Family Fun Day Experiencing the New Way of Cycling in Komono Town
My name is Isis Akemi Muto, from Sao Paulo, Brazil.
I’ve been living in Mie Prefecture, Japan, for the past 22 years. Although I have been living in Mie for a long time, I’m ashamed to say that I don’t know much about the prefecture I live in.So, recently, my husband and I started doing some day-trips around Mie.
For our 1st destination,we headed to Komono town. This is the 2nd time I’ve been to Komono town, so there were plenty of things to discover and I’m excited to share our experience from this fun family day with you all.
Komono is located in the mountains which means you will constantly be in contact with nature. Once you get there, you can’t help but be amazed by the gorgeous view of the mountains, no wonder so many hikers from all over Japan come to hike one of its famous mountains, Mt. Gozaisho.
Kiboso hotel was a perfect place to start our day. It’s a famous Japanese hotel where you can stay the night or just spend the day. Kiboso hotel is also one of the places where you can rent the electric assisted bicycle which was our means of transportation for the day.
KOMONO + MOBILITY = KOMOBILITY
Komono town is promoting the electric assisted bicycle, a new type of mobility which is perfect for this mountainous region. Being a big fan of cycling and owning a road bike myself, I must confess that I didn’t have good thoughts about electric assisted bicycles, until today.
Komobility offers you 2 types of bicycles, the electric bike pedal assistant and a bicycle with an engine. This last one requires a drivers license, so this time we chose the electric bike pedal assistant so my son could also ride.We did a little training in the parking lot before going on the open road. My husband and my son were having a blast, going full speed, meanwhile I was being a little bit cautious. I was impressed by the speed as soon as you start pedaling.
(Caption: Depart from Kiboso HOTEL on KOMOBILITY)
SHORT HIKE TO KOMONO FUJI
Being in Komono town, of course we wanted to climb a mountain. From the hotel we pedaled to the nearest mountain, Komono Fuji. Komono Fuji is not a high mountain（369 meters above sea level）, the trail however, was a little bit steep and uneven at some parts. It normally takes a person 20 minutes to reach the peak.
Once we were at the top, we were rewarded with almost 360 degrees panoramic view. On one side the sky was clear so we could see Yokkaichi city, the highway and even the ocean and Chubu Centrair International airport far away. And on the other side there were layers of gorgeous mountains covered with clouds creating a spectacular landscape, as well as Kamoshika bridge, the bridge we were about to cross.
（Caption: A superb view from Komono Fuji）
THE BRIDGE THAT CONNECTS SUZUKA SKYLINE TO YUNOYAMA HOT SPRINGS
Back on the road, we headed to our next destination.
This time we were about to find out how efficient the electric assisted bike is.
Going up hill has never been so easy! Traveling by car is practical but sometimes we miss out on some incredible spots on the way, but on the other hand, walking or riding a normal bicycle gives you plenty of time to truly appreciate the nature, however, it can be challenging especially on a mountainous region, so the electric assisted bicycle is perfect.
(Caption: Effortlessly climb hills with KOMOBILITY)
To our next destination, we crossed Yunoyama Kamoshika Bridge. As soon as we started crossing the bridge, I was amazed by the view, so I couldn’t help myself, I had to stop to take some pictures. From the bridge you not only have a magnificent view of the mountains but also the famous Aotaki waterfall.
On the other side of the bridge, there was a narrow road that took us to Yunoyama town.
(Caption: panoramic view from Kamoshika Ohashi.)
CAFE SUIMEI, A COZY, CASUAL CAFÉ WITH KIND DECORATION
In Yunoyama-Onsen, you can find many hotels and cafes. One interesting fact about some of these cafes is that they used to be a “ryokan”, old Japanese traditional hotel.
Café Suimei ,the café we chose, preserved both inside and outside designs which gives the place a unique look.We went up a path of cobblestone stairs and there it was, the restaurant was at the top of the path, next to a river.The one-of-a-kind decoration caught my attention as soon as I entered. Many lanterns from different places hanging on the wall and old posters at the ceiling. The owner, a kind Japanese lady, explained that the place that is now Café Suimei used to be a hotel lobby but she decided to turn it into a café and tried to keep its original interior, with little to no change. We chose the tatami seat at the window for the beautiful view.
(Caption: Restaurant Cafe Suimei in Yunoyama-onsen)
EATING AYU (OR SWEETFISH) FOR THE 1st TIME
At this point, we were starving and we couldn’t wait to taste the café’s specialty, Ayu. During summer, it’s a tradition in Japan to eat salted and grilled ayu fish on a stick. We ordered 2 sets of ayu, one for my husband and another so I could share with my son. It was exquisite, it’s crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. We also ordered other dishes, pasta and teishoku set, which were as delicious as the ayu set.
※the ayu set is summer-only menu.
(Caption: Delicious lunch at Cafe Suimei）
TIME TO CHILL AND RELAX AT OISHI PARK
After lunch, we made our way to a small but beautiful park Oishi Park. In that park there is big granite stone and the simple but charming red bridge. The trees, Mitaki river and the different rock formation make a gorgeous landscape.
Each ride is limited to 3 hours, so it was time to head back to the Kibōsō hotel, but on our way back, we had to make some quick stops to take pictures of the gorgeous view.
(Caption: very calming view of Oishi Park)
Spend a leisurely time at Kiboso Hotel
At the Kibōsō hotel, we could finally relax after the fun and active day we had. The hotel is divided into 2 buildings. One upper and one lower. The lobby, the gift shop, and some areas where you can relax are in the higher building, and the rooms, the restaurant,the hot air bath facility ”Radon-yoku“ and access to the onsen are on the lower building.
To get to the building on the lower ground, we took a cable car. It’s just a 2 minutes ride. I thought it was a creative way of accessing both buildings.
It's the first time in 22 years living in Japan that I go to a “ryokan”. When it comes to decoration, every country has its own style and uniqueness, and Japan has one that fascinates me, it’s delicate and strong at the same time and the modern and ancient are blended in harmony.