Japanese luxury from Ise-Shima

cyclist admiring the sunset on Ago Bay

”Bicycle Journey”, a new trip starting from Shima in Mie prefecture.

This trip relating the nature of Ise-Shima national park, people living there, history, culture, experience, shopping and the local gastronomy of Mie prefecture by bicycle is a plan of quality which was realized by the cooperation of a US cycling tour company and Japan Association of Cycling.
You will enjoy a variety of experiences and discover local gastronomy in this luxurious tour, which provides you with guide staff, accompanying maintenance car, drinks during cycling, arrangement of meals and accommodation, customization of schedule according to the date and riding distances, etc.

Staff in Shima sports commission

Mr. Tatsuya Mori of Shima sports commission welcomes guests as a tour guide of Bicycle Journey.

“We usually just drive around the town when living there, but I found there were so many places I hadn’t known when riding a bicycle and slowly watching my hometown.”, says Mr. Mori, who discovered many joys of bicycle through this project.

The staffs on the accompanying car supplying brakes and maintenance during the trip are also from Shima region. Giving us local information and services in detail is nice, isn’t it?

one moment of the tour guide

The trip can be freely set in a half day, 2 day, 3 days, etc. You can enjoy a lot of experiences and explanations by the local guide in each place.

“The rafts over there are to grow oysters. There were many such rafts on the sea nearby when I was a child. The flows from the national park are very rich and nourish the sea. You can also see many establishments to grow pearls and sea lettuces.”

rafts to grow sea lettuces

They have different kinds of bicycle such as road bikes or cross bikes so that everybody from beginner to experts can enjoy the trip.

A trip on a bicycle of the oldest existing brand must give you an unusual feeling of the local charm.

road bike

You can enjoy local particular tastes in lunch. It must be anori blowfish kaiseki course if you choose the way to anori lighthouse. Abalones or lobsters on other ways. Local particular gastronomy is also attractive about this trip. Feeling the wind blowing in the local and enchanted by the local ingredients. What a luxurious experience!

sashimi of anori blowfish

Bicycle Journey is a trip one rank more luxurious than luxuery. There is something you can experience only by bicycle. This is the first luxurious cycling tour in Japan. It also provides some options like photography during the trip by professional photographer, translators for foreign travelers, accommodation arrangement, etc.

one moment of cycling

As the bike trip is luxurious, the accommodation shall be luxurious as well. Here is another luxury just opened in July 2016.

Hall of the hotel

Over the museum-like hall spreads Ago Bay

view from the room

Not only the room but also ornaments or decorations are gorgeous. The entire space is luxurious in detail.

sophisticated room

It is run by Mr. Masato Imamura, the chef, and Miho Imamura, the proprietress. They met in a working place and got married.

The idea is a “restaurant to stay”. The chef has a lot of cooking experience in Tokyo and Paris. He cooks seafood representing Ise-Shima region in a French base style and organizes the dishes with seasonal ingredients of the day.

Mr. Masato Imamura, the chef, and Miho Imamura, the proprietress

“Mie is a land of food with a variety of nature. Seafood form Ise-Shima, Matsuzaka beef, vegetables grown in mountains and delicious rice. We would like to choose the best ingredients of the day and cook them most delicious.”, says chef Imamura. What will be the result of the combinations of traditional Japanese cooking skills and the ingredients of Mie?

Chef garnishing the dish

The menu of the dinner is “the best ingredients of the day”. The chef chooses the best seasonal ingredients of Mie prefecture and add other ingredients gathered from all over Japan. He makes full use of these ingredients and his techniques.

Fois gras sauté on a sliced tomato with purée of tomitsu-kintoki
Fois gras sauté on a sliced tomato with purée of tomitsu-kintoki
carpaccio of abalone on Kyoto radish
carpaccio of abalone on Kyoto radish
fricassee of turban shell with parsley and confit of tomato accompanied by penne
fricassee of turban shell with parsley and confit of tomato accompanied by penne
Grilled lobster on herbs with Bourg-Blanc sauce
Grilled lobster on herbs with Bourg-Blanc sauce
Sirloin of Matsuzaka beef with peppercorn grains and shrimp-shaped taro
Sirloin of Matsuzaka beef with peppercorn grains and shrimp-shaped taro
Breakfast, another feast
Breakfast, another feast

Feeling the climate on your skin, taste the treasures of the see and the mountain and admire the sunset on the beautiful bay.

You can relax from deep inside of your heart and enjoy a new charm of Ise-Shima region, which is slow time, new discovery and sophisticated gastronomy. This is nowhere but Ise-Shima.

Sunset on Ago Bay

(February 15, 2017)
Produced for Web Magazine OTONAMIE by Masaki Kitada

Produced with the cooperation of

Ise-Shima Bicycle Journey(Shima Sports Commission)
http://www.bicycle-journey.com
2F Boner bldg, 3127-2Ugata,Ago-cho,Shima City,Mie
Tel 0599-44-4450

THE HIRAMATSU HOTELS & RESORTS Kashikojima
http://www.hiramatsuhotels.com/kashikojima/
3618-52 Ugata,Ago-cho,Shima City,Mie
Tel 0599-65-7001

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