[Beautiful Country Mie Bicycle Route Note: Minamiise/Watarai Edition] Delight in seafood gourmet food on a rewarding course that crosses mountain passes!

What is “Beautiful Country Mie Bicycle Route Diary”?

Bicycle writer Masanori Asano, born and raised in Mie Prefecture, will introduce you to the charms of Mie Prefecture while cycling!

■Traveler bicycle writer Masanori Asano
I have been cycling for about 20 years. I love cycling as much as I love three meals and snacks. Because of his love for bicycles, he became a freelance bicycle writer. He rides his bicycle for work, and also enjoys racing and long rides in his private life.

Watarai Town is located in the clear Miyagawa River basin, which is representative of Mie Prefecture, and MinamiiseTown faces the Kumanonada Sea.
Both are attractive cycling courses known only to those in the know, rich in nature, easy to ride on a bicycle, and full of spectacular views and attractions.

There are many gourmet spots along the road where you can enjoy the delicacies of the sea and the mountains, so it can be hard to decide where to stop.
This time, writer Asano was the only one to report (Murakami, a bicycle beginner in charge of this series, was away).

Among the courses introduced in this series, we will introduce a special course that is the most rewarding to drive and has lots of highlights!

Course: WataraiTown-MinamiiseTown (round trip)
Mileage: 89.2km
Difficulty: ★★★★★

■ Run along the riverside course and cross the mountain pass

◆MiyaRiverWataraiPark /Iracha Iwatarai

What I would like to introduce to you today are some of the routes that I often run in my private life, and are the routes that I wanted to introduce before starting this series.
The course passes through mountains along rivers, passes over mountain passes, and the rugged terrain along the coast is a thrilling ride. The scenery is varied, with rivers in the mountains, mountain passes, and the coast, and there are many things to see.
There are also restaurants where you can eat delicious food, and the course truly encapsulates the charm of Mie Prefecture!

Well, this time we will be based at Miya MiyaRiverWataraiPark in WataraiTown which is located along the Miya River, a clear stream that represents Mie Prefecture.
In addition to a vast lawn and children's plaza with lots of play equipment, there is also a promenade lined with cherry blossom trees overlooking the river.

First, let's go to the sales office "Iracha Iwatarai" located in MiyaRiverWataraiPark.
In addition to tea and rice, agricultural products grown within the town and processed foods are sold inside the facility. There is also a restaurant where you can enjoy game dishes and set meals.
There won't be any restaurants or convenience stores where you can eat for a while, so if you're worried about running out of energy, we recommend grabbing a bite to eat here before you leave.

Tea occupies a large space at the sales office. There was not only green tea but also black tea!
Mie Prefecture is a tea producing region that boasts the third largest production volume in Japan. Among them, WataraiTown is known as one of the prefecture's leading tea producing areas, with vast tea plantations spread across the Miyagawa River basin.

Tea from Mie Prefecture is distributed nationwide under the brand name Ise GreenTea. The shopkeeper poured us some tea for tasting.

"...Wow, this tastes different!"
When I took a sip, the refreshing aroma and rich taste spread in my mouth.

"In fact, Watarai's tea is even used as the raw material for the tea in plastic bottles by a famous beverage manufacturer!"
and Mr. Akihita Kurata of the Industrial Promotion Division of WataraiTown.

After learning this trivia and thoroughly enjoying the delicious tea, we set off!

Departing from MiyaRiverWataraiPark, exit onto Prefectural Route 22 and head south along the road.
There is also the option of taking Prefectural Route 169, also known as Sunny Road, to get from MinamiiseTown, but I personally recommend Prefectural Route 22 as it has less traffic and is easier to ride, and the only tunnel available is Nomizaka Pass. .

Although Prefectural Route 22 is along the river, it is quite undulating and gradually climbs towards MinamiiseTown.
After driving about 15km from MiyaRiverWataraiPark, you will see the ascent to the mountain pass. What's more, it's a direct climb where you can see what's ahead, so you might feel like you're not making any progress and feel like you're going to get discouraged, but the distance to the tunnel is only a few hundred meters.
You can build up your speed on the flat area before going up and climb all at once, but there's still a long way to go, so just use a light gear to get through this.

Once you reach the top, there will be two tunnels. First up is Shinnomizaka Tunnel. From WataraiTown side, it climbs gently and has a total length of about 1.5km. Let's run carefully.
Once you cross it, you will enter MinamiiseTown.
Next is Nomizaka South Tunnel. From here on out, it's basically downhill to National Route 260. It feels great to be able to pick up speed without having to pedal, but be careful not to go too far! Enjoy the exhilaration of safe driving!

■ Enjoy the seafood and local delicacies of Minami Ise!

◆ Naze Shizen Village
When you reach National Route 260, turn left and head toward Gokasho Bay.
This road is the main road that crosses MinamiiseTown, but the traffic is light and it is quite easy to ride by bicycle. Recently, signs have been painted on the left side of the road to indicate where and where bicycles are traveling, making it even easier to ride.

