From Tokyo, take the Tokaido Shinkansen to Nagoya.
From Nagoya, transfer to the Hida limited express train for a total ride time of approximately 4 hours.
Arrive in Takayama, Gifu Prefecture, for the first Discover Ride.

We arrived just before noon and quickly assembled the bikes to start the ride.
As this is a two-day/one-night trip so the equipment is compact.

We got ready and started from in front of JR Takayama station. The day (mid-June) had a high temperature of 29°C and rain was forecast from the evening onwards.
We set off for our goal, Gujo Hachiman, before it rained.

This is my first time in Takayama. We strolled through Ichinomachi, Ninomachi and Sanomachi, known as the 'Little Kyoto of Hida'.
Despite it being a weekday, the town was crowded with many foreign tourists.

For lunch, we went to Suzuya, a restaurant where you can eat Hida beef, a Takayama specialty.
The recommended 'Hoba Miso Steak' is Hida beef cut into bite-sized pieces and grilled with miso on a hoba leaf.
The meat with little fat is delicious as it is, but it also goes perfectly with the miso.
Naturally, the rice goes down a treat.

Check location on map

The ride resumed after we finished recharging. From Takayama city, take National Road 156 to Seseragi Kaido (Prefectural Road 73). Arrive at the fork after about 5km.

The ride took about 30 minutes on the Seseragi Highway. Stopped for a coffe break before the uphill became too hard.
The Razuri coffee shop along the road was an unusual building.
The roof and walls are in one piece and the sign says 'Canadian House'.
According to later research, the roof and walls are combined in the Canadian Caesar style, which is made from hundreds of years old cedar trees, and is resistant to wind and snow and has excellent insulation.
From inside, you can look out over the Kawakami River, which runs alongside the road.

Check location on map

After a coffee break, the road goes back to the Seseragi Kaido. As the name suggests, you can always hear the murmur of the river, and although the road continues uphill for about 30km, the incline is gentle at 2-3%.
On weekdays, there is little traffic and it is comfortable!

About 30km after starting from Takayama Station, the Nishiure Toge is reached.
The 1km or so just before the pass is momentarily tougher, with a 7%-10% gradient, but overall even beginners can make the climb.
The second half starts here. The descent continues downhill until Gujo Hachiman.

About 30km downhill from the Nishiure Toge, the roadside station Meiho is located along the Seseragi Kaido. This cycle-friendly roadside station is fully equipped with cycle racks and air tanks.

At the roadside station, visitors can enjoy souvenir shops selling local specialities and local gourmet food.
The first thing we headed for was the Mitarashi dumplings (90 yen per dumpling), which are Tsucchi's favourite.

Mitarashi dumplings with a generous coating of sweet soy sauce sauce are a speciality of the southern area of Gifu Prefecture.
The surface is crispy and the filling is chewy. I was so impressed with the dumplings that I had to have another one.

Since we were there, we also stopped by the Meiho Ham direct sales shop, a long-established company that has been making ham in the region for more than 30 years. In addition to selling ham, the shop sells croquettes, frankfurters and other food items made from pork, which are just right to fill up your stomach.

Ordered the famous Meiho Fries, which are fried ham on skewers. Even though it's ham, it was surprisingly chewy and has the texture of beef skewers.
I missed having a beer too, but held back a little and set off again.

After riding approximately 14km from Roadside Station Meiho, we arrived at today's goal, Gujo-Hachiman.
In the centre of the photo, the illuminated building 'Jyoga Keibo' can be seen.
The inn is a renovated old house along the Yoshida River, which runs through the middle of Gujo-Hachiman.

The accommodation, a single house, is a 'townhouse stay'. No caretaker, auto-locking and auto-check-in. I was already excited from the hideaway appearance.

The wooden one-storey building is more than large enough to accommodate two people.
It has three Japanese-style rooms with a mini-kitchen, bathroom and toilet.
Bicycles can be left at the entrance.

The best part of this inn is the view of the town of Gujo Hachiman from the room.
The crystal-clear waters of the Yoshida River flowing below are calming just by looking at them.

We headed to a restaurant five minutes from the inn for dinner.
Charcoal Grill Genrin, with an extensive menu including sashimi and yakitori, is a popular restaurant with local regulars and foreigners.

The beer we chose for the toast was a pale ale from Kobo Kobo, a craft beer from Gujo Hachiman.
I've decided to start collecting the crowns of local bottled craft beers so I can fit them and show them off on my Zucky! stem cap.
The beer we ordered was a pale ale, with a rich aroma from the glass and a clean taste.
The beer tasted exceptional after the ride! The night went on as we reflected on today's route.

The weather forecast was right and on the second day, heavy rain started in the morning.
We stared at the weather forecast until around noon, but it turned out to be warning-level heavy rain, so we gave up on proceeding with the journey and changed to train rides.
We rode carefully on our own to the nearest Gujo Hachiman station, protecting our electronic equipment from the rain.

About 1.5km from the inn, we arrived at Gujo Hachiman Station, the goal of this trip. From here, we took the Nagara River Railway to JR Mino-Ota Station. We put our bicycles in our bike bags and quickly prepared ourselves for the journey.
Unfortunately, we were not able to use the train this time, but the Nagaragawa Railway operates a limited number of cycling trains every morning that allow cyclists to bring their bicycles directly onto the train.

Nagaragawa Railway Co.,Ltd

Nagara River Railway cycling train
One of Discover Ride's mottos is, "Take it easy".
It's quite nice to sit on a station platform and listen to the sound of the rain as you wait for your train.

We loaded their bicycles on the Nagara River Railway to Mino-Ota Station. We then changed to the JR Takayama Line to Nagoya and took the Tokaido Shinkansen back to Tokyo.
The second day was mostly train rides, but we were able to change their itinerary easily because they had their wheeled bags with them.
The "Tecchan" (train enthusiast) Tsucchi was able to take a local train, which was a welcome development.
The trip made us realise that we can continue to enjoy our trip even when it rains, as long as we can adapt to sudden weather changes and our physical condition, and enjoy the moment to the fullest.