Cycling Around Rishiri Island

Could that be a mountain floating in the sea?

The island of Rishiri.

On a boat going to an island, it's so exciting, yeah?

Rishiri Island is located in northern Hokkaido.

Its central peak nurtures the island with many gifts from nature.

In this episode, we take a cycling trip around the island

and encounter the unique natural bounties provided by the mountain.

Wild Hokkaido!

David Barnett from England is an experienced cycling guide.

He's lived in Japan for over 30 years.

He's ridden every cycling path found in Hokkaido.

Islands are really special to me.

Even as a kid,

you used to read books like "Treasure Island" and "Robinson Crusoe,"

so islands are sort of like really adventurous and exotic.

Rishiri Island is located in the Sea of Japan in northern Hokkaido.

Rising up from the middle of the island is Mount Rishiri

which towers 1,721 meters above sea level.

It was formed by ancient volcanic activity.

So, I always enjoy coming to Rishiri.

So, what we're going to do is, we're going to cycle all the way around

and just visit some places that we always visit and

some places that we can recommend on Rishiri.

David will be cycling with his friend Ishizuka Yuya,

who is also a cycling guide.

Okay, let's go.

Okay, so we're going to see some scenery

that we can only see at this time of year.

So, from early June to July,

they have some flowers. So we're heading towards there.

They first come to a place

where these beautiful flowers can only be seen during this time of year.

So on both sides, you've got the yellow flowers, yeah?

They stand out. They are Amur day lilies.

It's a field of Amur day lilies.

Their appearance signals the start of summer in Hokkaido.

Summer is going to come.

The real summer is going to come. It's in July, yeah?

But the mountain, the background with the yellow flowers, great, yeah?

- Beautiful.
- Yeah, beautiful.

- Contrast is good.
- Yes.

Mount Rishiri can be seen from anywhere on the island.

Here, the yellow lilies complementing the mountain scenery

create a picturesque viewpoint unique to this time of year.

So here is the start of the cycling road.

So, one of the good things about Rishiri is,

we've got really good cycling roads.

The circumference of Rishiri Island is about 60 kilometers.

To the north, there is a 24.9-kilometer paved cycling road

making it easy for anyone to ride on it.

Several facilities on the island are equipped with bicycle stands and tire pumps

making it the perfect environment for cyclists.

No cloud. So clear.

Many cycling roads are right next to the road and quite noisy.

But this one is right in the middle of the mountain so you can't hear the traffic, yeah?

Oxygen.

- It tastes good.
- Yeah.

After riding about 10 minutes on this beautiful cycling road

while taking in nature, the view suddenly opens up.

The mountain on the right.

Mount Rishiri.

Wow, look at that. And then...

Oh, the ferry! It's going out.

Oh, nice view.

Great.

It's so quiet.

Just the sound of the birds.

Birds only. No traffic.

When I go cycling, I always take the camera and I always take photographs.

One of the good things about cycling is,

if you see anything interesting, you can stop straight away.

You don't have to find a parking space.

You stop and take a picture.

They have come to one of the highlights of this cycling road,

the Wannai Ohashi.

This bridge is 40-meters high

and offers a spectacular view of both the sea and the mountain.

So, we go all the way around the island.

So everywhere we go, we can see the mountain from a different angle.

And the shape is different.

This mountain shape is quite smooth,

but around the other side, it's really jagged and rugged and really rough.

And then, that's one of the good things. If the weather's good

and you cycle all the way around the island, you can see...

it's the same mountain, but it's like seeing many, many different mountains.

After leaving the cycling road, they ride along the seafront.

They go clockwise around the island for a specific reason.

So, we've got the sun rising from the east,

so if we're doing a full circle from the morning,

it's probably best to go around clockwise.

If you go around clockwise, you've always got the sea closest on the left, yeah?

That's the best way to see it.

Oh, beautiful ocean!

David knows how to make the most of Rishiri Island.

By going clockwise and matching with the movement of the sun,

they are able to see a brilliantly sunlit Mount Rishiri throughout the day.

Three hours have passed since they began.

Look at the seagulls on top of the post.

So many seagulls. Whoa.

They've come here to a spot on Rishiri

that reveals the secret of the island's unique landscape.

