Oku-oi is a place you’ll never get tired of, with so many amazing sights: steam locomotives chugging along, Abt-style trains climbing super steep slopes, the incredibly smooth waters of Sumatakyo Onsen, and the beautiful Dream Suspension Bridge spanning an emerald green river. I’ve been there by car and train before, but this time I decided to try cycling the round trip from Senzu to Ikawa on an eBike.
First, I loaded my eBike into the car and drove from Hamamatsu towards Shimada. From there, I headed north along the Oigawa Railway line, aiming for Senzu Station. The route itself is full of attractions like old, atmospheric station buildings, tea fields, and suspension bridges over the Oigawa River. If you try to stop at every interesting spot, you’d never have enough time! Shiogo Suspension Bridge here is famous for steam locomotives passing directly underneath it, but unfortunately, it’s still recovering from typhoon damage, so it had a quiet vibe. Even so, this huge suspension bridge spanning the wide Oigawa River is super impressive.
Right near Senzu Station, there’s a roadside station, so I parked my car there and set off for Ikawa on my eBike. It’s a pretty big climb up to Ikawa, so there’s no way I could do it without an eBike.
The trains on the Oigawa Railway’s Ikawa Line are really small, and perhaps because they’re painted red, they look a bit like toys from a distance, which is kind of fun.
When you’re cycling, it’s great to be able to stop and really take in the scenery that catches your eye. You might even discover suspension bridges in places you’d never notice if you were driving, which makes for some cool new discoveries!
I’ve passed Nagashima Dam many times, but I might never have noticed there was a fountain here! I was really impressed by the scale of the dam and the fountain shooting water quite high up. Also, seeing the Abt-style locomotive pushing trains up such a steep incline looks completely different when you’re watching from outside compared to actually riding the train.
This is the famous Okuoi-kojo Lake Station. The observation deck where you can see this view is quite a hike if you get off at the lake station and climb up, but approaching it by bicycle from the road side is surprisingly easy, which is nice. On this day, the emerald green lake surface was sparkling under the almost hot sunshine, making for a truly spectacular view. The contrast between the emerald green and the red train is just perfect.
Past Sessokyo Onsen Kaikan, the road split into two: one going through the long Sessokyo Tunnel and a narrow path running along the Oigawa River. I wasn’t keen on cycling through a long tunnel, and I really wanted to enjoy the riverside scenery, so I took the narrow path along the river. I cycled all the way to an observatory where I could see the Sekinosawa Bridge of the Ikawa Line in the distance, only to find the path ahead was closed due to a landslide, forcing me to turn back… Seriously, they should put a sign at the fork saying it’s impassable, lol.
Despite a fair bit of climbing, I surprisingly reached Ikawa Station without too much trouble. Just beyond Ikawa Station is Ikawa Dam, and further on, there’s a walking path where the old railway tracks, once used to transport materials for building the dam, have been left as they were, perfect for a leisurely stroll.
If you keep walking along this path, you’ll find another “Dream Suspension Bridge,” different from the famous one at Sumatakyo Onsen. I think the one at Sumatakyo Onsen is overwhelmingly more famous, so I wonder why they share the same name.
On the way back from Ikawa, I took a few detours to places I hadn’t stopped at on the way there. Stations aren’t always right along the main road; some are tucked away a bit, so you’d probably just drive past them if you were in a car. Kanzō Station was one of those, and it had a really nice, quiet atmosphere.
And on the way back, wanting to soothe my tired muscles, I headed to the Sessokyo Onsen Kaikan, which I was really looking forward to. For some reason, I hit it off with someone from India, and we had a great time chatting about all sorts of hot spring stories!
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