Going on a little trip with my road bike ～ Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture

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Wakayama Pref.
Going on a little trip with my road bike ～ Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture

This article has been made based on the trip the writer went in November 2020.

Located in the northern part of Wakayama Prefecture, Kinokawa City is called “Kinokawa City - Fruit Kingdom”, since it is famous as a fruit-producing district with its rich natural environment, warm climate and a class A river, Kinokawa River. Wakayama Prefecture is also called “Wakayama – Cycling Kingdom”, it has recommended cycling routes across the prefecture and the total length is 800 km. People visit Kinokawa City on weekends, not only from Wakayama Prefecture but also quite a few people come from Osaka with their road bike.

Surrounded by beautiful nature, I’m starting my trip from “Nate” in Kinokawa City with my road bike.

Place 01. You can rent a bike here. “Roadside station - Seishu no sato (Seishu’s hometown)”

“Seishu no sato (Seishu’s home town)” is a facility to praise Hanaoka Seishu, who is the first to perform mastectomy using general anaesthesia, for his great achievement and to pass down the story to the next generation to increase health consciousness. You can see reproduced “Shunrinken”, Seishu’s home clinic. You can also find local products in the museum. The place made me think that I should start from what I can do to raise awareness of finding breast cancer at an early stage, and to increase the rate of those who take the examination.
“Seishu no sato” is one of the places for rending / returning bicycle of “Kinokawa area, Kanko Renta Cycle (Rental bicycle for sightseeing)”. Book online at least 2 days before the day you will be using. You can choose from options starting at half day use. Please seeWakayama Prefecture website for detail. (All places shown in this article are accessible with this “Kinokawa area, Kanko Renta Cycle”.)
■Roadside station - Seishu no sato (Seishu’s hometown)
Location: 473, Nishinoyama, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture, 649-6604
Opening hours: 9:00 - 17:00
Closed: Tuesdays (Except for national holidays, in which case it is open on the holiday and closed the following day.) and New Year holidays
To get there: [Train] From “Nate” station of JR Wakayama Line, approx. 6 minutes by taxi, or 30 minutes on foot.
Inquiry: 0736-75-6008
■ Kinokawa area, Kanko Renta Cycle (Rental bicycle for sightseeing)
・Book at least 2 days before the day you will be using.
・Book online: https://reserva.be/kinokawacycle/reserve

Place 02. The road from “Kokawa dera” temple has ups and downs like a roller coaster

Firstly, I prayed for my safety at “Kokawa dera” temple. The temple is about 800 m north of “Kokawa” station, which is the next station (3 minute train ride) of JR Wakayama Line’s “Nate” station (the nearest station of “Seishu no sato”).

The road to the next place “Kannonyama Fruit Garden / Fruit Parlour” has slopes like a roller coaster. Try this route and enjoy ups and downs!
■Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage No. 3, “Kokawa dera” temple (Bodhisattva here is said to expel evil spirits.)
Location: 2787, Kokawa, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture, 649-6531　
Opening hours: 8:00 - 17:00
To get there: [Bicycle] 5km from “Place 01. Seishu no sato”, [Train] 15-minute walk from “Kokawa” station of JR Wakayama Line Kannonyama Fruit Garden / Fruit Parlour

Place 03. Little break at “Kannonyama Fruit Garden / Fruit Parlour”

Kannonyama Fruit Garden / Fruit Parlou
Kannonyama Fruit Garden / Fruit Parlou
The place is run by “Kannonyama Fruit Garden”, fruit growers lasting for 6 generation. The first floor is a shop selling fruit and the 2nd floor is a café called “Fruit Parlour”. “You cannot call it a fruit unless it is safe and tasty.”, they say. They use minimum amount of agricultural chemicals, and use homemade compost and organic fertilizers.
Menus vary depending on the season (I suggest you ask them over the phone before you go.), but I introduce you those three shown in the picture above.
Left: Kannonyama mandarin parfait
Fully ripened sweeeet Kannonyama mandarin boosts your immune system with its vitamins while citric acid is good to reduce fatigue. This cute parfait with nutrient-rich mandarin is popular among road bikers. An iconic animal of Wakayama, Panda is made by ice cream.

Middle: Farmer’s parfait with spring strawberries and a Kishu dog decoration
Knnonyama’s original parfait with plenty of freshly picked strawberries from the local farmers around Kinokawa City. Pistachio flavoured ice cream inside is tasty as well as strawberries. This parfait is popular, too, since strawberries are rich in vitamin C and amino acid.

Right: Farmer’s parfait with seasonal fruits grown in Wakayama Prefecture
Parfait with plenty of seasonal fruits such as strawberries, kiwi fruits, apples, citrus fruits. How about treating yourself?
■ Kannonyama Fruit Garden / Fruit Parlour
Location: 3186-126, Kokawa, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture, 649-6531
Opening hours: [Fruit Garden] 8:00 - 17:00, [Fruit Parlour] 10:00 - 17:00 (LO 16:30)
Closed: 31st December to 2nd January
To get there: [Bicycle] 2.5 km from “Place 02. Kokawadera”, [Car] 5 minutes from “Kinokawa higashi” interchange
Inquiry: 0120-593-262 or 0736-74-3331

Place 04. You can go camping with your road bike at “Takebusabashi”.

