【Day1】Akiyoshidai(karst plateau) cycling(G-4)⭐⭐⭐ ‘22.29th,Oct

2022年11月1日2023年1月31日

This route(G-4) is in Area-G “Chugoku". See Area-G map/ See Japan map

Sight & Entertainment ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Foods & Drinks ⭐⭐⭐　*Up to plan. Yamaguchi has many delicious cuisines

Easiness ⭐⭐⭐

Road condition ⭐⭐⭐

Safety ⭐⭐⭐

This was the 3rd trial to go to Akiyoshidai. The weather became calm recently, so I decided to carry my bike with my Bz trip to Tokuyama. I got on the 1st bullet train from Shinagawa(Tokyo) and arrived at Tokuyama station at AM10:01. Then put my Bz luggage in a locker then started cycling.

Tokuyama city introduces their industrial complex as a scenic spot since there are many oil and chemical plants which emit lights at night(pic.1). Soon up-hill started toward next city, Hofu(pic.2,3), where I visited Hofu-tenmangu, built 1100 years ago and the oldest Tenjin shrine in Japan(pic.4~6). Honestly shrine itself was not so special and towns around the shrine were not lively, but I drop in Soba(buckwheat noodle) restaurant near the shrine since there seemed no restaurants on my further way.

After Hofu city, boring road continued but when up-hill started around pic.7, I came across some cyclists, which meant the road toward Akiyoshidai was popular for cycling. I reached Akiyoshi-dou(entrance of cave, pic.9) w/o difficulty. After paying \1300- , I entered the cave and enjoyed mysterious scenery for over 1km(pic.10~12). After coming out of the cave, I tried hill climb to the observatory of Akiyoshidai(Karst plateau, pic.8) over the cave. It was just a few km but the slope was too steep to go up at once. It was a wide view but not so spectacular as I expected.

I was exhausted by hill climbing and time was already PM3:30, but I wanted to drop in Beppubenten pond, which would be a little detour to the hotel. The pond was very beautiful as I expected(pic.13). The water is chosen as top 100 good water by Japanese government.

From the pond to hotel, there was up-hill and head wind unexpectedly. Since I was already tired, this climbing was tough. My hotel was in Yumen hot spring area. Honestly I wanted to stay in Nagato hot spring area which is much more famous than Yumen area but due to tourism promotion by JPN government after COVID, I could not book Nagato area’s hotel, and it was lucky to be able to book this hotel. It was typical Japanese hot spring hotel(pic.15) and I could enjoy pufferfish cuisine(pic.16) and local Sake there. This Yamaguchi prefecture is well known pufferfish production area.