heavy rain.

Why did you want to do a record?

The members this time are the same group who participated in the 2023 RAAM as an eight-person team, with two of them having participated as support crew members at the time. When we got together last year, we talked about wanting to do something together again, and that was what led to this.

What equipment did you use? Anything special?

Seven of the eight riders were on disc-brake bikes. I was the only one on rim brakes. Times have really changed.

by Shigeki Yamanaka

What did you eat & drink?

Some people also used gels and similar products, but most of us ate things like bread, rice balls, and Japanese sweets that we could buy at convenience stores.

What was the best part?

This time, we had a team of eight, which meant that there was more equipment and more devices to manage, and therefore a higher chance of encountering technical issues. However, we were fortunate not to encounter any critical problems, and all eight of us were able to complete the ride safely.

What was the hardest part?

To get from Shimonoseki to Kyushu, the only options are to use the pedestrian tunnel or take the train, but both are unavailable at night, so it was difficult to time our arrival. In the end, both were closed when we arrived, so we had to wait in Shimonoseki for about six hours until morning.

Did anything particularly unusual happen?

The hand-off was much earlier than planned. I raced against the last train across the strait but lost. So I was gotten an unexpected overnight stay and a rest.
by Tomoharu Yahagi

Exact finish location described so that someone else could find the same spot

In front of the Banyan tree it has the sign “Cape Sata”

30°59’58.2″N 130°39’49.2″E

Exact finish time

Sep 23, 2026, 23:25