Cycling Trip Diary for Travelers山大生のサイクリング旅日記

Author：Yamaguchi University, Faculty of Global and Science Studies students / Shooting date：2022/08/06（Sat）　

Hello! We are students at the Faculty of Global Science and Studies at Yamaguchi University.
We are cooperating with the Sports Field Yamaguchi Promotion Council to spread the attractions of Yamaguchi Prefecture to foreigners.
As part of this project, we are uploading videos of cycling in various areas of Yamaguchi Prefecture, and the web articles will include detailed useful information that we could not provide in the videos.

The video is here　↓

Suo-Oshima is an island located in the southeastern part of Yamaguchi Prefecture. The 1,020 m-long Oshima Bridge connects Suo-Oshima to the mainland. It is an island where you can enjoy the beautiful natural scenery, such as the clear sea, refreshing green mountains in summer, and the sky that stretches as far as the eye can see. It is also a popular place for cyclists, aiming to be a Cycle Island and putting effort into improving the environment.

（Taken at Iinoyama Observatory）

We started our cycling tour by renting a bicycle at Roadside Station Sazanseto Towa.
Here is how to get to Roadside Station Sazanseto Towa　↓

The foreigner who accompanied us was Mr. Tri. He is an international student from Vietnam and came to Yamaguchi Prefecture in the summer of 2021. He is an active person who loves sports.

This time, we challenged ourselves to cycle around Suo-Oshima!
It is a long-distance ride (about 90km) with steep slopes, so it is a rather tricky course. However, the exhilarating feeling you get from running along the coast or downhill is the best part of cycling around the island!

For your reference, here is the cycle route, schedule, and course data when we cycled.

Google map cycle route is here.↓

Course data

ⒶRoadside Station Sazanseto Towa　[Departure time 10:40 A.M. Start]

Roadside station Sazanseto Towa is a place where you can get tourist information about the island and buy specialty products of the island. Especially here in Sazanseto Towa, there is a cycle station and it is a cyclist-friendly roadside station.

※Click here for details of the cycle station　↓
http://cycleken-yamaguchi.com/support/cycle-station.html

This time, we rented a bicycle at the store on the right side of the front entrance of the roadside station (Photo on the right).
If you make a bicycle reservation in advance and rent, it will be smooth. Please tell the store the date and time of the rental, the number of people, and their heights in cm. Reservations are made by phone or email.

This time, we challenged cycling with a cross bike in the photo on the right.
This cross bike is from a German manufacturer called Centurion. It was comfortable to ride when we rode it, and it was a bicycle that could go smoothly even on slopes.

Let’s go!!

hen we arrived at Suo-Oshima, we were worried because the weather was cloudy, but the blue sky gradually spread, and it became a perfect day for cycling. The pleasant breeze from the sea made us feel very cool without the summer heat.

ⒷMutsu Park　[Arrival time 11:10 A.M. Distance 13.1km]

After cycling straight along the coast for a while, you will see Mutsu Park. We took a rest here.
There are vending machines and a cycle stand here, so it’s a good place for cyclists to rest!
The road to the next destination is hard, so getting plenty of rest and staying hydrated here is essential.

After about 20 minutes by bicycle on a slope, a lone tunnel came into view.
Mr. Tri saw this place and said, “It’s beautiful! It’s the same scenery as my favorite Ghibli work.”
“The small tunnel here looks like something out of a Japanese anime (Ghibli), and I like it,” Mr. Tri said. It is said that the image of a calm atmosphere surrounded by greenery evokes the scenery of Ghibli.
The tunnel is surrounded by bamboo groves and is a very cool space where you can forget the summer heat. You can enjoy Japan’s mountain coolness, which is different from the sea.

From here, follow the Orange Road.
This is a road with a lot of ups and downs, so it is probably the best course for cyclists to train on.

his Orange Road is a wide-area agricultural road that runs through Suo-Oshima from east to west and is named after the route for transporting mandarin oranges, a specialty of the island. The guardrails in the photo are the color of summer oranges, which is unique to Yamaguchi Prefecture.

ⒸHoshino Beach　[Arrival time 12:00 P.M. Distance 24.2km]

As soon as we passed through the mountains and went out to the sea, we arrived at Hoshino Beach.
We took a lunch break here.
A monument built on the breakwater with a star-shaped pattern is one of the popular photo spots.
“The sea is beautiful! I want to jump in!”
Mr. Tri was talking happily while looking at the sea.