However, there are quite a few ups and downs, and there are also tunnels here and there. However, the view of the ocean from time to time soothes my mood.

After passing a large climb and two tunnels, and proceeding about 15km from the junction with National Route 260, you will see Gokasho Bay on your right and a log house on your left.

Naizeshizen Village sells agricultural products and processed products from MinamiiseTown.

Inside the store, they sold mandarin orange juice grown in MinamiiseTown, as well as pickled plums.
Juice and pickled plums are said to be made in a factory within this facility. There is also a rest area with chairs and tables.
According to the representative, Koichiro Yamade, on Saturdays, Sundays, and holidays, it becomes a place for riders, drivers, and other tourists to relax.

What caught my attention here was "Gokasho Koume." MinamiiseTown is famous for producing Gokasho mandarin oranges, but it is said that plums have also been grown there since ancient times.
``Gokasho Koume is characterized by being thicker than regular Koume.I based it on my grandmother's recipe, and after asking many people to taste it, I settled on the current taste.If you like it, please try it. ”
I received it right away.
"It's delicious with a good balance of salty and sour taste! The citric acid in plums can help relieve fatigue, and the salt also provides minerals, so it might be a good supplement for cycling!"

I had run nearly 30km over the mountain pass, so the pickled plums made my body feel refreshed and refreshing. Of course, it is also recommended as an accompaniment to rice!

◆ Maruo Restaurant
Go further east from Naizeshizen Village.
After driving for about 3km over a small hill and a tunnel, you will reach the junction with Sunny Road. At this traffic light intersection is today's lunch break point, Maruo Shokudo.

I've known about this restaurant for a long time, having heard from a gourmet friend that you can enjoy seafood at a reasonable price with set meals and bowls, but this was my first time visiting.
I'm hungry after a long run over the mountain pass, so I head into the store with high expectations!

The owner of the shop, Yoshikazu Miyamoto, greeted us with a ``Welcome!''.
When I looked at the menu, everything looked delicious. I was so worried that I thought it was a stupid question, but when I asked him what he recommended, he said, ``I think the grilled food set meal would be good.You can have sashimi and grilled food.''
I ordered it right away! !

I was surprised when I saw the food brought to me!

The sashimi is served with two types of albacore and bonito, which are called trotonbo in this area, and the grilled dishes are super luxurious, with lily shellfish and mussels, sea urchin, and trotonfly grilled in foil, which is called appa in this area!

It also comes with mozuku, miso soup with sea lettuce and freshwater clam, and rice, making it a great value at 1,300 yen.

``Before the interview, please eat while it's still delicious!'' Mr. Miyamoto urged us, so we started eating right away!
"I'm really happy to be able to enjoy two types of fresh sashimi and a variety of grilled foods..."
I felt a bit sorry for Mr. Murakami who was away today as well, but I thoroughly enjoyed the bounty of the sea with every bite!

``At our house, we basically use seafood caught at the nearby Shukutaso Fishing Port.We have people come to Minami-Ise, which is said to be the back parlor of Ise-Shima, so we have lots of delicious food to fill our stomachs. I would like to have it.”
said Mr. Miyamoto.

He used to work as a crew member on a bonito fishing boat and run a fish shop, so he gave us a lot of detailed information about when bonito is best and where to catch it.
According to Mr. Miyamoto, most of the customers are tourists visiting the area on motorcycle tours or driving, but according to a regular customer who happened to be there,
``If you want to eat delicious local fish dishes, this is the place to go.'' As someone who eats a lot of fish, this is definitely the place to go!''

It was surprisingly delicious, thank you for the meal!
Among the menus that I wasn't able to try this time, there were many interesting menu items such as the ``Guru Guru Don'', which can be eaten for around 1000 yen, so I thought I'd like to try a different menu next time.

■ Enjoy the spectacular view of the Rias coast and take one more hike up Nomizaka Pass

This is the turning point today.
I could return home on Sunny Road, but there is a lot of traffic and there are many tunnels, so I prioritized ease of driving and took the route from National Route 260 to Nomizaka Pass on my way back.

There are still reasons to recommend this route.
Along National Route 260, there are statues and signboards depicting the characteristics of each village, and we want you to take a look at them.
There is a demon statue about 8km from the intersection with Sunny Road. This name comes from the legend that a demon once lived in the Oshibuchi area.

Also, if you go about 2km further from there, you will see a large sea bream statue. This name is said to be associated with the start of sea bream farming in the Hasamaura area in 1971.

◆ michiyukugama ~ Asoura
After this, you can cross Nomizaka Pass and return home as is, but we will add a special optional course here!

After passing through the Aigaura Tunnel and entering the Oe area, turn left towards Prefectural Route 573.
If you continue along the road, you will be able to run along the intricate inlet of the Rias coast. There are quite a few ups and downs, but there is a point in michiyukugama where you can feel the ocean closest to you on this course!

If you're cycling in Mie Prefecture, which has the ocean, we recommend you to take advantage of these points as well!

