Cycling in Japan

The Shimanami Kaido links Onomichi in Hiroshima prefecture with Imabari on Shikoku by seven bridges across six islands, about 70 km on the signed bike route. Fit riders do it in a day, but two days lets you stop for citrus, beaches and temples on Ikuchijima and Omishima. The finale is the Kurushima-Kaikyo Bridge, about 4 km long.

Public rental terminals along the route let you drop the bike at a different station; a standard bike costs about 3,000 yen (about $20) a day, with e-bikes for more. Giant runs a separate shop with road bikes at both ends. Bridge tolls for cyclists are waived until 31 March 2028 (e-bikes excluded). Onomichi’s cycle hotel, built in an old warehouse, lets you wheel your bike into the lobby. Book rentals ahead in Golden Week and autumn.

The Biwaichi loop round Lake Biwa, Japan’s largest lake, is about 200 km of mostly flat lakeshore with a marked blue line, castle towns at Hikone and Nagahama, and the torii gate standing in the water at Shirahige Shrine. Most people take two or three days, or ride just the quieter northern half. It is easy to reach from Kyoto by train.

Kyoto itself is a good bike city: flat, compact, with a riverside path along the Kamo River. A city bike hire runs about 1,000 to 2,000 yen a day. Park only in paid bike parks: bikes left on pavements are towed and you pay to get them back. South of Kobe, Awaji Island has a coastal loop of about 150 km, and Shodoshima has olive groves and steep hill roads.

The Tsukuba Kasumigaura Rinrin Road combines a rail trail of about 40 km on the old Tsukuba railway with a long loop round Kasumigaura lake, about 180 km in total. Ride it from Tsuchiura station, an hour from Tokyo, past rice paddies with Mount Tsukuba ahead; the climb to the summit area is a popular test. In Tokyo, the riverside paths along the Arakawa and Tama rivers give long traffic-free rides out of the city.

Round Fuji, the five lakes loop from Lake Kawaguchi gives classic mountain views, and the Hakone and Izu hills are a training ground for Tokyo’s road riders, with the 2020 Olympic road and track events held nearby.

The Alps of Nagano and Gifu are where Japan’s hardest climbs are. The road up Mount Norikura climbs to Tatamidaira at about 2,700 m, among the highest paved points in Japan, and is closed to private cars, so you share it with buses and other riders; the Gifu-side Skyline opens from mid-May and the Nagano-side Echo Line from July, both until the end of October. Route 292 over Shibu Pass, at about 2,170 m the highest point on Japan’s national road network, crosses from the snow monkey valley toward Kusatsu onsen. These roads are snowbound from November to May. Base yourself in Matsumoto or Takayama.

Hokkaido is Japan’s touring island, with wide roads, low traffic and summers that stay below 30°C (86°F). Classic routes link the flower fields of Furano and Biei, the caldera lakes of Shikotsu, Toya and Mashu, and the far north at Wakkanai, with cheap rider houses, free campsites and onsen every evening. Watch for deer and foxes at dusk, and bears on forest roads.

In winter, ride the far south. Miyako Island in Okinawa has flat coral roads and long free bridges to Irabu and Ikema, and Okinawa hosts the Tour de Okinawa amateur race in November.

• Where to ride: keep left on the road. The pavement is only allowed where signs permit, and then at walking pace.
• Fines: since 1 April 2026, police issue on-the-spot fines to riders aged 16 and over: 12,000 yen for using a phone, 6,000 yen for a red light.
• Banned: riding side by side, umbrellas, earphones that block sound, and riding after drinking.
• Helmets: strongly encouraged for everyone, but not fined.
• Lights: a front light is required after dark.
• Parking: use bike parks; bikes left elsewhere are removed.

On trains, bikes must be packed in a rinko bag, with at least the front wheel off and the whole bike covered. On the Tokaido, Sanyo and Kyushu shinkansen, bagged bikes are exempt from the oversized-baggage rule, but the space behind the last row needs a seat reservation with an oversized baggage area, so book one to be sure of room. Takkyubin couriers will send a boxed bike to your next hotel or the airport. A few special services such as Chiba’s B.B.BASE cycle train carry bikes assembled. For passes and routes, see our Japan trains guide, and the East Asia cycling guide for routes across the region.