This blog is about travelling through Japan on a bicycle. Initially on a foldable bicycle (Brompton) and more recently mostly by road bike (Spezialized)... but also by train, ferry, plane, bus or any other transport, if sea, weather, mountains or the like come between me and my desire to ride.
I have tried to summarise information that could be potentially helpful also for other bicycle travellers through Japan, such as list of bicycle roads, helpful web pages etc.

Wednesday, 2 August 2017

Kyushu - possible routes

In Kyushu there are a few major events with limited days availability:
  • Sumo in Fukuoka
  • Yokagura in Takachiho
    • Starting mid November, but not every day (at least not the "real thing")
  • Tanegashima Art festival
  • Nagasaki Gunkanjima may require upfront booking (but no limitation on available days)

While this blog post is about planning a travel by bicycle, JR Kyushu is specially famous for their nice trains and rhe following trains are specially recommended (as per the Rough Guide) most of them require reservation:
  • Hakata - Yufuin - Beppu: Yufuin-no-mori
  • Hakata- Nagasaki: Kamome
  • Hakata - Beppu - Saiki: Sonic (see below travel to Takachiho)
  • Aso Boy
  • Kagoshima - Ibusuki: Ibusuki-no-tamatebako (see below Kagoshima)

Saiki to Takachiho ⇒ 2 days, 0 km
  • Access
  • Train Saiki to Nobeoka, 1 h 
    • Sonic train? 
  • Nobeoka - Takachiho, rental car, 1.5 h
  • Attractions
  • Accommodation
    • Takachiho (or driving down after performance to Miyazaki ?, 2h)
  • Handing car back either at Nobeoka, Miyazaki or Miyakonojo
    • If handing back at Miyazaki, cycle trip to Udo Shrine can be done

Miyazaki - Udo Shrine - Ibii ⇒ 1 day, 60 km (or shorter)
  • See Garmin KYU Miyazaki - Ibii - Udo Jingu
    • Along the coast, according to KANCycling, quite a nice coastal strip
    • relatively flat, with two sharp peaks at about 100m 
    • Train until Ibii is available, so ride can be cut short, about 1 train every hour
      • Ibii - Minami Miyazaki, direct, 40 min, last train 22:21 
      • Ibii - Kagoshima, 1 change, 3 - 4 h, last train 19:51
  • Attractions
  • Accommodation
    • Miyazaki or Kagoshima

Kagoshima - Sakurajima - Ibusuki - Chiran - Ichiki (or Sendai) ⇒  3 days, 106  - 114 km
  • Day 1 - Sakurajima  ⇒ 1 day, 36 km
    • Access 
      • Ferry from Kagoshima
        • runs every 15 min in daytime, 24/7
    • See Garmin KYU Sakurajima
      • Quite some up and down, 1 x 100 m, 3 x 80 m, 5 x 50 m
      • Last 8 km are flat
    • Attractions
    • Accommodation
      • Kagoshima
  • Day 2 & 3 (or 3/4 depending on excursion to Tanegashima, see below) - Kagoshima - Ibusuki - Chiran - Ichiki (or until Sendai shinkansen station) ⇒ 2 days,  90 km (or more/less)
    • Access
      • Ibusuki-no-tamatebako train, 3 daily, all reserved seats, 1 h 
    • See Garmin KYKYU Ibusuki - Ichiki
      • Quite some up and down
      • highest about 200 m
      • could be cut slightly short by taking train from Ibusuki to Ishikaki (50 - 60 min)
      • could also be extended from Ichiki to Sendai (18 km)
    • Attractions
      • Train ride to Ibusuki
      • Ibusuki (onsen & sand baths)
      • Chiran (samurai village)
    • Accommodation
      • Chiran ??? (not sure that there is one, but there seems to be one Airbnb not too far)
    • Access
      • Ichiki to Kumamoto, 1 change, 1:15 h, including Shinkansen
      • Sendai to Kumamoto, direct, 45 min, shinkansen

Excursion from Kagoshima to Tanegashima ⇒ 1 - 2 days, 120 km (possibly better to find a bus or car)
  • Access
  • See Garmin KYU Tanegashima 
    • From 0 to 300 m and also more hills
  • Attractions 
  • Accommodation
    • Kagoshima
      • If by car, possibly as a day trip from Kagoshima by jet foil
    • Or Tanegashima

Kumamoto - Nagasaki ⇒ 1 + 2 days,  85 km (or less)
  • Access
    • e.g. by Shinkansen from Kagoshima, Fukuoka or Sendai
  • See Garmin KYU Kumamoto station - harbour, 13 km
    • flat
    • By ferry to Shimabara, 30 min, 6 - 7 per day
  • See Garmin KYU Shimabara - Nagasaki, 71 km 
    • one peak at 300 m just prior to Nagasaki (can be avoided by train), 1 x 50 m, the rest is flat
    • multiple possibilities to cut short 
  • Attractions (Nagasaki)
    • Landscape around Shimabara
    • Nagasaki
      • A-bomb museum
      • Dejima
      • Gunkanjima (may require ahead booking)  (UNESCO World Heritage)
  • Accommodation
    • Nagasaki, 3 nights?

Nagasaki - Fukuoka ⇒ 3 + 1 days, 177 km (or less)
  • See Garmin KYU Nagasaki - Fukuoka 
    • 300 m right after Nagasaki, afterwards practically flat
    • Can be shortened in multiple locations taking a train
  • Attractions
  • Accommodation
    • multiple cities on the route

North of Fukuoka ⇒ 2 - 3 days, 85 km (or less)

Here the link to the actual rides I did in Kyushu.

Other possible cycle routes in Kyushu



Other possible attractions in Kyushu 
  • Attractions (Oita)
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