Japanese luxury from Ise-Shima
”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.
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?
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.”
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.
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!
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.
As the bike trip is luxurious, the accommodation shall be luxurious as well. Here is another luxury just opened in July 2016.
Over the museum-like hall spreads Ago Bay
Not only the room but also ornaments or decorations are gorgeous. The entire space is luxurious in detail.
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.
“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?
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.
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.
（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