Now that we have traversed almost the entirety of the northwest coastal roads, let’s take a look inland at one of the multitude of routes crisscrossing the heart the prefecture, Okuiyo-Hijikawa River Cycling Course. Since it is still summer and as hot as ever, I chose a relatively leisurely ride following a meandering river from the mountains near the border to Kochi Prefecture to a familiar port town I passed through during my last ride; an almost exclusively downhill valley cruise leading to the sea. If you’re looking for a little more exercise, simply start at Nagahama Port and make your way up the valley from there.
1. Starting from Kishimojin（the Goddess of Childbirth and Children)
2. Let’s go down the river
3. Roadside Station: Seiryunosato Hijikawa
4. Staying at a unique hotel in the Little Castle Town, Ozu
5. Boat Ride and a little tour of the town before heading back to the road
6. Heading to Nagahama Bridge
The starting point features a very memorable landmark in the parking lot of a roadside station called Hiyoshi Yumesanchi, probably the hottest demon I’ve ever come across cradling a cute little newborn demon baby. Next to this curious monument is an ice cream shop and general store. If in need there is also e-bikes for rent at this location.
Roadside Station: Hiyoshi Yumesanchi
https://maps.app.goo.gl/aKhjdDhDMdR4hH5o8
Today I’ll be doing two-thirds of the 62-kilometer route, stopping in the small touristy castle town of Ozu for the night before polishing off the last 20 kilometers or so on day two.
The next roadside station after the start is not far down the road, only 10 kilometers in. You probably won’t need to stop here, but there is river access if you want to go down and dip your toes in.
Roadside Station: Kinahaiya Shirokawa
https://maps.app.goo.gl/DUZwutL387Gh8Nmq5
From there it’s another 15 kilometers to the next cluster of shops and restaurants.
Nothing but greenery, bridges, little waterfalls and one big dam while breezing down the road. Until you have to pass through one of four very long and dark tunnels. Just make sure you have a strong light because the tunnel lights are dim and far apart. The dollar store light I was using this time was not enough to see the ground and it was very disconcerting indeed. In these Ehime tunnels I also strongly recommend a blinking red back light as well for peace of mind.
Roadside Station: Seiryunosato Hijikawa
https://maps.app.goo.gl/uR6mBqHKcBtpptVM8
Eventually I arrived at the sleepy little town of Ozu. Our hotel was an interesting set up of not just one building but many rooms and whole houses scattered around the neighborhood.
This is the courtyard leading to our suite.
This was a first! An iced bottle of sparkling wine waiting for us upon arrival!
（※This is a special offer for reservations made through the official website.）
Here is the outdoor seating area of the lounge. Inside are more tables and a plethora of beverages for the taking. There’s a whiskey and Shochu bar to make your own cocktails, a refrigerator full of other canned cocktails, wine, sake, soft drinks and a lot of bottled beer. There’s even a mixed nut dispenser to snack on as you lounge about.
Nipponia Hotel
https://maps.app.goo.gl/xxUQMPm7mspocx3X9
On the topic of alcohol, I feel compelled to mention that there is a craft beer brewery in this town. Unfortunately, their taproom isn’t operational at the moment. Always a bummer but if you fancy a draft beer from Garyu Brewing there is a little outdoor stand in town with four taps or so to choose from. Not time for drinking on your trip at this point, there’s a bottle shop in a bakery next door.
Garyu Brewing
https://maps.app.goo.gl/t3vfq6Ea2VC45eM28
There are a surprising amount of options for dinner in such a small town but if you see something you like ahead of time you still might want to make a reservation. We couldn’t get into our first choice. Our second choice was still a good one, just a solid izakaya called Kotori with a varied and decent sized menu including meat, sashimi, fried foods, and raw oysters the size of your fist, though size and availability on those are most likely a seasonal thing.
Kotori
https://maps.app.goo.gl/9eucQX4k5poVDz1EA
The next day, we took our time and did a little touristing in town before heading back out on the road for the last third of the route. Since this is a river route, we decided to take a little boat ride to take in the towns sites from the water that made this whole trip possible.
Ozu Castle Town Boat Tour
https://jp.visitozu.com/archives/feature/1352?wovn=en
At night there is an even more interesting boat ride we did not get to participate in but is worth mentioning. There is an ancient method of fishing called Ukai where the fisherman uses aquatic birds called cormorant by leashing them and sending them out into the river. It looks pretty fun and this is a limited-time offer from June to September, so if you’re visiting Ozu in the summer, I highly recommend you take part.
Ozu Ukai
https://jp.visitozu.com/archives/highlight/1183?wovn=en
For lunch we chose Aoi Cafe, an imaginative little sandwich shop which is the sister restaurant to an izakaiya of the same name.
Aoi Cafe
https://maps.app.goo.gl/6nw5q5TLksgzFvWY8
If there’s a castle near by you know we’re going to stop by. This one was on the smaller side but still an interesting visit. I especially liked the large dioramas depicting the construction of the castle way back when.
Back on the road leading from Ozu, I was passing by just as a tourist train was going over this bridge with the best view of Ozu Castle. I could tell it was a train ride specifically for tourists because of how slow it passed over the bridge and the fact that it was blasting some kind of music I could hear all the way from where I took this picture.
Iyonada Sightseeing Train
https://iyonadamonogatari.com
My only view of the ocean is here, past the iconic red drawbridge in the distance that you may remember from my last ride in this series.
Our route this time around ends here at Iyo-Nagahama Station. Thanks again for following me on my adventures down the roads of Ehime prefecture and I hope you join me next time, once the summer cools down a bit.
🚲Today’s Course
🚲Breezing Through Setouchi in Ehime Series
＃01 The sea breeze, mountains and more! 11 bike routes you can fully enjoy through the nature of Ehime.
＃02 Getting Your Feet Wet in Ehime with the Shimanami Kaido
＃03 Castles and Onsens and craft beer, Oh my! Bicycle ride through Ehime culture that continues from Shimanami Kaido
＃04 To the westernmost tip of Ehime! A straight coastal and fish ride along the Setokaze Kaido
＃05 Riverside Ride in Greenery Countryside
Text_ Jeremy Kircher
He hails from Pennsylvania, the United States, and spent around 10 years living in Honolulu, Hawaii. Since 2017, he has resided in Japan, and now works for a craft beer brewer in Takamatsu, Kagawa. Biking is his favorite way to get some exercise, and he eagerly anticipates sharing numerous appealing cycling routes throughout Shikoku.
Post Date：2025.02.20
