Tropical Breeze

Starting in the shadow of Hiroshima’s Peace Memorial, this beautiful section begins with a bang – a ride on one of Japan’s Bullet trains to the island of Kyushu. Here the challenging route climbs inland to the small town of Takachiho, home to a stunning gorge, and into the small village of Shiiba, with its unique cyclical farming methods that work with the forest. The riders continues south stopping in Hitoyoshi for a day to soak in the region’s renown hot springs before arriving in the port city of Kagoshima, its active volcano, Sakurajima, looming across the bay.

A ferry takes the cyclists to Yakushima. Famous for its towering cedar trees, a large portion of the island is a National Park and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The riders have a rest day here to hike the gorgeous trails before heading back to Kagoshima where they board another ferry to the small island of Amami Ōshima. A hilly day’s ride leads the riders to Koniya where they can enjoy water sports on nearby Kakeromajima Island. A final ferry ride takes the cyclists to the warm breezes and sandy beaches of Okinawa and the end of this exciting section.

Highlights

• Takachiho Gorge
• Yakushima Island
• Shiba Agriculture site
• Island Beaches