Sponsored by Hida City
Hida Furukawa, a small town 40km away from Takayama, is located in the Japanese Alps. The town rests at the foot of the mountains, and the edge of a beautiful river, and has many attractive scenery, beautiful rice fields, and old town streets. This afternoon, after spending the morning on a walking tour while wearing a Kimono, I decided to discover the surroundings in another way: A bike ride!
Enjoy Hida Furukawa’s Nature By Bike
I was able to enjoy this experience through Satoyama Experience, a team of dynamic young people from the region who have a common passion: to discover their region and culture. Bike tours are organized in small groups (maximum 8 people) with an anglophone guide, bicycle rentals, helmets and insurance included. Several tours are offered according to your wishes, and you can choose either a 3 hour and 30 minute ride or a 2 hour and 30 minute ride.
Discover the Japanese Countryside, Satoyama
Satoyama in Japanese refers to the rural landscape in Japan, a landscape often composed of mountains, small villages and rice fields. “Sato” means inhabited place and “Yama” means mountain. This is exactly what I experienced during my bike ride in the Japanese Alps, close to Hida Furukawa.
Cycling: The Best Way to Enjoy Hida Furukawa
Arriving at the agency, they provided us with a helmet and a super comfortable bike. There was a chance of rain towards the end of the tour, but no need to be worried! They also offered waterproof jackets and pants for only 500Y. The tour guided us nicely, and we made stops at each place so the guide could explain everything about the region and the natural scenery. Over the course of the 3 and a half hour tour, we enjoyed cycling about 17km through the countryside. Two other French cyclists joined as well! The atmosphere was so relaxed and the guide was super friendly, curious, and was passionate and clearly loved Hida Furukawa.
Satoyama Experience office, 5 minute away from JR Hida Furukawa station
Getting to Know Rural and Traditional Japan by Bike
The guide Akiko often stopped to talk about the daily life here in the region. She showed us a natural water source which acts as the social hub and meeting point of the older people living in the city, the traditional houses built without any nails, rice and the ways of cultivating it, we had numerous encounters with farmers working in their rice fields, as well as the chance to have local vegetables from the mountains pointed out to us along the side of the road. This traveling experience made me feel passionate about the countryside, and gave me the chance to meet local people. If you are in the Japanese Alps, this excursion is only 15 km from Takayama!
Satoyama Experience: Information
Several bike tours available:
- Standard: 9.00-12.30 / 14.00-17.30 – 7600Y / person
- Small: 10.15-12.45 – 4900Y / person
Included for both cases: insurance, bike rental, helmet.
- Season: From 20 March to 20 December
Satoyama Experience also offers other experiences such as a walking tour in the city, a gastronomy walk, luxury home rentals … I invite you to take a look at the site which explains all the great opportunities that they offer.
Access:
- 4 hours from Tokyo
- 2 hours from Kanazawa
- 3h30 from Kyoto
- 15 min from Takayama
Reservations:
- By online-booking
- By phone +81 0577 73 5715
- By Email reservation@satoyama-experience.com
Original article by: Estelle
Translated by: Aika Ikeda
