Cycling-Travelling around Ise-Shima on two wheels!

Written by Kevin Jackson

－Author's Introduction
California, USA, 14 years in Japan. I love Japan! I naturally have an interest in history and geography, and try to spend a fair amount of my free time exploring Japan and delving into those aforementioned interests to find out what makes this country so interesting. The more curious you are the more interesting life becomes. I have spent the last 14 years here doing just that, and plan to continue to explore.

The first thing I did when I arrived in town was stop by Bicycle Journey and rent a bike. I wanted to get out and explore Ise-Shima right away. Riding around is a great way to explore new surroundings. 

Being that this was my first time in Mie prefecture, and Ise in particular I felt that going for a ride to get acclimated to the island would be a great starting place for my trip to the Ise area. In order to make this happen I stopped by Bicycle Journey Ise-Shima. 

This time around I was only interested in renting a bike to explore around the island a bit, but cycling tours, cycling events, and a plethora of information regarding cycling in Ise-Shima is all available at Bicycle Journey Ise-Shima.

Finding the shop was pretty straightforward and easy. Signing up for a rental was also fairly seamless and hassle free. The hard part was deciding where to go.

The staff did a great job of providing maps and suggesting a few routes that may be interesting. There are so many options. The Yokoyama observation deck atop Mount Yokoyama, the Anorisaki lighthouse, and Gozashirahama beach are a few of the popular points on the island that can be reached by bicycle.

I elected to try out riding the cross bike. All of the bikes handled by the Shima Sports Commission are the Italian manufactured Bianchi. Bianchi is a globally recognized brand and their bicycles tend to be lighter and easy to operate compared to other brands. It costs approximately ￥3000 to rent a bike for the day and advanced reservations are necessary when renting for weekdays. Reservations can be placed up until 5 pm on the day before your planned trip and can be made by telephone or online.

TEL：０５９９－４４－４４５０
WEB：https://www.bicycle-journey.com/blank-2

Aftersigning up I was led outside to the garage. I am in no way an expert on bikes,but the garage was full of what looked to be top quality cross and road typebike. There are also custom bikes for children and people looking foraccessible options.

After I decided to go with the cross bike, the staff made the necessary adjustments to my seat and made sure the tire pressure was correct. From there it was pretty much up to me to decide a route and explore a few interesting spots around the peninsula.

From the shop I decided to cycle a course that would take me west, across town to my goal at Mount Yokoyama. The Yokoyama observation deck is highly regarded and I wanted to make the famed observation deck my first stop on my journey around Ise-Shima. 

I started out from the shop and headed towards Mount Yokoyama. The ride to Mount Yokoyama was thoroughly enjoyable. Much of the rural scenery has not changed much over the years.

Much of the route goes straight through the town of Ago and alongside a river that divides the small town into northern and southern sections. Old shops and houses line the sides of the river, and wide walkways make for easy cycling until you reach the base of the mountain.

Things get a bit challenging once you get to the base of the mountain and begin to push up the incline to the top. If you love to exercise and challenge yourself physically you will enjoy this part of the journey very much.

Off to the left is the Yokoyama Visitor Center. Here, I park my bike, take a small break and begin to hike along the path just on the other side of the visitor center. This path leads to the Mount Yokoyama Observation Deck. I have been told that the view from atop the observatory is one of a kind. After the long ride, I figured that I’d reward myself with a trip to the observation deck and an amazing view.

I was blown away by the view. From the observation deck you can see out across Ago Bay. Numerous islands, peninsulas, and boats litter the meandering coastline.

 I definitely recommend taking a trip to the top of Mount Yokoyama and the observatory to clear your mind and enjoy a truly breathtaking view of one of Japan’s more interesting natural wonders.

After looking out onto the pacific from the observatory atop Mount Yokoyama I decided to head to the beach next to get an up close and personal view of the ocean. 

The road to the ocean was a bit different than the road to Mount Yokoyama. This time I cycled mostly across wide, open roads that were flanked by rice fields.

The ride was very tranquil and I was greeted along the way by a few local farmers who jumped at the chance to wave and shout “Konnichiwa” to the passing foreigner traveling through their neighborhood.

I suggest taking the routes that take you off the main roads and put you on the back roads where you can really get a feel for the local life.

All in all navigating across the peninsula from Mount Yokoyama to the beach turned out to be an all day affair. I decided that this would be the last leg of the trip. I really wanted to make my way up the coast and visit the lighthouse, but I guess I’ll have to save that for next time. 

This time around I wrapped up the tour at Gozashirahama beach. The view of the vast ocean and the sound of the waves crashing along the shore can be quite therapeutic. I stopped to relax for a few minutes before I headed back to the shop to return the bicycle.

It felt like I had the place all to myself. The waves were calm and the wide open beach provided a place to relax and reflect on an active and fulfilling day.

After a refreshing trip to the beach, I went back to the Bicycle Journey shop and returned the bike and officially end my day trip around the peninsula. The Bianchi bicycle that I rented was very easy to ride and the scenery I saw along the way to various locations around the peninsula was second to none. Bicycle Journey and cycling in Ise-Shima is highly recommended!

Address: Mie-ken, Shima-shi, Agocho-Ugata 2944-254

For more information please click on the followinglink
https://www.bicycle-journey.com/blank