Japanese Cycle Around Taiwan to Show Appreciation for Quake Support; Participants Hope to Strengthen Japan-Taiwan Friendship

The Yomiuri Shimbun

16:43 JST, March 8, 2026

TAIPEI — A group of Japanese nationals kicked off a cycling trip around Taiwan on Saturday to express appreciation for large donations from Taiwanese people in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011.

Taiwanese people also joined the group for the nine-day trip, which marks the 15th anniversary of the disaster. About 35 people will cycle around the Taiwan island clockwise, with the Japanese participants planning to deepen their communication with the locals.

“I hope the group will talk with the Taiwanese residents and strengthen Japan and Taiwan’s bonds of friendship,” said Kazuyuki Katayama, chief representative of the Taipei Office of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, which serves as Japan’s embassy in Taiwan.

“Our aim is to express our appreciation to Taiwan, to promote exchange between Japan and Taiwan, and to convey the charm of cycling in Taiwan,” said the group’s leader, Japanese actress and author Tae Hitoto, whose father is Taiwanese.