National holidays that fall on Wednesdays or Thursdays, our regular shop holidays at Circles, are very special to us. While we do occasionally plan rides on weekends, these days are precious opportunities when our time off naturally aligns with our regulars who can often make it.
With that in mind, we went out for a ride on February 11th, National Foundation Day. And our destination wasn't the mountains, but the sea—specifically Morozaki, at the southernmost tip of western Aichi Prefecture.
For the past few years, I’ve been visiting a friend's farm near Morozaki a few times a year to help out with their work. The scenery from the car window on the way there is stunning, and the roads winding through the hills—disappearing through fields and into the forests—are all incredibly captivating.
I had been thinking about riding here someday, and I finally visited at the end of last month. It was a late start, and the ride was quick—just sliding in right before lunch service ended—but I thought, "This is fun!" and quickly decided I wanted to ride the same area again on the recent holiday.
Since I'm still feeling my way around the area, I invited some friends who I knew would enjoy exploring new routes with me. However, the forecast called for rain that day. Even though it looked like the weather might clear up, the prediction remained for rain until noon. I initially canceled, but everyone who signed up said they were fine starting in the afternoon. With that, we had no choice but to go for it, so we started our ride with lunch in the light rain.
By the way, besides the thrill of route exploration, another reason I come to this area is to eat at Bianchetti. Is it casual Italian? An Italian downtown diner? I’m not sure how to describe it, but the food and the atmosphere are top-notch. If you’re ever heading toward the Chita or Morozaki area, you definitely have to stop by!
After lunch, we rode in a clockwise direction, weaving between coastal and inland roads. From the observation deck at the top of a steep climb, we could see Irako to the left and Ise-Shima to the right. Everyone seemed happy with the view, which made me breathe a sigh of relief. It made the climb worth the effort.
We continued to ride through the intricate inland paths. After a while, we reached Utsumi Pass, famous for its deep road cut. We took a group photo there, of course. I was truly surprised the first time I realized a place like this existed near the sea.
From there, we headed back toward the coast and toward Noma Lighthouse.
We didn't end up starting until around 2 PM, and since we had been making plenty of stops, quite a bit of time had passed. The sun began to dip, so we turned our steering back south toward Morozaki.
We had been following some very winding paths, but the latter half was spent pushing through hilly inland roads. Connecting small, narrow roads is fun, but there is also a unique thrill in riding without a care in the world.
Just before reaching Morozaki, we headed back to the sea, this time toward the east side. We cycled through fields running parallel to the coastline, repeating the ups and downs. The sun was just beginning to set, and the light was truly beautiful. "Sorry everyone! This is the last hill!" I said, leading them once more from the sea toward the inland route.
Shortly after that, we descended back toward the coast. I wanted them to finish the ride here and see this view. They seemed satisfied with it as well, and I let out another sigh of relief. Even though I was at the same location as my previous trip—mid-day with the sun high before, and nearing dusk this time—I felt very satisfied to see a different side of the landscape.
We had parked the car at the Morozaki Port lot and returned just after 5 PM. It was just starting to get dim—perfect timing to end the ride.
I’ve done the so-called "Chita-ichi" (looping around the Chita Peninsula) before, but since I prefer routes with passes, elevation changes, and gravel over just constant flat-ground cruising, I hadn’t spent much time riding in the coastal area. However, these rides that connect the coastline with the intricate inland network are truly my favorite. There are still so many roads in Chita that pique my curiosity, and I look forward to exploring them much deeper from here on out.
The routes aren't drastically different, but I'll share both my previous and most recent ones for your reference.
If you have any questions, please come by the shop and let’s talk about it!