ⒹUnderwater torii at Itsukushima Shrine　[Arrival time 12:40 P.M. Distance 29.2km]

After leaving Hoshino Beach, we found a red torii standing in the sea.
Located in Suo-Oshima, Itsukushima Shrine is one of the branches of the Itsukushima Shrine in Miyajima, Hiroshima Prefecture. The torii is built in the sea and is one of the popular photo spots. You can pass through the torii at low tide.
Mr. Tri said, “I can’t forget the torii gate standing on the sea that I saw in a Japanese animation when I was little, and being able to see that scene during this cycling trip is like a dream come true.”

ⒺGanmon Sea Cave　[Arrival time 1:30 P.M. Distance 41km]

After stopping the bicycle and going a little further along the mountain road, we saw the sea and a large rock with a hole in it.
This giant hole in the rock was dug out by the erosion of the waves and is called “Ganmon sea cave”.
Mr. Tri saw this place and wondered who had discovered it first.
It is necessary to go up and down the stairs to get to this “Ganmon Sea cave,” so Mr. Tri seemed a little tired, but he was delighted, “The sunlight is shining into the Ganmon Sea Cave, and it’s a spectacular view!”

ⒻRoadside Station Sazanseto Towa　[Arrival time 3:50 P.M. Distance 86.6km]

The rest of the island runs on the west side, and the cycling around the island of about 90km is over!
Cycling gave me a sense of accomplishment.

We asked Mr.Tri about his impressions of cycling.

Cycling along the sea beach is one of the best choices on a sunny weekend.
All of my stress was blown away by the cool fresh breeze from the sea.
The condition of the road was very good with bike road marking, and my mind was let to fly away with a seagull while riding.
Besides, there were many stops to take a break and enjoy stunning views, such as star beach, Itsukushima Shrine, etc.
That cycling trip was so impressive that I decided to buy a new bicycle and planned to cycle around Suo-Oshima on another day.
I feel so lucky that I am living in Yamaguchi, where I can have a chance to enjoy such a cycling trip whenever I want.
Please introduce the Suo-Oshima cycling trip to more foreigners; I bet they will share the same feeling with me!

At the end…

Why don’t you enjoy cycling on Suo-Oshima? On this cycling course, you can enjoy cycling while enjoying the blue sea that spreads all over. The sightseeing spots introduced are places where you can see famous photo spots and superb views.

Plus information

Suo-Oshima Cycle Island Concept

This concept is advocated to turn Suo-Oshima, surrounded by beautiful nature, into a bicycle island visited by cyclists from all over Japan.
Among them, we will introduce three points that we want cyclists to know in particular!

①Cycle stations

Suo-Oshima has three cycle stations. Roadside station Sazanseto Towa, Green Stay Nagaura, and Ryuzaki Onsen.
Roadside station Sazanseto Towa, as mentioned above, offers excellent deals for cyclists!
Benefits include a 100 yen discount on soft-serve ice cream at the shop and free soft drinks after meals at restaurants.
The location is pinned on Google Maps at the URL below.

Green Stay Nagaura

Green Stay Nagaura is a resort facility with a motif of Hawaii. In addition to lodging facilities, some restaurants sell products related to Hawaii and offer meals that make you feel like you are in Hawaii.
You can rent various bicycles here, so please enjoy cycling with a bike that suits you!

Ryuzaki Onsen

Ryuzaki Onsen has restaurants and hot spring facilities.
Among them, I would like to recommend Yutchari. This Yutchari set combines hot springs and cycling! How about relaxing in a hot spring combined with enjoying cycling?

②Shimakuru

Shimakuru is a cycling event around Suo-Oshima (about 90km).
About 300 cyclists come from all over the prefecture to enjoy cycling. It’s a fun ride, not a competition! When you come to Suo-Oshima, please try to participate in the event.

③Cycle road full of charm of Suo-Oshima

When we asked the manager (cyclist) of Roadside Station Sazanseto about a recommended spot on Suo-Oshima, he said: Fuefuki Road on Orange Road on the west side of Suo-Oshima. The road is beautiful, and the place is quietly surrounded by greenery so that you can enjoy a refreshing feeling different from the seaside. The view from the top of the slope is spectacular!

Power Beach Restaurant

This restaurant is located in front of the tunnel on the way to Roadside Station Sazanseto Towa.
You can enjoy the tropical feeling of Suo-Oshima here. The inside of the store is charming, with an atmosphere like Hawaii.
The buns are fluffy, and the meat is juicy. Please visit and try it!