On weekends, people go camping on the west side of “Takebusabashi”, the bridge over a class A river, Kinokawa River. There is a convenience store nearby, so if you just bring a tent and a camping light, you can go camping without carrying a lot of stuff. (There is no facility such as tap, toilet, or waste disposal. Please take your rubbish with you when you leave.)

Set up a tent and had a little break. When you look up the southern sky, you can see paragliders flying from “Yuriyama” mountain to the east of “Takebusabashi” bridge, just in front of you.
Flying alone looks nice and refreshing. And the people flying with paragliders of various colours look like “petals playing in the sky”, and I feel graceful. In May, people connect “Koinobori (carp streamer)” to their paraglider and fly, which looks like people and carp are swimming in the sky. The view of paragliders at sunset is breathtaking.
■“Takebusabashi” bridge
Location: Takebusa, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture, 649-6413
To get there: [Bicycle] Approx. 8.5 km from “Place 03. Kannonyama Fruit Garden / Fruit Parlour, [Train] 30-minute walk from “Uchita” station of JR Wakayama Line
Inquiry: 073-477-1325 (Wakayama Office of Rivers and National Highways, Funato branch office）

Place 05. Place around “Kanroji” temple is getting attention as a holy place of love

Place around “Kishigawa” in Kinokawa City is getting attention as a “holy place of love”. A character from a popular anime, “Damon Slayer (Kimetsu no yaiba)” has the same name as the temple here, “Kanroji”, and there were many people dressed up as the characters when I visited there in November 2020.

The pink shutter in the picture was there until 13th December 2020, but it is said that you attract good luck in matchmaking if you visit this temple, so if you are interested, please pop in. I prayed that you enjoy wonderful view and delicious fruits while you are in Wakayama.

In “Hiraike ryokuchi” park near the temple, there is the biggest pond in Wakayama Prefecture. You can find the symbol of this holy place of love, “Pillar of love”. (You can see this throughout the year.)

There were also things that reminded me (?) of the popular characters of the anime such as a banner, “omikuji (fortune paper)” and signboard at “Kanroji mae” station nearby (The next station of Wakayama electric railway’s “Kishi” station, which is famous for Tama, the cat station master.).
■“Kanroji” temple
Location: 693 Kishigawacho nagahara, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture, 640-0415
To get there: [Bicycle] Approx. 9 km from “Place 04. Takebusabashi”, [Train] 5-minute walk from Wakayama electric railway’s “Kanroji mae” station

Place 06. Meet the cat station master at Wakayama electric railway’s “Kishi” station

<font size='2' color='blue'>Station designed by Mr. Eiji Mitooka, Photo courtesy of Wakayama electric railway</font>
Station designed by Mr. Eiji Mitooka, Photo courtesy of Wakayama electric railway
The goal of this article, “Going on a little trip with my road bike ～ Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture” is Wakayama electric railway’s “Kishi” station.

If you came all the way from “Place 01. Seishu no sato” with the bike of “Kinokawa area, Kanko Renta Cycle (Rental bicycle for sightseeing)”, please return the bike at Café Sion in front of “Kishi” station.

The station, the terminal of Kishigawa Line, is designed by Mr. Eiji Mitooka under the theme of cats. Station masters Nitama and Yontama are on duty at office, and there is “Tama shrine” on platform.

Did you enjoy reading “Going on a little trip with my road bike ～ Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture”? In Kinokawa City, you can enjoy nature like mountain, sky, river, fruits. The local government and the residents collaborate to make new attractions, which many people visit. If you still have some energy left, please head for Wakayama City,

After you returned the rental bicycle, please take a train at “Kishi” station. You will enjoy cute trains under the theme of strawberries, toys, Tama, Nankou ume (plum produced mainly in Wakayama), etc
<font size='2' color='blue'>Train designed by Mr. Eiji Mitooka, Photo courtesy of Wakayama electric railway</font>
Train designed by Mr. Eiji Mitooka, Photo courtesy of Wakayama electric railway
The next topic is “Going on a little trip with my road bike ～ Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture”. See you then!
■Wakayama electric railway’s “Kishi” station
Location: 803, Kishigawacho kodo, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture, 640-0413
To get there: [Bicycle] Approx. 1.7 km from “Place 05. Kanroji”
• Please check the website for work schedule of the cat station master, timetable of train, etc.

My route

スポット１～４
スポット４～６
* The time displayed on the map is the time on foot.

The sports and disciplines
of the World Masters
Games 2021 Kansai
held in the neighbourhood.

Aiko MOTODA
Introducing the poster

Aiko MOTODA

I would like to introduce the beautiful nature and heat of sports culture in Wakayama, so-called “the country of water”, from various angles.
Running for 5 years
Participated in
- Nagoya women’s marathon
- Kobe marathon, etc.
An executive committee member of Kishu festival project, “ODORUNYA”
Belong to Yosakoi festival team, “Ranchiki”
Active to vitalize the town with Yosakoi festival
Participated in half marathon. I’ll be waiting for the runners to compete in the same race in Wakayama.