Look at that.

Mount Rishiri was formed by volcanic activity.

This coastline was created more than 8,000 years ago

when the mountain erupted and lava flowed into the ocean.

Many of Rishiri's incredible landscapes are the result of volcanic activity.

Different shape to the other side, yeah?

- Very different.
- This looks more symmetrical, yeah?

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

So it's great that you have the sea

and then the mountain.

So, the sea level and the top of the mountain is what,

- 1,700 meters?
- Yeah.

Yeah, it's got it all in there.

The mountain offers more than just scenery.

At the foot of the mountain are vast forests.

The forests are nurtured by abundant spring water.

It comes from the snowmelt and rainwater

that seeps into the mountain through the volcanic strata.

The spring water forms marshes at the foot of the mountain.

Otatomari Marsh.

Whoa, look at that!

Cycle rack.

Thank you.

Otatomari Marsh has a circumference of about one kilometer

and is the largest marsh on the island.

If there's no wind,

the mountain reflects the surface of the lake.

Just like a mirror.

There's still quite a lot of snow up there.

If conditions are perfect,

it's possible to see beautiful scenes like the one captured here.

Natural spring water provides sustenance

especially for cyclists.

Delicious, fresh, cold water.

Free.

We always stop here when we come to Rishiri.

Cold. Cold.

It's good.

It's right at the side of the road, so we can stop.

If you're coming in this direction or that direction,

it's just so easy to stop.

The spring water actually bubbles up from the seafloor too.

Rich in minerals, it sustains the waters surrounding Rishiri Island.

This is Rishiri kelp.

Over summer, it can grow up to three meters tall.

We're so close to the sea.

Oh, look. Over there. What's that?

Kelp.

They dry it in the summer.

They take it from the sea and bring it on to the land and dry it.

Rishiri kelp is very, very famous in Japan, yeah?

Drying kelp on Rishiri is a summer tradition

that reflects the abundance of natural resources here.

Rishiri is blessed with rich marine products.

As they cycle, they come across something strange

in the middle of the cycling road.

Oh, sea urchin.

Maybe a seagull.

- Oh, a seagull.
- A seagull brought it here

- and maybe put it down.
- They dropped it. Yeah.

- And they break and eat it.
- They eat the insides. Yeah.

Yeah, you have to take care. This is sharp.

- The shells.
- Shells

- and this sea urchin.
- They'd puncture.

You take it to the shop and say, "I had a puncture with a sea urchin."

To find a sea urchin shell in the road shows

just how full of nature Rishiri Island really is.

- Oh, let's just stop here.
- Okay.

The neighboring island of Rebun.

As Rebun Island comes into view northwest of Rishiri Island,

they are almost at their goal.

Right before the goal is one of David's favorite viewpoints.

That's good.

The straight road that leads to Mount Rishiri.

It offers a majestic view of the mountain.

Stay on the right here.

David and his cycling partner have enjoyed the scenery of Mount Rishiri.

It's taken roughly five hours to circumnavigate the island.

Rishiri is blessed with natural spring water.

It also boasts some hot springs.

(footbath)

- It's not so hot.
- Oh really?

Oh, it's just right.

After a hard day's cycling, a hot spring is good, yeah?

Yeah.

But when I first came to Japan,

maybe in England we don't have such things,

so first it was a little bit strange for me.

- And now I love them.
- They are okay?

- Yeah, I love hot springs.
- Me too.

As the day draws to a close,

they head to a place said to have the most beautiful view

across all of Rishiri.

Whoa, beautiful.

Sunset hill.

It offers a 360-degree panoramic view

from the mountain to the sea.

There's the mountaintop.

So clear. We are so lucky.

Yeah, we are lucky today.

Mount Rishiri is now bathed in a brilliant red hue from the setting sun

and looks like a different mountain.

Sunset reflecting on the mountain does look good.

For every angle you look at the mountain, it's got a different shape.

If I'm cycling on the island,

I look at the mountain maybe more than I look at the sea.

So you never get bored of the mountain.

Rishiri Island in the waters of northern Hokkaido.

An abundance of fascinating landscapes

are waiting to be discovered by bicycle.