What do you like to do when you travel? Enjoy nature, experience history and culture, search for photogenic spots… and of course, local cuisine and souvenirs are a must!
Among many ways people enjoy traveling, cycling tours have recently been gaining attention.
Cycling through scenic locations while admiring the changing scenery makes for unforgettable memories. It also increases the efficiency of travel, and with the recent rise in health and environmental awareness, it’s becoming popular with a wide variety of people.
Shizuoka Prefecture is a cycling paradise, with a diverse range of natural scenery to enjoy, including Mount Fuji, the ocean, lakes, and rivers, as well as historic roads and castle towns. There are also a variety of routes, from flatlands to mountainous areas, so you can choose where to go cycling according to your level of fitness and experience.
Among Shizuoka Prefecture’s many cycling courses, this time we will introduce a recommended route along Lake Hamana, suitable for beginners and experienced cyclists alike.
A lakeside cycling road and a nostalgic hot spring town… This is a wonderful place to escape the hustle and bustle of the city and experience the majestic nature and the peaceful passing of time.
Getting ready for a trip
First, we gather at Bentenjima Station, the starting point of the cycling trip. It’s three stations from Hamamatsu Station on the Tokaido Shinkansen. The Bentenjima Cycle Gate bicycle port is just a few minutes’ walk from this station.
Please reserve your bicycle in advance here.
→ Reservation Form: https://hamanako-cyc.revn.jp/
Rental bicycles include hybrid bikes, gravel bikes, and mini-velos with cute small wheels. Popular models may be fully booked depending on the date and time, so we recommend making your reservation early.
For those less confident in their physical strength or beginners, we recommend electric-assist bicycles.
On the day of your reservation, after arriving at Cycle Gate, you will first receive an explanation about the rental process. This will take about 20 minutes.
Here, we introduce some great coupons you can use along the way. They’re called “Yuru-Challenge Coupons.” ( Yuru-Challenge means “Do my best in moderation.”)
They can be used at stores, leisure facilities, hot springs, and other locations along the recommended cycling route, where they get you discounts and special offers.
Depart for the tour
Now, the journey finally begins.
The cycling course is basically a single road, so it’s very easy to follow.
After riding for a while, you’ll come across Hamanako Ohashi Bridge. This is the first spectacular view spot.
With nothing to obstruct your view, the vast lake, almost like an ocean, spreads out before you. You will feel a sense of freedom.
The journey to the Kanzanji Onsen area is approximately 12 kilometers one way. It takes about one hour on a bicycle. The road is flat, so you won’t get tired. Along the way, you can also stop by Hamanako Garden Park, where seasonal flowers in bloom will delight you.
Enjoy a comfortable ride on a dedicated bike path
After passing Hamanako Ohashi Bridge, you’ll enter the Lake Hamana Cycling Route.
From here, most of the way to the Kanzanji Onsen area is a cycling designated road, so you can ride safely.
Kanzanji Onsen
We’ve arrived at Kanzanji Onsen.
Kanzanji Onsen is a naturally rich hot spring resort on the northern shore of Lake Hamana. This hot spring boasts one of the highest salinity concentrations in Japan, and its waters are known for their ability to warm the body from the inside out. What’s more, its exceptional lakeside location offers the luxury of soaking in the hot spring while watching the sunset.
We head straight to lunch to rest our bodies, nicely tired from cycling, and fill our stomachs.
Lake Hamana is famous for its eel, of course. Kanzanji Onsen hot spring town is also home to a number of eel restaurants. This time, we visited Matsunoya.
There are so many delicious looking options it’s hard to choose one… I thought about getting the Unaju (Grilled Eel Rice Bowl) as I flipped through the menu, but then my eyes caught sight of the Kaki Kaba Don (Oyster Kabayaki Rice Bowl). Lake Hamana also has a thriving oyster farming industry, and this local delicacy is only available in winter (November to March). Large oysters from the lake are grilled until plump and served with kabayaki sauce, the same sauce used for broiled eel. Since I had come so far to be there, I decided to get the Kaki Kaba Don.
The plump texture of the oysters and the sweet and salty flavor of the kabayaki sauce are irresistible. They also offer a half-and-half oyster-and-eel rice bowl. I recommend this option for those of you who want to try both.
*It can get busy around lunchtime, so it is a good idea to call ahead and make a reservation.
After lunch, we visited Kanzanji Temple, the ancient temple that gives the hot spring town its name. It’s said to grant various blessings, including matchmaking, healing eye ailments, and wish fulfillment. It is located in a beautiful spot with a view overlooking Lake Hamana, and the refreshing air helps you forget the hustle and bustle of everyday life.
The Kanzanji Onsen area has many other attractions, including Japan’s only ropeway running over a lake and Hamamatsu Flower Park.
Bicycles can be rented for more than one day, so if you would like to take advantage of the opportunity to see various sights, relax in a hot spring at a ryokan (inn), and enjoy cuisine made with local ingredients, we recommend that you stay overnight at a nearby hot spring ryokan and enjoying a relaxing stay.
Rental bicycles can also be returned at the Kanzanji Tourist Association (returns only; no rentals available).
There is a bus that runs from Kanzanji Onsen to Hamamatsu Station, so you can enjoy a leisurely bus ride back.
We cycled to Bentenjima Station for our return trip as well.
*Please note that there may be headwinds on the Hamanako Ohashi Bridge on the way back. Give yourself plenty of time and ride at your own pace without cycling too hard.
The Hamanako Ohashi Bridge we crossed earlier came into view. Once you cross this bridge, you’ll be near the finish line.
After returning my bicycle at Bentenjima Cycle Gate, I used my last coupon to enjoy Bentenjima Pudding at the cafe lounge of Hamanako Bentenjima Resort THE OCEAN, a hotel near Bentenjima Station.
In Closing
The roads around Lake Hamana are very easy to ride on, and you can customize your route to fit your stamina and fitness level – whether you travel one way, round trip, or go around the entire lake – so anyone can enjoy it. It is not yet a well-known cycling spot, there were almost no other cyclists or pedestrians, making for a very pleasant experience.
There are many types of bicycles available you can rent, and even those who aren’t confident in their stamina or strength can easily ride an electrically assisted hybrid bike. This is the type I rode, and it was comfortable enough to continue riding uphill and over long distances.
I also recommend the Hamaichi Course, which circles Lake Hamana. Lake Hamana is the 10th largest lake in Japan in terms of area, but due to its complex topography, the circumference of the lake is the third largest in the country. First, try a cycling course like the one I rode this time, and if you feel like cycling a longer distance, then you might want to try the Hamaichi Course.
What did you think of this cycling trip around Lake Hamana? Anyone can try it easily, and amazing scenery, gourmet food, and hot springs await you. If you’re interested, make sure to check out the details on this website!
For more details and to make reservations, click here →https://exploreshizuoka.jp/activities/places/cycling-lake-hamana/
