Just north of Tokyo, in Ibaraki prefecture, is the Ring-Ring Road bicycle path network. There are several hundred kilometers of pathways – some are dedicated cycle paths while others follow country roads with little traffic. Cycling here is a joy, and it’s a great way to explore the local countryside. The trails are easy to follow, there are virtually no hills, there are facilities along the way, and in most places there is very little traffic.
The hub of the Ring-Ring Road is Tsuchiura, a small city on the shore of Lake Kasumigaura. It can be reached by train from central Tokyo in about 1 hour 15 minutes using the Joban Line. As soon as you step out of the train in Tsuchiura you’ll notice that many things here are bicycle-themed. There is a bicycle shop, lots of images and signage, and there is even a bicycle-themed hotel where you can park your bike just outside of your room!
From Tsuchiura there are three pathways to choose from. There is the north shore of Lake Kasumigaura, the Mount Tskukuba railroad, and the south shore of Lake Kasumigaura.
Lake Kasumigaura North Shore
From the station and bicycle hotel we crossed the tracks on an overpass to meet a busy road that parallels the shoreline. There is a bike lane indicated on this road, but we felt more comfortable on the sidewalk. Note that in Japan, cycling on sidewalks is commonly done and widely accepted. After a few hundred meters the trail turns to the right and follows a side road behind the baseball stadium. The roads leads to the Ring-Ring Port, a clubhouse where there is parking and washroom facilities. The nearby marina has bicycle rentals.
From the Ring-Ring Port the road leads northward, and soon we left the hubbub of Tsuchiura behind. The bike trail now started the follow the lakeshore. In the following picture you can see Tsuchiura in the distance behind Diana.
Outbound, on our right, was the lake. It was glassy and we saw a lot of waterfowl: thousands of ducks, and a few cormorants as well. We were cycling on top of a dike, on a paved pathway. Blue arrows every 30 m or so showed the way, and most importantly, helped us stay on the left side of the road. The road on top of the dike also serves as an access to farmers, and pickup trucks passed us every so often. There were also old men fishing at the lakeshore. In all, though, the road was not busy at all, and we could enjoy our surroundings without having to dodge traffic.
On our left were the lotus fields. They were muddy swamps with some dead stalks sticking out. At first glance there seemed to be not much to look at.
But it was harvesting time, and we watched farmers hard at work. At the side of the fields were pickup trucks and irrigation pumps. The farmers were dressed in drysuits, and when wading out into the fields they were above their waists in muck. They were using the hoses coming out of the pumps to loosen the lotus roots and to wash them. It looked like hard work. The lotus flowers have big starchy tuberous roots, and each lump is about the size of a potato. I knew what I was looking at because I had watched a show last year about this very process on the Japanese tv channel.
Aside from lotus fields there were some rice paddies as well. Some rice paddies had golden-yellow ripe rice, whereas in other places the harvest was done and there was only a brown stubble remaining. Note the twin summits of Mount Tsukuba in the next picture.
It was a real joy to be out on bikes on such a nice day.
At the 20 km mark there was a rest station with a little cafeteria, and we ordered some treats. I had a sweet potato with a big dollop of ice cream on it, and Diana had a cream soda float.
A short distance beyond the cafeteria is the Kasumigaura Bridge. Here is is possible to cut off the north arm of Lake Kasumigaura. We kept going north towards Takahama. We turned around shortly after the 30 km mark, and we went back the way we came.
Mount Tsukuba Pathway
The Mount Tsukuba pathway follows an old railroad right-of-way. When the railroad from Tsuchiura to Iwase was decommissioned, it was turned into a 40 km-long dedicated cycling path. The path heads inland from Tsuchiura to the northwest and passes close by Mount Tskukuba, a prominent mountain with two summits. The pathway is lined with cherry trees, so those cycling it in early spring will be riding beneath a canopy of cherry blossoms!
From the Ring-Ring Port, the trail heads north, and after a few hundred meters it splits from the Lake Kasumigaura pathway. The junction is clearly marked. The trail heads west, though an underpass beneath the railway, and then goes through some residential streets before turning into a dedicated cycling pathway.
At the start there is some heavy industry, high-voltage powerlines criss-cross the sky, and there are freeways full of transport trucks in the distance. But as we cycled further out the scenery gradually became more rural, and there were rice paddies as far as they eye could see. Here I am cycling on the wrong side of the road.
