Northern Hamamatsu, a mountainous area with beautiful rivers that leads to Shinshu, is almost like a hidden gem. It’s not super famous, so it’s usually not too crowded, making it a favorite spot I love to visit whenever I have some free time. I decided to go cycling around the ‘Michi-no-Eki Kunma Suisha no Sato’ (roadside station), which I’d been curious about for a while.
From Hamamatsu, I loaded my eBike into the car and drove to Kunma Suisha no Sato. It’s a cozy roadside station nestled in the mountains, and it seems to be a popular spot for motorcyclists and road cyclists.
I just started cycling without a specific route and ended up on Prefectural Road 296. After riding for a while, I checked the map and found that this road follows the Atago River south, letting me see a few waterfalls along the way, and eventually meets Prefectural Road 9 in the town of Atago. Knowing I could then head north back to the roadside station, just like the way I drove, I decided to keep going.
The road was pretty narrow, a place I definitely wouldn’t want to drive, but it was perfect for cycling. I could leisurely ride along, admiring the beautiful Atago River. The water was a clear, jade color, and when the sun hit it, its beauty really shone. Setobuchi Falls, in particular, was bathed in just the right amount of sunlight, giving it a truly divine feel.
When I posted on social media about cycling around Kunma Suisha no Sato, someone recommended Atago Shoten’s ramen. It happened to be right around where Prefectural Road 296 ends, so I decided to stop by.
A stylish ramen shop way out here in the mountains – it reminded me of ZUND-BAR, the Afuri Ramen branch in Oyama. I ordered what seemed to be their signature dish, the Gyukotsu Paitan (beef bone broth) ramen. The beef bone soup was light and clean, and the finely chopped red onions added a fun, interesting accent that I absolutely loved. This might just be the kind of flavor that makes you want to travel all the way here just to eat it!
I heard there were beautiful terraced rice fields and tea plantations around here, so I took a little detour to check them out. Unfortunately, at this time of year, the fields weren’t filled with water, nor were there any rice plants, which was a bit anticlimactic.
On the way back, I stopped by my favorite JA Mikkabi local produce market. It wasn’t the season for Aoshima mikan, but they had some unusual varieties of citrus for sale. The one that caught my eye and that I bought that day was this “Hyokan.” At first glance, it looks like a lemon, but it’s actually a type of pomelo. It was juicy with a firm texture, and had a refreshing balance of sourness and sweetness – absolutely delicious! It’s a citrus fruit I’d definitely buy again if I find it.
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