A visit to Japan is pure indulgence for the senses, so come prepared to experience a rich history that dates back centuries and to soak up after a day of cycling in zenlike onsen spas; visit beautiful forests, mountains and sea coasts as well as futuristic architecture and transportation; sample delicious regional cuisine; meet polite and candid locals as well as lovers of Hello Kitty and karaoke.
Duration: 5 days / 6 nights.
Season: From 1 September til 31 May.
Calendar. If the tour is not scheduled or the dates in the calendar don’t suit your travel schedule, please contact us for a private or custom tour for you and your group. Self-guided tours are possible anytime from 1 September til 31 May.
Start & End: Hotel Toko in Izumi, Kagoshima, a 5 min walk from Izumi Station. You fly in/out via Kagoshima Airport or you arrive at/leave from Izumi Station by shinkansen.
Level 3: Riding distances of 70-100 km with steep climbs. For riders in good physical condition.
Rental Bike Details
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HIGHLIGHTS
- Cycle around terraced rice paddies and deserted beaches
- See the sun set in the Land of the Rising Sun
- Hear the ocean crash on rugged shores
- Stare out to Mount Aso spewing ash
- Soak in outdoor onsen hot springs
- Enjoy exquisite Japanese cuisine
ITINERARY
1: Welcome to Izumi !
You arrive in the course of the day at the hotel. Please note that your room may not be available until check-in time at 3pm, however if you arrive early the hotel will keep your luggage secure if you want to do some exploration. The tour officially starts with a group meeting and bike fitting at 6pm followed by our first Japanese meal together at 7pm.
2– 73 km: Izumi – Hinagu Onsen
Before leaving Izumi, we explore Japan’s largest fortified samurai neighbourhood (麓) and set out amid citrus groves along the orange road to Minamata. Its harrowing museum dedicated to the victims of the Minamata disease merits a stop. As well as Otachimisaki and Ashikita Beach. We enjoy the quiet Ashikita Natural Park, continuing along the Shiranui Sea and dancing a tango with the little railroad. Without noticing we arrive in Hinagu Onsen.
This hot spring dates back approximately 600 years. During the Edo era (17th-19 centuries), it was designated as a hot spring run by the Hosokawa domain of Kumamoto. This historic hot spring was even loved by the lord of the Yashiro Castle as well as the lord of Shimazu who temporarily resided in the area. From the Hinagu Onsen Jinja, a shrine where the god of the hot spring is enshrined, a sweeping view of the hot spring resort and the Shiranui Sea as well as the islands of Amakusa and Shimabara in the distance can be seen. Even today, there are many buildings here that continue to depict the days long past. Such as our ryokan from 1909 with its exquisite wooden interior.
3– 87 km: Hinagu Onsen – MinamiAso
Tall chimneys beckon us to Yatsushiro, Kumamoto prefecture’s second city and industrial hub at the mouth of emerald Kuma River. The ruins of Yatsushiro Castle next to the elegant city museum designed by Toyo Ito. Past the paper mill and power plant. Rice paddies and igusa, the grass used to make tatami mats. The riding is flat on the Kumamoto Plain, we cross several more rivers. We follow Kasegawa River until just before Lake Etsuko and then Kiyama River further inland. Mashiki was the epicentre of the April 2016 earthquake. Here and there damage is still visible; repairs are ongoing. Rich black volcanic soil also tells us we are nearing Mount Aso volcano.
Mount Aso, the world’s largest caldera is looming ahead. The caldera was once a lake. Legend is that one day the god of the mountain kicked open the only break in the caldera rim, emptying the water and leaving the plain fit for cultivation. The earthquake crippled the roads leading into the caldera rim break, so we are forced to climb the rim south of the break. The little downhill drops us into MinamiAso.
4– 72 km: MinamiAso – Misato
After breakfast crossing MinamiAso Plain in the bottom of the caldera bowl to get the legs spinning, but then it is time to climb the rim once more. Cresting and slowly downhill in a couple of steps down the slopes of Mt. Aso. Lunch in Yamato, with its picturesque Tsujun Bridge. Then a dive and back up to cross Midorikawa River. It is fun riding on the winding road parallel to Midorikawa Dam Lake. Soon we arrive in Misatomachi with its beautiful terraced rice fields.
5– 78km: Misato – Hitoyoshi
We soon start our HC climb up Nihonsugi Pass (1113m): 1000 vertical meters over 12km. A 60km downhill in the Gokanosho prefectural park, famed for its autumn foliage, with a short discovery of the hidden Heike outlaws. Itsukigawa River leads us to Hitoyoshi.
Hitoyoshi is a castle town once prosperous as a fertile rice plain and river port, where lumber was collected and distributed. Aoi-Aso-jinja Shrine and the ruins of Hitoyoshi Castle are well worth a visit. And the shochu is well worth a taste. Then it is time to relax in one of the 80 onsen: we stay in Hitoyoshi Ryokan, a traditional Japanese inn.
6– 75km: Hitoyoshi – Izumi
Up or through the Kyushichi pass (735m) or tunnel (412m). Then down into Isa for lunch. With full bellies up the scenic Rte 118 to the Uwaba highlands and down into the Izumi plain. We’re home !
Sayonara !
Then it is time for final goodbyes… after breakfast you don’t have to climb in the saddle any longer. Now you are freed from the chores of the road.
Check-out before 10am.
Onwards…
– Explore the bright city of Kagoshima and do some souvenir hunting.
– Set out to UNESCO world heritage Yakushima, a subtropical island 4 ferry hours south of Kagoshima. Yakushima makes for some great hiking or biking.
– Head straight to Izumi shinkansen station to continue your travels.
– Transfer to Kagoshima airport for your domestic flight.