We stopped by a persimmon grove, where the ripe fruit was being harvested.
The cycling on the Ring-Ring Road was wonderful. The path was a bit overgrown with weeds in places but that didn’t detract from the fun.
There are rest stops every 5 to 10 km with washrooms and picnicking facilities. At the 20 km mark the pathway comes to a road intersection. There is a 7-eleven here, and we bought some bento boxes to go. We crossed the road and cycled on another 5 km where we found a rest area that was perfect for a picnic.
After lunch we cycled on for a few more kilometers before turning around. We went back the same way we came.
Lake Kasumigaura South Shore
The character of this pathway is much like the north shore. However there are some industrial areas along the shoreline that require detours inland, and there are a few short sections where the trail follows a busy highway. Because of this I prefer the north shore, but the south shore is still a fine trail and a good day out.
From the train station we crossed the tracks on the overpass and then turned right, towards the south. After crossing a bridge the trail heads away from the highway on a small back road. There is some nice scenery here. The trail leads to “Tsuchiura City Kasumigaura Comprehensive Park”, a pleasant spot with a fake Dutch windmill. It looks like this place is popular with the locals. Apparently they have some nice tulips here in spring.
Soon after, the trail heads inland to circumvent an industrial area, which involves a short section of riding on a busy highway. There is a shoulder in most places, but not everywhere. The trail then heads back towards the shoreline where it goes through some pretty rice paddies.
At the 15 km mark is a rest area with a viewing tower. We climbed the viewing tower for some pictures.
It was a blustery, chilly, and overcast day, and we were still a bit tired from our ride the day before. So we decided to call it a day and we turned back to Tsuchiura.
Logistics
We cycled the north shore of Lake Kasumigaura in November 2023, and we cycled the Tsukuba pathway and the south shore of Lake Kasumigaura in November 2024.
Here is the prefectural website.
Tsuchiura is northeast of Tokyo.
Here is a map of the Ring-Ring Road cycle path network: (image courtesy of Ibaraki Prefecture)
At the center of the area is Lake Kasumigaura. It has cycle paths along its entire perimeter. The city of Tsuchiura is at the tip of the western arm of the lake. Tsuchiura is the easiest access point of the Ring-Ring Road for foreign tourists. Tsuchiura can be reached from Tokyo with the Joban line.
The Mount Tsukuba trail, a railroad bed converted to a cycle path, heads northwest from Tsuchiura and passes Mount Tsukuba. After 40 km it ends around a railway station called Iwase. I have visited this railway station and the scenery around here is outstanding, and I hope to return some time to explore some backroads by bike.
East of Lake Kasumigaura is another lake: Lake Kitaura. I haven’t been able to find much information on it, but the lake is en circled by local roads that look to be perfect for cycling.
Just south of the Ring-Ring Road bicycle path system is the Tone River. (I believe it is pronounced toe-nay). It is not indicated on this map, but it runs just south 0f the Ring-Ring Road going from WNW to ESE. The Tone River has Japan’s longest dedicated cycle path along it, and it would be easy to connect to it from the Ring-Ring Road. However the Tone River pathway lacks accommodation options and bike rental places, making it less accessible for foreigners than the Ring-Ring Road.
There are about twelve locations where bicycles can be rented, including several locations in Tsuchiura. You can make a reservation online up to a month in advance. In theory you should be able to pick up bikes at one location and drop off at another, setting the stage for point-to-point multi-day rides. In both 2023 and 2024 I planned to do so, but both times bicycle availability was limited, causing us to do out-and-back trips from Tsuchiura. Maybe this was just bad luck? In any case, for us, bicycle availability dictated our itinerary and where we were going to stay. The lesson here is that it is risky to book non-refundable accommodations before securing a bicycle reservation.
It looks tempting to do a point-to-point trip and to take a train back and the end of the day. However, bicycles are not allowed on Japanese trains unless they are fold-up bikes, or unless they are disassembled and in a bicycle bag. Neither is a feasible option for foreign tourists, so do keep that in mind when planning.
Does all of this sound like a hassle? It is. Is it worth it? The answer is a definite Yes.
In Tsuchiura we stayed at BEB5 Hoshino resort. This is a stylish bicycle-oriented hotel. Each floor has a repair/assembly area and bicycle storage racks. Recommended.
Sumo fans will take delight in the fact that Tsuchiura is the home town of rikishi Takayasu.