The 能登半島 Noto Peninsula is in the Western coast of Japan. When looking at a map of Japan it is the part that juts out from 本州 Honshu in to the 日本海 Sea of Japan. 能登 Noto is generally a haven of smooth, traffic free roads that meander their way through scenic landscapes and historical places.
We cycled from Shin-Fuji to Mount Fuji Skyline Road via Fujinomiya on a day in April. The highest point of this cycling route was 1460 metres above sea level.
This is our cycling diary for Shimanami Kaido, which is probably the most well-known Japanese cycling route. The route connects Honshu to Shikoku with a series of bridges that are architecturally attractive and there are numerous opportunities to delight in the beautiful scenery of the Setonaikai inland sea, their islands and small villages en-route. For further informaton on Shimanami Kaido, please also see the following post: Shimanami Kaido Cycling Route
This is our cycling diary for a day in April to Sakurajima in Kagoshima. Sakurajima is easily accessible for cyclists from Kagoshima via a pleasant ferry ride with a good view of the active volcanic mountain of Sakurajima.
In April 2017, we used 7-day standard Japan Rail Pass to do a rail and cycling tour of Japan. We did a day trip on the Day 1 to Kagoshima then 5-day trip covering Shimanami Kaido, Mt Fuji and Noto Peninsula, with the last day travelling to Osaka to catch our flight from Kansai Airport. This is our brief itinerary for 7 days with further posting for each route to follow.
In Japan you can take bikes on trains including Shinkansen free of charge with no need for prior booking, but you need to carry them in bike bags called Rinko 輪行 bag.
Please refer to our article below or further information on taking your bike on trains in Japan.
Travelling-on-trains-including-shinkansen-with-bicycles-in-japan
When I went to Tokyo to attend a meeting, I needed to leave my bike somewhere near the station so that I could pick it up for further journey later on the day. In non-metropolitan areas it is easy to find bike parking areas, but in central Tokyo it is not the case as you see Churin Kinshi 駐輪禁止 signs everywhere saying it is banned to park bicycles. If you ignore the sign, more often than not your bike will be taken away, and you would have to go through complicated procedures plus a fine to get your bike back.
Bike Pod
We needed to take a road bike from England to Japan on international flight, so bought a bike box or ‘pod’ from Chain Reaction Cycles. This is basically a suitcase for a bike which is semi rigid, made of sturdy EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) foam. It costed £100 which was at a promotion price (reduced from about £190), very reasonable compared to other hard bike cases.
Cycling to Hagi Yamaguchi
Breakfast in preparation for a long day in the saddle.
Departing from Tonomi (Hofu, Yamaguchi) 山口県防府市富海 we took the coastal road west to intersect with the 58 on the outskirts of 防府 Hofu. The views over the inland sea towards Kyushu were stunning and I knew we had chosen a good day for a long ride from coast to coast across 山口 Yamaguchi prefecture.
This road utilizes abandoned Yabakei railway tracks by the mountain side. There are attractive sights nearby such as Yabakei Gorge, a rock tunnel from Edo period and old iron bridges and abandoned platforms. The gradient is not steep and the natural scenery is very attractive, especially in Autumn with red maple leaves, hence the name.