Hiruzen Cycling
With gently sloping hills set against the picturesque Hiruzen Sanza peaks, the Hiruzen Highlands are a delightful place to explore by bicycle. Rental bikes are available for all needs and skill levels, and types include mountain, cross, road, and electric bikes—even a tandem bike.
The Hiruzen Basin is circled by a roughly 30-kilometer cycling path suitable for all. The route incorporates dedicated biking roads, local streets (typically with light traffic), and many shady rest areas and public toilets, making it ideal for family outings. With no rest stops it takes approximately two and a half hours to complete the loop. However, the route passes close to many of the area’s most popular attractions, including Herb Garden Herbill, Shiogama Spring, Hiruzen Winery, and Jersey Land, so the ride can easily expand into a full-day adventure.
Experienced riders may want to take one of the area’s more challenging courses: a circuit route around Maniwa’s component neighborhoods (100 km), or the route used in the punishing Tour de Daisen race, which starts in Maniwa and loops around the towering Mt. Daisen in neighboring Tottori Prefecture (90.6 km).
Cyclists riding through the peaceful agrarian communities of Hiruzen will gain a peek at life on small local farms, where friendly Jersey cows may saunter up to the fence for a visit. Stopping by a small cheese shop en route or picking out vegetables at a roadside stand are simple diversions available to those who like to take their time. Cycling enthusiasts wishing to focus on strenuous exercise can still cap off a day’s ride with a bath at Hiruzen Yatsuka Onsen or the therapeutic radon waters of Kо̄gen no Yu.
Touring Hiruzen on two wheels is possible even in winter as part of a snow cycling tour run by Hiruzen Cycling Service. Fat tires with studs provide extra traction to grip the icy roads. The reward is stunning vistas of misty peaks towering over fields blanketed in untouched snow.
Year-round, cycling is a wonderful way to enjoy Hiruzen’s scenery and experience its local culture.