Welcome to Oita! We’ll start our bike tour in Nakatsu, Oita Prefecture. We suggest that you arrive at least one day prior to the tour to allow for greater flexibility and time-zone adjustments. By arriving a little early, you can relax and get your bearings. You’ll check in to a hotel after 3:00 p.m. in front of Nakatsu Station and get acquainted with your fellow tour members. There is no specific meal plan arranged for this day, but Taste of Japan Bike Tours is happy to help you find great dining at a local restaurant, if you need. We’ll introduce ourselves, eat some local food, and explain the week ahead, and we’ll answer any questions you have. If your flight plans include a late-night arrival, no worries! Join us on the following morning. ・Optional dinner ・Stay at hotel near Nakatsu Station (check-in available after 3:00 p.m.) To help you plan your arrival in Nakatsu: By air ･ Kita-Kyushu Airport (KKJ) to Nakatsu Station: shuttle bus and train (approximately 1 hour 45 minutes) ･ Oita Airport (OIT) to Nakatsu Station: airport bus (approximately 1 hour 45 minutes) ･ Fukuoka Airport (FUK) to Nakatsu Station: subway and train (approximately 2 hours) By rail ･ Tokyo/Osaka Station to Kokura (Fukuoka) Station: Shinkansen (2.5 hours from Osaka, 4.5 hours from Tokyo) ･ Kokura Station to Nakatsu Station: “sonic” local express train (approximately 30 minutes)

Today is a sightseeing day. In the morning, we’ll hop aboard a city tour bus to Usa City, which is not accessible by cycling. We’ll head to Usa Jingu Shrine, one of the most important of the 4,000 Hachiman shrines in Japan. In the afternoon, we’ll return to Nakatsu City and explore the Nakatsu Castle area. You’ll have the chance to test the rental bikes before the cycling tour begins the next day. Dinner will feature a welcome party for everyone at a B&B owned by A-1’s friends. ・Dinner and welcome party ・Stay at hotel near Nakatsu Station

It’s time to start cycling! We’ll grab our bicycles (identified with a unique sticker) in the morning and head out on a leisurely uphill 50 km ride. The day’s highlight will be the Rakanji Temple, which was built embedded in a rocky hill with caves in its rock walls. Bearing varied expressions, 500 of the oldest arhats in Japan are enshrined in the murodo cave. After taking the ropeway to see the temple, we’ll walk for about an hour on a trail said to have been used by monks for ascetic practices in the olden days. For lunch, we’ll stop at the Midori home. This local couple has been farming here for many years—they’ll teach us how to harvest crops. Fill your bellies with freshly picked vegetables and rice balls! After a short break, we’ll complete the second half of the ride in the afternoon. Spring in Japan is a season of abundant greenery. Autumn in Japan is a beautiful season, too, with the leaves turning fiery shades of orange, red, and yellow. November is a great time to enjoy the outdoors amid peak autumn foliage—right before it gets quite cold in late November. Afterward, we’ll head to the Orito Onsen in Yabakei. Once evening falls, we’ll stay at a small ryokan-style inn, the Tsuki no hotaru. Feel free to soak in the separate men’s and women’s hot-spring baths to relieve fatigue. The inn also runs a café during the day, and guests can enjoy homemade cooking using locally harvested vegetables and regional ingredients. ・Stay at hotel with dinner ・Stay at ryokan

Day 4—the second full day of cycling—covers 60 km, the first half uphill and the second half downhill. We’ll ride from Yabakei in the mountains to Beppu, a city famous for its hot springs located on the east side of Oita Prefecture just over a mountain pass. The first highlight of the day is Ajimuin, a small farming village with a population of 6,000. We’ll view trowel paintings created by plasterers during the Edo period. The second highlight of the day is a visit to the hot springs that have put Beppu on the map. Oita Prefecture’s hot springs are not simply boiling water—they contain diverse ingredients, benefits, smells, and colors, depending on the location. Guests are welcome to take a dip in most of these hot springs. We’ll also visit A-1’s secret onsen during the ride. Tonight’s accommodation is a modern seafront hotel. We encourage you to enjoy the hotel’s large baths with a view of the ocean or visit the traditional hot springs that have been around for centuries, just outside the hotel. For dinner, we’ll enjoy Japanese dishes using the freshest ingredients from the sea and the mountains—paired with delicious drinks at a popular local izakaya. After dinner, join us for a night tour of A-1’s favorite haunts in Beppu. ・Dinner (izakaya) and optional night tour ・Stay at hotel

