Wakasa bay to Maizuru【Day1】(F-6)⭐⭐⭐’23.15th,July
This route F-6 is in Area-F “Kinki". See Area-F map/ See Japan map
Sight & Entertainment ⭐⭐⭐
Food & Drinks ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Easiness ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Road condition ⭐⭐
Safety ⭐⭐
It was still in a wet season but I noticed the weather would be fine in 3day week end holidays. So I immediately decided to go to Maizuru and Kinosaki hot spring town and booked tickets and hotels. It was really good weather condition when the holidays came, not rainy but not relentless heat in a real Summer.
One of my best colleague’s parents home is a fish wholesaler in Maizuru city and he often invites me to a good Japanese restaurant which serves his family’s fishes when I go to West for a Biz trip. So Maizuru was my coveted city in my cycling life.
I caught the first Shinkansen starting at 6:00AM at Tokyo station and reached my starting point, Omi-Imazu station near Biwa lake at 9:15AM. From here, my route was on the Route-303, dubbed as “Mackerel route" since mackerel landed at Wakasa bay were carried through this mountain toward Kyoto in the past. So the road soon came into the mountain(Pic.2), but it didn’t climb higher and went along a valley. But the road is still a main route btw Japanese sea and inland, so many big tracks passed by in a narrow space.
Within 20km cycling I reached Kumagawa-Juku which was not opened yet due to early time(pic.3). It was still early for lunch, I decided to eat mackerel lunch in Obama city.
I reached Obama city at 11:00AM but I could not find a Japanese restaurant opened in the city center. Finally I found a few in a port area but reached 11:30AM, so my targeted restaurant,"Kodama shokudo(pic.5) was already full and had to wait for 30min.
Of course I ordered mackerel cuisine which was rare in Tokyo(pic.6). I don’t know it’s real a better mackerel than Tokyo’s one but I felt special good taste in it.
The planned cycling distance was relatively short in this time, I started slowly after lunch. But it was right planning since it became sunny and hot in the afternoon which made me take a rest often.
The Route-27 was boring route since there was no special sight on the road but busy(pic.8). And it was too hot for me, I took a rest at road side station and bought an ice gelato for a change(pic.9).
Before final mountain pass, I dropped in a small beach to take a photo of iconic mountain in Maizuru city(pic.10). Some local people were already enjoying bathing there.
Then I dropped in a very old temple, “Kongo-in“, built 1200years ago. This temple is well known as a autumn leaves spot. So there were few tourists there but I like such quiet solemn atmosphere. The three-stories pagoda was rebuilt 940yeast ago and still remained as it was. I was mesmerized by the wooden architecture for a while(pic.12).
Now final road toward Maizuru. Soon reached East Maizuru but I didn’t have an image of distance btw there and West Maizuru. Due to the heat I was tired but I had to climb the pass toward west city, my hotel location for 10km which gave me fatigue.
I reached 4:00PM at my hotel and after taking shower, I went to a Japanese restaurant which my colleague introduced to me at 5:00PM, the opening time of that restaurant.
The master told me that they only served fishes which were landed at Maizuru fishing port. That was what I wanted! I ordered the law fish package soon after I reached. Surprisingly I got the last seat as the visitor who didn’t reserve in advance. I was there for 3 hours but over 20 parties were driven back. I was lucky.
The rock oyster(pic.15) was so delicious. There was not smell which was typical for a smelly ones. And recently I always enjoy a conversation with whom I seat neighborhood. This time he was a regular customer who comes there once a month from Kyoto for fishing near Maizuru port.
Of course I ordered local Japanese Sake, made in northern Kyoto. “Touji no hitori goto" \700- from Kyoto was my best one in that day. Finally I ordered a squid Sushi, flavored rice inside. It’s my first experience to try that, but very tasty!
I was completely satisfied with my spending time there. After leaving there at 8:30PM, I walked around the city to sober up for 1hour. Comparing to other rural cities, I felt here spirited. I hope such good fishing port city will thrive forever.
<Transportation info>
My train from Tokyo to Omi-Imazu: Shinkansen Nozomi No.1 AM6:00 – Kyoto AM8:08, Then JR Kosei line AM8:15 – Omi Imazu AM9:05. \14,090-
<Other recommendable spots near my route>
Lake Biwa: ref: my article F-1
<Connected route>