There is a nice cycling route near the southern cities of Okayama and Kurashiki. Both of these cities are tourist destinations, and a cycling trip of the Kibi Plain is a worthwhile daytrip. The cycling route traverses a plain covered with pretty rice paddies and villages, and passes by several impressive temples. Green hills covered in lush vegetation provide the backdrop. It is a very pretty area, and the best way to explore it is by bike.
We started our journey in Kurashiki. We took a local train to Okayama on the Sanyo line, and then transferred to the Momotaro Line and got off at Bizen-Ichinomiya Station. Just outside of the station is the bike rental place. When we approached an elderly lady marched out and started speaking to us in rapidfire Japanese. She had a binder full of pictures showing views along the route, with captions indicating where to turn, and, most importantly, which way not to go. “Oh my goodness,” I thought, “How am I going to navigate this one?” As it turns out, the route is well-marked except for the start and the finish. Once you find the signposted trail you are good.
From the station we turned right, and then we took another first right across the tracks, which led to Kibitsuhiko Shrine, an impressive temple situated at the base of a green hill.
We parked our bikes and continued on foot.
We said a few prayers for friends we lost last year.
Time to continue on. We mounted our bikes and headed northwest, along an irrigation canal, keeping the green hill on our left. At the first bridge across the canal you are supposed to cross over to the other bank. This turn is not well signed and we missed it. It didn’t matter too much because we picked up the signposted trail a bit further along.
Soon we arrived at Kibitsu Shrine. We parked the bikes and had a look around.
The temple has some pretty gardens.
I found a collection of Daruma dolls. The way I understand it, the Japanese buy Daruma dolls at temple shops as symbols of perseverance. The dolls come with blank eyes. When the owner sets a goal or makes a resolution, one eye is filled in. The doll, then, becomes a reminder of the goal. When the goal is reached, the second eye is filled in, and people bring their two-eyes dolls to the temple. At the end of the year the two-eyes dolls are burned, and the cycle starts again, with new resolutions for the new year.
Ema board with names.
Fish Pond
Pretty temple grounds.
While we enjoyed lingering at the temples, it was time to press on.
The trail now headed away from the green hill into the open countryside. It was a beautiful day and we were really enjoying ourselves.
After crossing a river we stopped for lunch at a picnic area. There were some huge wasps zipping around so we did not linger.
The trail went along an irrigation canal. It was a beautiful day, and we soaked up the sunshine.
We spotted a five-tiered pagoda poking up through a persimmon grove.
We parked our bikes once more and set out to explore Bitchu-Kokubunji Temple
It was a peaceful place, and we enjoyed wandering around.
Next to the main temple was the five-tiered pagoda.
From Bitchu Kokubunji Temple it was only a short ride to Soja. The route was well signed to the rec center, and from there we followed directions on Google Maps to get to the train station. Near the train station was the bicycle rental shop where we returned our bikes. Then, a short train ride took us to Kurashiki and our hotel. What a wonderful day out!
Logistics
Bizen-Ichinomiya to Soja is about a 17 to 18 km ride. It is a point-to-point journey, and bike rentals are available at either end. In normal circumstances this distance only takes a few hours of cycling, but with the temple visits and a few detours it makes for a full day.
Most people cycle from Bizen-Ichinomiya to Soja. The reverse is possible too but it is said that in this direction the navigation is a bit harder.
Bizen-Ichinomiya station is reached from Okayama with the Momotaro train line. Soja station is reached from Kurashiki with the Hakubi train line.