We’ll spend the fifth day of the tour enjoying Beppu‘s unique sightseeing opportunities. Advanced cyclists will have the option of participating in a dynamic cycling tour today, an uphill course through the magnificent plateau. The sightseeing group will visit the Takasaki Mountain Monkey Park in the morning, a monkey sanctuary located at the foot of 628-meter-high Takasaki Mountain. The sanctuary is home to more than 1,500 wild and playful Japanese monkeys. Watch them run, groom themselves, and roam freely on the steep, forest-covered slopes. In the afternoon, we’ll head to Oita‘s famous sand hot springs on the beach. The remainder of the day will provide plenty of personal time to explore the town, hike, relax, or prep for the days to come.

To prepare for heavy traffic around Beppu, we’ll start our morning with a 15-minute train ride to Kitsuki Station. When we arrive, we’ll walk around the town with a view of Kitsuki Castle. Ladies, you can even rent a kimono and take commemorative photos! Next, we’ll remount our bikes in Kitsuki and ride along the coast of the breathtaking Kunisaki Peninsula, with miles of unforgettable sea views. We’ll swing by famous temple complexes collectively known as Rokugou-manzan. The Niou statue at Futagoji Temple is said to be the most majestic statue on Kunisaki Peninsula—it is said that touching its thick legs with your own legs will keep your muscles strong for cycling. We’ll stay at the Fukidera Temple priest quarters. This temple is the oldest wooden structure in Kyushu. The facilities may sound spartan, but the accommodations are ryokan-style with guest rooms and onsen baths and are a perfect way to end the day. ・Dinner of farm-to-table Japanese cuisine ・Stay at lodging next to temple

Day 7 will be our last day of cycling! To reflect on the journey, we’ll try a session of Zen meditation in a 1,300-year-old temple. Feeling rejuvenated and relaxed, we’ll ride 40 km downhill (with some hills) toward Himeshima. En route, we’ll visit a Buddhist temple built in the river and then continue down the mountain to the coastline. Along the way, we’ll visit the Magaibutsu, a type of stone Buddah. During this leg of the journey, we’ll see, hear, and feel a gradual transition as we leave behind a traditional Japan steeped in heritage to that of a modern, contemporary nation. Finally, we’ll take a ferry to Himeshima, our last overnight stop in Oita Prefecture. We’ll spend some time relaxing in this small town, basking in an abundance of nature and history and feasting on the town’s famous tiger prawns! Tonight, we’ll stay at the oldest ryokan on Himeshima and enjoy a scrumptious dinner of shabu shabu with locally harvested tiger prawns. ・Dinner at ryokan ・Stay at ryokan

With our cycling complete, we’ll start the morning with a sightseeing tour aboard a seven-seater eco-friendly vehicle that emits zero CO2. Roll up your sleeves as we make a stop to learn from locals how imokiri noodles are made. A local specialty dish that has been passed down from generation to generation on the islands, these noodles are unlike traditional Japanese noodles—created with minimal water and rice, which are scarce on this small island. We’ll all cook our noodles with vegetables and tofu for a meal together. Itadakimasu! In the afternoon, we’ll leave Himeshima by ferry to the Imi Port Ferry Terminal on the Kyushu mainland. From here, we’ll board a chartered bus to Fukuoka, Kyushu’s largest city, which will take about 2.5 hours. Dinner is on your own—we suggest prowling the nearby yatai Japanese food stalls. ・Stay at Tenjin Hotel

It’s time to say goodbye to your fellow cyclists! Checkout is by 11:00 a.m. Some of us may prefer to stay an extra night in Fukuoka or head on to Tokyo or Osaka with your new friends. Whether you’re flying home today or continuing your travels, the Taste of Japan Bike Tours staff will ensure that all your travel plans are safe and smooth. Please don’t hesitate to ask the tour staff any questions you have about transportation. We hope this tour provided an experience you’ll all remember for the rest of your lives. Sayonara!