E-Bike Tour to Explore History of Hokuto City

【OUTLINE】

Take an e-bike tour of the historic Mt. Kai-Komagatake area at Hokuto City Hakushu and Mukawa town!
Visit the significant sites associated with famous generals in Japanese history, with commentary from local guides.

【HIGHLIGHTS】

• Visit the Yamataka Jindai-zakura, the oldest cherry tree in Japan which is said to be 2,000 years old.
  
• Ride a bike through beautiful countryside and mountain scenery.
  
• Enjoy touring along the old Koshu Kaido, one of the oldest passage in the medieval time in Japan with remnants of those period.
  
• Stop at a local Japanese sweets shop that specialises in local rice.
  
• Stroll through the quaint atmosphere of old houses and warehouses that slip back in time to the medieval time in "Taiga Harajuku", selected as one of the 100 best roads in Japan.
  

【SCHEDULE】

・9:40～  Meet at agrieable MUKAWAfor registration, course briefing and test ride.
・10:15～ Visit Koto Shrine, the local shrine with an unusual legend that the god of the festival was saved by an eel.
・Visit the Yamataka Jindai cherry tree, a 2,000 year old edohigan cherry tree.
・Enjoy the view of the Southern Alps from the "birthplace of the Yanagisawa clan", famous generals who served the Shogun in the medieval time.
・Stop at a Japanese sweets shop Handmade Japanese Sweets Akizuki, which is dedicated to the local food movements.
・Stroll in Suisha no Sato Park, which has water mill, a view point of peaceful countryside and Mt. Komagatake.
・11:30～ After lunch in Taigahara, visit Yamanashi Meijo, the sake brewery where one of the Meiji Emperor's overnight spots is located, and Kinseiken, a Japanese sweets shop with over 100 years of history.
・Catch a glimpse of the atmosphere of a bygone era, with its storehouses and the Bato Kannon (Goddess of Mercy), on the Koshu Kaido.
・14:00～ Visit to Tanaka Arao Shrine, a shrine used as an overnight stop on the Ochatsubo Road in the Edo period.
・Take a short stop at Michi no Eki (Roadside Station) Hakushiu, where you can buy locally produced fresh agricultural products such as fruits and vegetables, and also use a place to draw water from its famous spring.
・Visit the Seki-no-zakura (Seki-no-zakura), a 200-year-old single-row edohigan cherry tree. It is said to have stood beside the old Shinshu road barrier.
・15:30～ Return e-bikes to Agreeable Mukawa. 

【DETAILS】

The tour includes a visit of shrines, temples and other important historical sites in the area. Your e-bike will take you on an exhilarating ride along the old Koshu Kaido, an old passage from the medieval times, through the countryside where delicious rice is grown. The tour also includes a visit to sake breweries and historic Japanese sweets shops for souvenirs in the post town of Daigahara-juku during medieval times. 

【THINGS TO NOTE】

• Time：6.5 hours
• Meeting point：agrieable MUKAWA [MAP]
  3567-212 Mukawacho Yamataka, Hokuto, Yamanashi 408-0306
  
• Access：
  By train: 20 minutes by taxi from Hinoharu Station on the JR Chuo Main Line /
  By car: 20 minutes from Sutama Inter-Change on the Chuo Expressway (free parking)
  
• Minimum number of participants：2 people
• Language support：Japanese
• Included：e-bike rental fee (including a helmet rental), guide fee, insurance, snack and lunch.
  
• Items to bring：Backpack, gloves and sunglasses (if necessary)
• Participation requirements：
  ・Must be over 140cm tall, healthy and able to ride a bicycle.
  ・Not recommended for travelers with back problems.
  ・Not recommended for travelers with heart problems or other serious medical conditions.
• Special support：Luggage storage is available.
• Free WI-FI：Yes
• Toilet：Yes (Western-style)

【CANCELLATION POLICY】

6 days before the tour date: 0% of the tour price
5 days before the tour date to on the day of the tour: 100% of the tour price