BG Report: Japan’s longest local bus Yagi-Shingū

Sitting motionless on a bus for seven hours is not a recipe for great blood sugar. And my day started badly, blood sugar-wise, before the ride even began. So I had my diabetic work cut out for me when I boarded the Yagi-Shingū bus. It’s Japan’s longest local bus route.

Most local buses in Japan serve a small area in a community. But this one lasts seven hours, goes to 168 stops, and extends over 100 miles over two prefectures. I was riding from Wakayama to Nara.

Thanks to last night’s hamburger and fries, for which I took too much insulin and which put me on a bit of a see-saw trying to correct, I was 295 when I got up today before 7 am. I had a big shot and a small breakfast from the convenience store in my hotel room in Shingū.

Kumano River, frequently seen from the bus

The bus departed at 7:46 am. I gawked at the scenery (you may notice some grogginess on my face during the first part of the video) and at 10:30 am was still high, 223. Nothing to do but take another shot, have a bus snack-lunch, and check later.

These things happen.

Fortunately, I finally got the best of it. After the trip was over, I was back to an excellent 108 at 4 pm, and a couple hours later was still ok, 177. It would be a few days until I was over 200 again.

Must have been the magic of Japan’s longest local bus ride!

Jeremy photo

About Me

My name is Jeremy. I travel to lesser-known places around the world out of pure curiosity. I've had Type 1 diabetes since 1982. You can watch all my travels on my YouTube channel, T1D Wanderer. Extended versions and exclusive videos, all without ads, are on Patreon. I publish a newsletter each week on my Patreon page for free. I'm from the United States and currently live in Ōsaka, Japan.