This trip starts from Akabane, a drinking district where we often go for drinks.

First, a commemorative photo was taken at Ichibangai, famous for "Senbero Yokocho (A street where you can get drunk for a thousand yen)".

My bicycle rear case is stuffed with camping gear and a set of camera equipment. The cardboard box strapped to the front of the bike somehow contains Tsucchi's change of clothes.

Starting from Akabane, it takes about 10 minutes to reach the Shin-Arakawa Ohashi Bridge.

Cross the bridge to Kawaguchi City, Saitama Prefecture, while gazing at the Arakawa River (Arakawa Cycling Road) where many cyclists ride on weekends.

We stopped by 1110 CAFE in Kawaguchi for a late breakfast.

In a brick building that used to be a foundry, you can enjoy a menu that focuses on the best ingredients. Enjoy a stylish morning in the high-ceilinged space.

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The café has a full lineup of breads, especially the hard type.

I ordered the "All-day Breakfast (morning set)," and Tsucchi ordered the "1110 Signature Plate" (menu pictured, 1,700 yen).

The fresh vegetables are sweet and very tasty.

After lunch, we visited the SHIP KOMBUCHA Brewery & Taproom, a kombucha brewery located next to the café.
KOMBUCHA is a plant-derived fermented microcarbonated beverage (completely different from so-called "kombucha") that has become a household name overseas.
I tried it for the first time. The sparkling wine-like taste and smoothness of KOMBUCHA seems to go well with the drink used to rehydrate cyclists during the course of cycling. Incidentally, this store won first place in a world competition!

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Enjoying brunch and a new kind of drink, we rode again.
By the way, Tsucchi's BRUNO is on the right side of the photo; he carries a cooler box on the rear of the bike since he is in charge of food and drinks.

My bike was loaded with about 15kg of luggage, but thanks to the electric assist, I did not feel the weight at all.

Further north from Kawaguchi, we went to "Niku no Kumaki," a meat specialty store in Toda City, to procure meat for dinner.

At this popular meat shop, where people line up every evening, Tsucchi, who is in charge of meat, selected the following meats: specially selected skirt steak, seasoned ribs, and tontoro kalbi.

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After getting food, head further north along the Arakawa River. We stopped at "Saiko lake and Doman Green Park" in Toda City and took a break for a drink.

Even though it was mid-May, the high temperature was 32 degrees Celsius. We have 20km to go to the campground.

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Departing from Saiko lake and Doman Green Park, our next destination was the Yaoko supermarket in Lalaport Fujimi. This is one of our favorite local supermarkets which we visit regularly. The supermarket is located mainly in Saitama Prefecture, and its delicatessen dishes are very tasty.

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Vegetables, beer, and other food purchased are stored in a cooler box. We were happy to be able to carry our precious beer while it was still cold. The sun is gradually setting. We have only 10km to go before we reach the campsite.

4:00pm. We arrived at today's goal, the Saitama Tougetsuen Campsite.

The concept of this campsite is to "make camping in the neighborhood quick and easy for everyday life," and although it does not have the natural scenery of the mountains, it is easily accessible from the city center and perfect for beginners to practice using a tent and barbecue.

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Once you've checked in, the first thing to do is explore the facilities on site. There are showers available for free.

They are separated for men and women, and the facilities themselves are spacious and convenient.

The facility is equipped with cooking facilities, toilets, and even a sauna (fee required/reservations required).

This time, we each pitched a one-person tent in one section (6m x 10m).

I quickly set up my tent then helped Tsucchi with his.

Unlike road bikes, the bikes are self-supporting, making it easy to put in and out luggage and to hang luggage on the handlebars. This is a simple but important feature of the bike.

Before setting up the tent, we first got fuelled up (this is "Kenta-san's method").

With a local beer from Kawagoe, Saitama Prefecture in hand, we began preparations for tonight's event.

Kenta starts chopping wood for the campfire before dark. He is so enthusiastic about chopping wood for the fire.

Incidentally, you can use as much firewood as you need for 2,000 yen.

Cutting vegetables for tonight's menu, meat and potatoes. The cooking area is small but has a work table and is easy to use, just like a home kitchen.

We started cooking with the ultralight cooker and gas burner that we love to use in our usual road bike camping.

Both are small but conduct heat well, shortening cooking time.

On the other hand, Tsucchi, a camping novice, brought his own outdoor cassette stove, Iwatani's "Tough Maru," and even used an earthenware pot to cook rice.

Such a contrast! this is a super-heavyweight combination.

The fact that he was able to carry it without worrying about its weight was also due to the fact that he was using an electric bicycle!

Once the rice is cooked, the next step is the meat.

Yakiniku master Tsucchi grilled slices of meat one after another. The cassette stove makes it easy to adjust the heat.

The sun was quickly setting so I continued cooking by the light of my headlights.

When I finished grilling all the meat, the long-awaited special meat and potato stew was ready.

The super-simple meat and potatoes seasoned with commercial beef bowl sauce has a slightly sweet taste.

A chill moment with a glass of shochu in one hand.

The next morning, I woke up to the sound of the JR Kawagoe line crossing the railroad bridge behind the campground.

It was a little chilly on a May morning, but I was able to sleep comfortably in short sleeves and shorts at bedtime.

After waking up, it is time for morning coffee, an essential part of camping. I enjoy the aroma of the coffee as I grind the beans.

My idea was to put grapefruit on top of the cheese left over from last night, and the result was an interesting combination. At this point, we realized that the cooler box can be used as a cooking table.

Another Korean dish, Sundubu, is made with leftover tofu.

The spicy aroma of Sundubu whetted the appetite.

The spiciness of the soup was neutralized by the addition of corn, and the result was mild.

After eating dinner, we quickly loaded up the BRUNO with all our gear and prepared to head home. We finished our camping trip with a ride to Akabane.

Usually, when camping on a road bike, I take some care in packing, selecting lightweight and compact equipment and adjusting the weight balance of the bike as I install it.

However, the e-bike, which was our first challenge, allowed us to take whatever we wanted to load on it, and it was an interesting experience that made us realize how fun it can be to take an easy trip, which is possible only with electric bikes.