This is not the only great thing about optional courses!
There are still many things to see! The next highlight will appear as soon as you take the junction between Asoura and Ogatama and head towards Ogata.
When you pass through a brand new tunnel called "Furusato Yume Tunnel"...

Nana, what a thing!
The scenery of the fishing village of Ogatakata is spreading out! You can see the fishing port from the hill, so it's quite a panoramic view. how is it?

Isn't this all worth it to have come this far?
But that's not all!

The final scenic spots on the optional route are Asoura Ohashi Bridge and Nanto Ohashi Bridge.
In this course, the first short bridge we cross is Asoura Ohashi Bridge, and the longer bridge is Minamijima Ohashi Bridge, and these two bridges are collectively known as the ``Oyako Bridge.''

You can see a panoramic view of Niewan from the top of this bridge!
This scenery is the most spectacular view I would like to see on this course!

If you cross the bridge and continue along the road, you will join National Route 260.
Take a moment to look back! You can see a panoramic view of the Minamijima Bridge that you just crossed. When you look at it like this, it seems extremely high... The bus looks much smaller (lol).

By the way, it is said that you can see both Oyako Bridges at the same time from the Akebono Observation Deck at UguraPark in MinamiiseTown.
If you are interested, please stop by!

◆ Floating islands of Michikata
The last option course is Michikata's floating island.

This floating island floating in a pond near Ukishima Park Nanto, where the auto camping facility is located, was created when the area used to be the ocean, when crustal movements caused the tip of the mountain to slide into the ocean along with ferns and miscellaneous trees. It seems that it floated and sank with the rise and fall of the tide.

It was designated as a natural monument of Mie Prefecture in 1945.

◆ Nomizaka Pass
After enjoying the optional course, it was time to climb the hill (lol). It's sadistic even though I know it.
Even though it's called a hill climb, it's about 3 km from the intersection with National Route 260 to the tunnel entrance, and the average gradient is about 5%, so even those who are not good at hill climbing can easily climb it by using a light gear and going at their own pace. must.

Once you reach the top of the mountain, look back just before entering the Nomizaka South Tunnel! You can see a panoramic view of the Bay area where you were driving until now! Furthermore, before entering the Shinnomizaka tunnel, please pay attention to your left hand side.
This time you can see the beautiful mountain range.

I don't think there are many places where the scenery changes so dramatically in such a short period of time.
The reason why we chose the route that goes back and forth through Nomizaka Pass is because we wanted you to enjoy both the sea and the mountains!

◆ Jingu Kayaba
After crossing the pass, we descended the steep slope that was difficult to climb.
Wow, that's refreshing! Going up is fun, but going down is also fun, so you can't stop climbing!

From here, continue along Prefectural Route 22, heading for MiyaRiverWataraiPark.
Along the way, you can see a windmill standing on the ridge in front of you. This is a windmill for wind power generation, and in the summer, the forest road leading to Mt. Shishigatake will also be passable.

As you approach the goal, you will see a mountain shining golden in the setting sun on your right.
This is the Jingu Kayaba where the grass used for thatching the main building of IseJingu is grown.

Let's move a little closer to the river. You can't enter it, so you can only see it from a distance, but it's so big that even a wide-angle lens can't fit it in!

Leave Jingu Kayaba and return to the starting point.

◆ Clear stream/Miyagawa
On the way back to MiyaRiverWataraiPark, I could see the sun setting over the Miya River, a clear stream that represents Mie Prefecture.
There were only a few hundred meters left and there were lights, so I enjoyed the Miyagawa River at dusk before heading home.

This time we were able to introduce plenty of courses to run.
If you want to arrange this course, you can take a shortcut by omitting the optional course or changing the going Nomizaka Pass to Konosaka Pass on Prefectural Route 721!

[One point advice for those trying this course]
There are almost no convenience stores along the course, so be sure to prepare the necessary supplements in advance.
(You can get drinks from vending machines.)

[This route]

Article creation / Masanori Asano

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◎ Bicycle writer goes! Beautiful country of Mie: Bicycle route notes

・ [Matsuzaka Edition] Relaxing cycling to enjoy Matsusaka beef gourmet food!

・ [HigashiKishu Edition] Run along Shichirimihama Beach and enjoy the delicious food of Kumano!

・ [Shima Edition] Cycling along the seaside, visiting lucky charms and gourmet food!

・ [Inabe Edition] Enjoy gourmet food and sightseeing on a course full of ups and downs, including the TOJ stage!

・ [TsuCity Misugi Edition] Cross the fresh green hills and visit the post station on Ise Honkaido Road

・ [Iinami/Iitaka/Odai edition] Along the clear stream, uphill and running are perfect! A greedy course where you can enjoy local gourmet food and hot springs

・ [TsuCity geinocho & KameyamaCity Seki Edition] Short cycling to enjoy Tokaido Sekijuku and over mountain passes based on Anno Dam

・ [Eastern Iga Edition] Hill climb and gourmet food in a hilly mountain village