Ride in Ehime, Japan – your next cycling holiday?
A week spent riding on the roads of Japan’s Ehime prefecture could be summed up with a few words: ‘Cycling Bliss’. It was a short stay but – with thanks to our fabulous hosts and an itinerary that was packed with adventure, scenery, perfect cycling terrain and the smoothest bitumen I’ve ever been blessed to ride – it was an unforgettable experience.
“To anyone who is new to cycling and is looking for a good adventure, come here! To anyone who has ridden all their lives – like me, come here! To anyone who wants to just get an understanding of what joy can come from the act of pedalling, come here!”
My summary of a stunning ride in Ehime as part of a visit to Japan in November 2025 suggests this part of the world is perfect for cycling. My conclusion isn’t so much a recommendation, but a statement: come here!
If you like your cycling routes to be picturesque, traffic-free, and feature the smoothest bitumen you can possibly imagine, then the Ehime prefecture on the island of Shikoku should be on your list of holiday destinations.
If you ride here, I’m confident to say, you will not be disappointed!
Ehime lures in bike riders from near and far, often by way of the popular ‘Shimanami Kaido’ a ±90km ride used by cyclotourists all year round; it’s also a loop that forms the basis of a mass-participation ride held every second year in October.
Thankfully, I had the opportunity to join five other Australians – some media, some travel agents – who had never visited Ehime before for a week-long trip that soon became a highlight of my time reporting on cycling. The prefecture wanted to showcase why this part of Japan is an ideal place to ride a bike.
Cyclotourism is a key component of a considerable tourism push by the region. Now that I’ve had the chance to ride there, I understand why. It’s an ideal setting for cyclists young and old, newcomers and experienced alike.
Riding a bike while feeling respected by other road users should be a given. Respect shouldn’t feel like a bonus. And yet, as many Australian cyclists know, finding a patch of road that is free of angst and aggression isn’t always easy.
After only a few days of riding in Ehime I soon realised how satisfying and liberating it can be to not feel endangered by riding a bike on the road.
Respect is an impossible commodity to trade. It’s either there, or it’s not. For most of my life I’ve ridden a bike and, alas, when I consider the contrast in sensations on Australian roads versus the experience I had in Ehime, it highlights how much could still be done to improve cycling conditions here.
Ehime might not be a destination you’ve considered for a cycling holiday before. It might not have the exposure that other places get thanks to racing coverage and the like but the conditions are, in my appraisal, on par – or even better – than some of the more typical places where people go to ride a bike and savour the surrounds.
In Japanese terms, it is also relatively ‘remote’. Ehime is in the northwest of the island of Shikoku. It’s not connected to major hubs by the Shinkansen. Much of the prefecture is largely rural, with citrus (of all kinds) providing income for the locals and scents for visitors. It’s not vastly populated and although there is a lot to see and plenty to do here, there are many other hotspots listed in Japanese tourist brochures.
That’s fine by me, while tourists flock to the snowfields and cities in huge numbers, I was happy to have the stunning roads of Ehime largely to myself and my riding companions.
From the seat of the bike during harvest season the hillsides are filled with trees and flashes of fruity colour from mandarins, oranges, lemons and other citrus the region is famous for. The views are fabulous, the smell is sensational, and the roads… oh, the roads! Most cyclists would only dream of surfaces like this, but in Ehime you have manicured tarmac that twists and turns, rises and falls, and sends the rider on a blissful journey without any angst or bother from other road users.
There are motorists, just not many. There were instances during our visit when were spent hours riding without once seeing another vehicle. Sometimes, it’s only you and your breath and the hum of your tyres; through bamboo forests, past rice fields, up hills – sometimes mountains – and down thrilling descents. It might be remote but that’s exactly part of the appeal.
The scenery, the scents, the road surfaces, and the stresslessness of the time spent on the bike in Ehime all combined to make me want to ride, and ride… and ride!
There were places to go, food to savour, and sights to be seen. Sometimes the organisers of this incredible week in Japan even set a few hours aside for us to sleep. But the focus was cycling. We rode and we rode, often in gobsmacked delight. But it wasn’t all we did in Ehime. We also ate and we ate… and ate – and when it felt like we couldn’t fit anymore in, we ate some more.
Eventually there would be rest. Along the way, there would be discovery, exercise, education, conversation, and camaraderie that emerged so free and easily – on the bike or while we ate – that friendships formed within hours. We arrived in Ehime as strangers but, once the adventure was over, we left as mates. Cycling in a glorious setting can do that to a group of people.
The adventure had its challenges – some climbs and a bit of distance covered, and monsoon-like rain on the first day which cut short what was meant to be our maiden ride in Ehime – but it felt effortless, more energising than energy-sapping.
From one ride to the next, the week got better as did the weather. The initial confusion of being in a setting where I understood none of what was said soon faded. When I landed, I wondered how I’d survive a week. Without any understanding of the language but with hosts that had every minute (and every meal) of the day accounted for, Ehime has become a beacon on my wish list. When I left, I wondered how long it would be before I’d return and ride again.
It was one week. It wasn’t something I expected to do. It was foreign but I felt like a local. The biggest reward of the week, however, was getting the opportunity to ride my bike in a beautiful setting and getting the chance to understand how liberating it can feel to ride on the road with respect and without fear. It wasn’t just good, it was absolutely magic!
Summary of our rides in Ehime
- Day 1: Around Yuge Island – 13.55km (179m elevation) Route on Strava
- Day 2: Up the mountain / UFO Line – 98.52km (2,359m elevation) Route on Strava
- Day 3: Shimohatanokawa to Takenoyabu – 84.65km (1,570m elevation) Route on Strava
- Day 4: The Perfect Ride (Nakadomari to Yusu) – 80.88km (1,182m elevation) Route on Strava
- Day 5: Rollercoaster along the coast – 86.61km (1,155m elevation) Route on Strava
- Day 6: One last blast (Ozu to Tobe) – 69.98km (845m elevation) Route on Strava
