1 2 3 41 Route 253 runs along the Katsurao River, an ideal route for a relaxed ride.2 It’s for scenery like this that Hayate Cycle owner Masashi Kimura likes to recommend riding Route 399 toward Kawauchi.3 Kimura stands with members of his staff at Hayate Cycle, a shop well placed for both coastal and inland adventures. 4 The site of a former elementary school, set amid fields and forests and empty since 2000, makes for a contemplative break along Route 399. Sun, Sea, and Skykilometers, you’ll reach Hattachi beach and Bentenjima Island, where the deity Benzaiten is enshrined. The sole female among Japan’s Seven Lucky Gods, she is both a muse of artists and a kami invoked by farmers and fishermen alike. Cross the pedestrian bridge to pay your respects to this popular goddess. The island’s red torii, set against the sea, makes for a photogenic shot.Heading north from the lighthouse for another 15 “Nanahama Kaido is great, but there’s more,” offers Masashi Kimura, owner of the Hayate Cycle shop. “If you cycle inland for about 30 minutes, you’ll find yourself in a completely different setting, surrounded by green hills and fields.” Kimura’s shop is around the bend from Bentenjima, close by the popular Yotsukura beach. He launched his cycling business here in 2022, and soon discovered, to his happy surprise, that the location is so much more than its oceanfront address. Country roads perfect for cycling, with few cars and no traffic signals, are easily accessed.Kimura often accompanies cyclists who rent from him on jaunts off into the hills. He recommends Route 399 heading north toward the village of Kawauchi. From there the road leads on toward Katsurao, Iitate, and eventually Yamagata Prefecture. Byways along the route reward cyclists with scenic rides through colorful fields and wooded groves.In Katsurao, bicycles can also be rented at Azalea, a community center established after the disasters. Each year the village hosts a cycling race, dubbed the Tour de Katsurao, along its public roads. Its strenuous ups and downs, though, are not for the faint of heart. Casual cyclists should head toward eastbound Route 253, a tree-lined valley road dotted with tiny rice paddies. You’ll encounter hardly any traffic, and the postcard-perfect scenery is rural Japan at its best. Early summer, when the trees have leafed out and all has sprung to life, is an especially beautiful time to visit—as is autumn, of course, for the brilliant change of foliage.Shioyasaki LighthouseOpen to members of the public for a fee, this lighthouse on the Shioyasaki cape is one of just 16 left in Japan that can be climbed to the top. Aquamarine FukushimaOne of the largest aquariums in the Tohoku region stands at Onahama Port. Its foremost attraction introduces the unique marine environment off Fukushima’s coast, where northbound and southbound currents sup-port a diverse range of fish and plant life.Hayate CycleThis bike rental shop near the municipal swimming area on Yotsukura beach in Iwaki is central to the local cycling culture. Shop owner Kimura can be hired to guide cycling tours. Azalea: Katsurao Village Reconstruction and Community CenterThis facility, set up to serve residents of Katsurao, stands as a symbol of the com-munity’s recovery from the disasters. All are welcome to rent bicycles here. Pick up a map and some friendly advice on the best routes.19
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