Rent a bicycle and visit these fun locations and interact with locals as you tour the city!
Getting Started
As Katsuyama is mostly flat, touring the city on a bicycle is easy and fun! When you arrive at Katsuyama Station, take advantage of a special bicycle rental service for train passengers. Pick up a regular bicycle for 100 yen or an electric assist bicycle for 500 yen and you’re ready to explore Katsuyama!
Fantastic Factories
Ride to Yumeore Katsuyama, a silk factory turned museum to learn about silk production in Katsuyama. You’ll also enjoy making your own coaster with a small, hand loom. Perfect for those with a casual interest in textiles. For details: URL
If you want to see textile machinery in action, head to Higashino Tokichi Fabric, a silk textiles factory where you can see the many stages of silk production as it has been done for many years. You’ll be amazed to see these machines as they turn and spin, producing fine silk cloth. The tour requires a reservation. For details: URL
Lunch and Entertainment
Visit Former Restaurant Kagetsuro for a delicious lunch and interactive cultural performance. While you enjoy amazing food made from locally produced products, you are sure to enjoy an entertaining and informative cultural presentation (reservation required) in which visitors can participate! Learn the background of the Katsuyama Sagicho Festival and try your hand at making the festive music!
To learn more about the Katsuyama Sagicho Festival: https://ohmatsuri.com/en/articles/fukui-katsuyama-sagicho-matsuri
Local Artisans
Spin your wheels over to Kubo Sashimono, a traditional carpenter shop, where you can see finely crafted woodworks such as doors, window frames, shelves, drawers and more. The quality of the woodworking is impressive, but the highlight is the rows and rows of brightly colored wooden pinwheels. There are a variety of sizes, color combinations and designs, but each blade on every pinwheel is carefully made and measured to create perfectly balanced wheels insuring the smoothest spin. There is a special message written on the handle of each pinwheel. Visitors are certain to enjoy listening to the craftsman describe his wares.
A short ride away is Soba Hachisuke, a famous local soba artisan. Here you can watch as he produces soba (buckwheat) flour. You can see him work through the front window, or go inside where you will smell the hearty fragrance from the mill. Feel this unique Japanese food culture as you engage your senses. See, smell, and touch the soba flour (it’s everywhere!), and hear the whir of the machines. Later, pick up some soba at どこどこ to cook when you get home. For a real challenge, buy some soba flour to try your hand at making the soba yourself!
For a fun soba making experience: URL
Take a Break
Coast over to Chiyozuru Cafe, a comfortable cafe that offers a small selection of refreshing drinks and deserts, as well as meals throughout the day. Stop by during your tour for a refresher, or toward the end of your trip to talk about the fun sites you visited before you head to your next destination.
Be sure to return your bicycles and bicycle keys to the rental office!
Price: Cycling in Katsuyama ¥7000 single person
Only Lunch ¥6500 single person
Cycling in Katsuyama with Lunch ¥13500 single person
*This activity is guided by simple English and Japanese
