We’re happy to share that the complimentary rental bicycles for guests staying at Kashiwaya Ryokan are now brand new.
Our new bicycles are made by tokyobike, a Japanese bicycle brand built around a simple idea:
“Bicycles are not only for speed or transportation, but a way to add small changes and discoveries to everyday life.”
We felt this philosophy matches the atmosphere of Shima Onsen perfectly.
Shima Onsen is a mountain hot spring town with quite a few hills. While electric bikes are convenient, we intentionally chose 7-speed bicycles without electric assist.
We hope that even the slightly challenging moments — slowly pedaling uphill and feeling the mountain air — can become part of the memories of your trip.
The distances around town are just right for exploring by bicycle.
The Kirinokidaira shopping street area, where you’ll find Kashiwaya Cafe and Shima Terrace, is about 1.5 km from the ryokan, or around a 10-minute ride.
Lake Oku-Shima is about 4 km away, which takes roughly 30 minutes at a relaxed pace. Since the lakeside road around the lake is also about 4 km, it makes a perfect cycling course for a peaceful ride surrounded by nature.
On the very first day we introduced these new bicycles, one of our international guests went cycling to hear the famous Melody Road near the entrance to Shima Onsen — a road that plays music as cars drive over it.
One of the charms of Shima Onsen is that everything is close enough to enjoy slowly by bicycle. On a fresh sunny day, cycling through the quiet streets, riverside scenery, and mountain air can become one of the best memories of your stay in Japan.
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