This article is part of our growing collection of cycling routes and reports for Fukuoka and Kyushu. Explore more rides on our index page—and get out and discover Kyushu
Text and photos by: Tim Muzik / Follow on Strava
Today, we’re tackling two short climbs to Ino Dam and Mikazuki Lake, both easily reachable from downtown Fukuoka on any capable commuter bike. Like so many routes in this series, this ride highlights the serene and beautiful cycling roads that are just minutes away from the city. With autumn colors in full effect, the ginkgo and maple trees lining the numerous shrines along the way make this a perfect option for a chilly November or early December ride.
Route
Route Highlights: Hisayama, The Ino River & Dam, Kashiigu Temple, Mikazuki Lake, Aoba
Length: 66Km
Climbing: 531m
Konbini Calories: 9 onigiri (1411 calories)
GPX File
Overview
This is a relatively small ride that loops out to the east of the city, covering just over 60 km and 500 m of climbing. There are endless climbs to add on in the Tachibanayama region to extend the loop, but it could just as easily be shortened by only heading up to Ino Dam and back.
Under the Shinkansen
We decided to leave town by tracing the Shinkansen tracks as they pointed east toward the mountains. Once under the tracks, it’s a quick push out to meet the Ino River as it winds toward Hisayama. The bright yellow leaves of the old ginkgo trees at Horenji Temple mark the beginning of where this ride truly starts to get beautiful.
Hisayama & The Ino River Climb
Hisayama feels like it should be hundreds of kilometers from the closest major city and would be a great location to spend the whole day exploring. A massive concrete torii gate welcomes you to the mountains before you reach the Inotenshokodai Shrine grounds. The red bridges crossing the Ino River near the shrine make for some great photo opportunities.
Continuing past the shrine, the road winds through towering mountain walls carved out by the Ino River. Taking a right after Kayanoya Restaurant leads you to the start of a short climb up to the dam.
The climb up to the dam is a manageable 130 meters with a gentle incline, making it an excellent choice for anyone looking to tackle their first reservoir ride. A sign warns that the road is closed from 7 PM to 7 AM, so it’s only accessible during daylight hours. After passing the gate, the road quickly transitions into a classic rindo-road, with a bumpy, wet, but enjoyable surface that winds its way up to a dimly lit (bring a light) tunnel near the top.
The Ino Dam
Popping out of the tunnel, the road leads to the 80-meter wall of the gravity dam, completed in 2000. There’s a bridge crossing the dam, open to both pedestrians and cyclists, offering fantastic views of the dam and the mountains below.
A narrow and barely used road provides a fun and easy loop for cyclists. At the furthest point of the loop, visitors can stop at the Ino Riverside Park where there are a few large grass fields and access to the shallow river.
After blasting through another tunnel, the road descends through dark rows of cedar trees and leads to the grand skyline of the Lake Wood Hisayama Care Home. The roads flowing out of Hisayama toward Tachibanayama are completely empty and smooth, making this stretch a real highlight of the route.
Roadside Mikans
Traffic picks up a bit as you join Route 540, which wraps around the northeast side of Tachibanayama. While this stretch is necessary to set up the approach to the Mikazuki Lake climb, it also features a great roadside mikan stand, where the owner will certainly test the limits of your Japanese. After downing a bag of cheap mikans, we headed past the Rokusho Shrine, and towards the next small climb of the day.
Mikazuki Lake
Mikazuki Lake is one of the most easily accessible natural escapes in town, nestled amongst Fukuoka city suburbs. A cycling path loops around the lake, crossing over a red iron bridge, and offering access to nearby hiking trails and outdoor activities that attract local residents. The climb from the north is a short and easy 40 meters and brings you to the Nagatani Dam Memorial Park. This is a great extra push to add on to any ride when coming back into Fukuoka from the East. The descent brings you very close to a likely familiar location…the Hisayama Costco parking lot!
Kashiigu Shrine
To avoid doubling back onto our route from earlier in the day, we headed into the suburban neighborhood of Aoba. Here, an easy 40-meter climb provides panoramic views of Fukuoka and the mountains of Itoshima in the distance. Rolling down from the hill brings you to the stunning Kashiigu Shrine, another great destination to spend the day exploring.
Soon after leaving the shrine, Rachel and I found ourselves flying through the city on empty roads, lined with police officers and thousands of fit-looking Fukuoka residents. Realizing they weren’t there to cheer for us, we pulled off the road and joined them in supporting the participants of the Fukuoka International Marathon.
This article is part of our growing collection of cycling routes and reports for Fukuoka and Kyushu. Explore more rides on our index page—and get out and discover Kyushu
