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Matt Hunter, professional adventurer, finds inspiration traveling the world, exploring new trails and having unique experiences that could only happen on a bike. Matt’s latest adventure brought him, along with photographer Sterling Lorence and videographer Matt Miles, to one of the most culturally rich and largely underrated riding spots in the world—Japan. The images and words on these pages barely begin to scratch the surface of the experiences that Matt shared with the people and the trails of this amazing destination.

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“I’ve done a lot of traveling throughout my career and I hate the whole process of going to and from hotels and restaurants—it just takes way too much time and isn’t always that fun. The van was the solution; it was our transportation, our home, and even our restaurant. It was always with us, and at the end of the trail I like that kind of style. The rack was so shady. I was scared the bikes were going to fall off and was tying them to all the metal parts of the van hoping that they wouldn’t come off on the highway. It actually worked out pretty good.”

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“This bike is so capable. I know what I want to ride and I want to go fast and it has the geo to do all of that. It’s why I brought this bike.”(STUMPJUMPER EVO 29)

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“I haven’t worn a pack in a long time. I find it’s a really big advantage to not wear one. I just fill my water bottles, re-stock my food, and I’m ready to go. It’s a consistent and easy way for me to carry just what I need.”(MOUNTAIN BIB LINER WITH SWAT)

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“I only brought one pair of shoes on the trip because we were trying to pack light. The ability of these shoes to dry out between rides is the difference between putting on wet gear or putting on dry shoes that you’re happy to go riding in.” (2FO FLAT SHOE)

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“ONE OF THE COOLEST PARTS

OF THE TRIP WAS TRAVELING

TO A COUNTRY THAT HAS SO

MUCH ANCIENT CULTURE. WE

HEARD A STORY ABOUT AN

EMPEROR IN JAPAN WHO HAD

ALL OF THE HEADS CUT OFF THE

STONE SCULPTURES TO SHOW

THE PEOPLE THAT THERE WAS

NOTHING HIGHER THAN HIM.”

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“Having a good jacket on a trip where you’re not going back to your house to warm up and dry out…it’s just as important as your passport, honestly. You need to stay warm and comfortable to have a good trip, and this jacket did exactly that.”(DEFLECT™ H2O MOUNTAIN ACTIVE SHELL JACKET)

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T H E T R A I L S I N J A P A N A R E J U S T S T U N N I N G —

BEAUTIFUL, AND AMAZING. WE SEE JAPAN, AND WHAT

WE THINK OF IS B IG C I T IES, TR AINS, AND

TECHNOLOGY. B UT WHAT ’S RE ALLY CR A Z Y IS

WHEN YOU GO THERE, THERE’S ALL THAT, BUT WHEN

YOU GO OUTSIDE THE CITY THERE ARE AMAZING

MOUNTAINS WITH NOBODY ON THEM. IT’S SO PACKED

IN THE CI T Y AND YOU G E T OUT OF TOWN AND

THERE YOU ARE—ON THE TRAILS, BY YOURSELF.”

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“We ate noodles every day. We wondered if we ate more noodles in length than trail we rode. We ate them every single day.”

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“I always like to carry as little as possible and throw out as little as possible. I have a patch kit that weighs almost nothing and I like taking the five minutes it takes to patch a f lat anyway.”

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“Anytime we ran into or met anyone, they were so nice, polite, and happy. All of the people were—even those who were in a position of authority. In North America, it’s not normally that way. It made a big impression on us just how nice and welcoming to visitors everyone is in Japanese culture.”

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“The Mayor heard that we (Sterling Lorence, Matty Miles, and myself), were in town shooting a video, and looked to us on how he could develop mountain biking in his area, bring tourism to the town, and develop riding for the future.”

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