Fumio Togashi, a 40-year-old Japanese man, announced in Tokyo on Sunday his plans to embark on a two-month bicycle journey across east China.

Togashi will begin peddling from the city of Changchun on September 21st. After traveling through Shengyang, Beijing, Tianjing, Ji'nan, Nanjing and Suzhou, he is scheduled to complete his odyssey in Shanghai in the middle of November, the China News Service reported.

His main purpose is to reunite with Chinese friends who once studied in Japan. As a worker for the "Japan Foundation", he got to know many Chinese high school students through the organization's cultural exchange programs.

Togashi also hopes that this adventure will help to improve Japan's understanding of China.

"A lot of young people in Japan know little about China. I want to change their opinions." "I believe after this trip, I will see what the real China is like, and will write down my experiences when I am back in Japan." he said.

Togashi believes that the future relations between the two countries lay in the hands of young people.

"I feel that the distance between two countries is getting closer and closer." Togashi remarked.

No stranger to travel, Togashi has been to more than 60 countries and regions on a round-the-world trip. He hiked around Taiwan in 80 days and was called "Japan's Forest Gump" by local media.

(CRI September 8, 2008)