Okayama’s Cycling Road: Katatetsu Roman Kaido

Hi there it’s Mr. Wada back on duty. This time I would like to share our day on Katatetsu Roman Kaido Cycling Road.

Okayama’s Cycling Road: Katatetsu Roman Kaido

Katatetsu Roman Kaido cycling road is a discontinued railroad which was used between 1919 and 1991. City of Okayama put up the official cycling road map in November of 2017 as part of the tourism project. This includes the Kibi Plain cycling road that we have tried before, and Katatetsu Roman Kaido cycling road! According to the map, these two are supposedly easier than others…but it is still about 34.2 km long (one day). Let’s see how it goes.

Katatetsu Roman Kaido Cycling Road Map (PDF)

Let the Cycling Day Begin!

We started at the Katatetsu Cycling Road Terminal. It offers rent a bike for FREE for anyone. FYI, there are no NO mountain bikes available. Although no worries, there isn’t much crazy killer-steep on this cycling road. If you are very much attached to mountain bikes, you could get a rent a bike at Ukaidani Transporation Park which is like 12 km ahead of this terminal.

Pick a bike. Fill in the application form and you are ready to go. (ask staff for a help)

Go to left to start. Right to Katakami where is actually the official start point.

Go down the road and the first thing to see would be this Shimizu tunnel. After this tunnel you are already in Wake Town. After a while keep going through the Shimizu Station and Wake Town central.

Continue straight

Passing JR Wake station.

Go on a regular road for a while.

Passing through Wake residence

Wake dome and Ukaidani Transporation Park (you can start from this place with a rental bile as well)

Passing Tawaraiseki Dam.

Getting away from civilization.

Amase station with a nice platform.

Amase station.

Nice riding in the shades…

There are signs like this everywhere for cyclists.

Passing a residential area again.

Bizen Yata station.

Moving to the other side.

Back to the forest road.

Nigaki Station stands in the middle of the forest road (air is so fresh!). Now we are at half way.

Getting tired….

Bizen Fukuda station.

Looks like another train station but it’s a washroom.

We had lunch and coffee at this neat restaurant called Kiraku. I may feature it another time. It was such a compact & cute place!

Going along the river now. Nice views and really nice that it is separated from the car road.

Apparently cosmos flowers bloom on the side in summer.

Slowing down.

Great view, isn’t it?

Entering Misaki town.

Cross and go to the left.

Move to the side road.

Slope at very end (killer).

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Here we are. This is Kichigahara Station, the last stop of Katatetsu Roman Kaido cycling road. It isn’t used now but it seems to be preserved very well. There is a small cafe in the station. Get a drink and chill.

A cool retro train. I remember that one of the customers at Fusha Cafe that we have previously visited, mentioned that the floor of this Katatetsu train is made of wood. I wish I could see it.

Not only train lovers were excited!

Passing right in front of me.

Observation tower…I think.

Lobby.

Lobby (selling souvenirs)

It says this is the true first cat station master (before Tama in Wakayama)

Some art works?

Here’s the museum to learn more about the Katatetsu.

This station has a train-ride event every first Sunday. What a coincident it was the day (hehe). A ticket is available for 300 yen.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BitYCzXjKFC/?taken-by=thewadas

We wanted to stay longer but time was running out! We’d have to return the bikes by 17:00. It took us about 3 hours from the terminal to this Kichigahara Station, so…we’d better leave before 14:00.

We wouldn’t need to stop for photos on the way back but my concern was if my remained energy would be enough to make it back in time. (=_=) End up we made it in about 2.5 hours on the way back (phew).

Lastly

How do you find it? Overall it was not too bad. The roads are well maintained and distant from car road. I highly recommend it for families and beginners.

See you around!