Cycling through the countryside is one of Japan’s best kept secrets. Because Japan is so well developed, you can expect nice paved roads through even rural areas with minimal car traffic, which really makes for a relaxing and enjoyable cycling experience! My experience took place near Hofu in Yamaguchi but no doubt you can find similar places across Japan.
We stayed at an Airbnb about 12km outside Hofu. Technically there are buses that run there from the Hofu Station but they do not run often at all – maybe once an hour if you’re lucky! Fortunately our host was kind enough to pick us up from the station, otherwise driving may be your best option.
The Airbnb itself is an entire traditional Japanese farm house with ebikes available for guest use. Obviously you’ll only be able to go cycling if bikes are available, so you’ll need to check if your Airbnb provides them or bring your own. Where we stayed is literally the countryside with no shops in a 5km radius, so don’t expect to find any bike rental shops nearby.
Once you do head out on your bike, just try to stay on the local farm roads to stay away from heavy traffic and enjoy the relaxing backdrop of rice fields and mountains. The local houses and manicured gardens are just as interesting to see (if not more so) than the farms and fields. You’ll likely pass by local amenities as well such as temples, schools, post offices, etc. It’s quite fun to observe all these things and imagine living in rural Japan.
One thing to be aware of though is that this is the countryside so expect a lot of critters. There was a constant stream of dragonflies along the journey but they were not aggressive and did not fly in my face, and it actually added to the nice rural ambiance. When it started to get dark though I did see one snake on the path (in the last picture above) which jumped into the water as I approached! So I would not recommend cycling in the dark, but overall cycling in the Japanese countryside was one of the most interesting and relaxing bike rides I have ever done!
The Google Maps insert below shows the general vicinity of where I cycled, but of course there would be countless other rural locations to cycle across Japan.