An Odyssey across Japan, from its northern most island to the southern tip of Kyushu. Like any Odyssey it has taken some time to complete it but I would not term myself a hero by any stretch of the imagination. The trip starts in Otaru famous for its fish and ends in the southernmost point of Kyushu where James Bond’s You Only Live Twice was filmed. On the way we discover little known aspects of Japan as well as the story behind You Only Live Twice, including the visits made by Ian Fleming to Japan. There are megaliths and whirlpools; firebombing and snow storms; great food and mysterious onsen. This is a Japan that hardly anyone knows and is the first written account of a journey that takes in all four main islands of Japan.