As we roll out of town we pass a group of five young tourers with bikes overladen with all sorts of camping gear. We give them an acknowledging cyclists’ wave as they go past. Many university students will make the pilgrimage to Hokkaido during their summer vacation and tour around the island, enjoying roads with large shoulders and very little traffic. It is an island worthy of a cycling pilgrimage.

As an Asian cycling destination, Hokkaido doesn’t get any better. Sitting 43 degrees north in latitude it seems to miss the stifling heat and humidity that blights the rest of Japan during the summer months. Only a small fraction of Japan’s 120 million people live on the island, making for little traffic, and even in the more populated areas, there are numerous back roads where you will only have to share with the local farmers. The prefectural government takes great pride in the quality of the roads, constantly resurfacing, and the asphalt can be so silken smooth that descents can be like taking flight.

Most touring groups will pass through Furano, drawn here by the beautiful valley where the town sits, overlooking the majestic high mountains and volcanoes of the Daisetsuzan National Park, otherwise known as the Roof of Hokkaido. During the months of June and July, lavender blooms and in August the numerous flower farms display their colours in full.

Glorious roads and smooth pavement = top riding in Hokkaido

The town of Furano sits right in the geographical centre of Hokkaido and a few generations ago, the local community decided that the ‘Heso Matsuri,’ or belly button festival would be the best way to celebrate its location. Travel anywhere around Japan during the summer months and you will see quirky festivals, and this is no exception. Middle aged, slightly overweight men dance down the street with their shoulders and head hidden in a huge top hat, faces painted on their bellies, wearing mini pants with fake arms protruding. It is hard to picture, but they take on comical characters. The people are pretty relaxed up here, and the festival is a way of showing that no one takes themselves too seriously.

No sooner than we have passed the touring group than we are out on one of the many quiet back roads. This one is called the Panorama Road because of the glorious views that you can see on either side of the valley, the undulations of the Yubari Range that we are presently riding to the high mountains of the Daisetsuzan Range and the flat agricultural valley in between. We can see our objective for the day, the dairy farm in the distance at the base of the mountains.

A farm at the base of the mountains - Daisetsuzan Range

After 30 kilometres of undulations, we enter the Biei district. The area has been voted one of the most beautiful parts of Japan, the landscape often described as a giant patchwork quilt for the many different colours of the fields. While Furano is famous for its lavender, Biei has an abundance of flower farms that draw tourists far and wide, many who will leave their cars at the hotel and rent a bicycle for a half day to explore.

We pass a family of four buzzing along on electric bicycles that give them some extra momentum up the short incline. The father seems more immersed in the map than the road and he swerves slightly towards me, apologizing in mandarin. Up ahead are his two children, the youngest son leading the family peloton. As we pass he gives us a smile so wide you can see his full set of teeth.

We begin the slow ascent towards the mountains now.  This is one of our favourite routes in to the mountains because the incline is so gradual that you can barely notice it. It is like getting the big downhill and not having to work for it. Our return route will take us down a steeper road which makes the slow ascent worthwhile.

On the way up, we take a short break in Shirogane at the blue waterfall as it is known. Its turquoise water is coloured by the minerals that seep up from the geothermal ground, a reminder that we are in volcano country. Directly above us is Tokachidake, a tempestuous volcano that seems to erupt every forty or so years. It is part of the ‘Hyakumeizan,’ or hundred most famous mountains in Japan, and so is a popular hiking destination. Smoke slowly rises up from its caldera and mix in to the blue sky. She seems to be in a good mood today.

Put your bike in the big ring and tour the farm lands with speed

The top of the loop gives us fantastic views of the rest of the mountains. For a moment we forget the last grunt to the top and focus more on the scenery that we are being treated to. To the Ainu, Hokkaido’s indigenous people, the mountains are known as ‘Kamui Mintara,’ or the ‘Playground of the Gods.’

Around the farm where the dairy cows slowly graze, we switch to our large chain wheel and begin the descent. My buddy warns me of animals such as foxes on the downhill, but the speed consumes me and I only go faster. Swerving around the corners, the downhill goes all a little too quickly, even though it is a long ten kilometres and 700 vertical meters.

We are now back down in the valley and passing through lush green rice fields. Closer to Furano we ride past one of the local lavender farms, the sea of purple and sweet perfume smell accentuated by our hard working lungs. There is a new confectionary nestled amongst the vineyards on the edge of town and it serves soft cream made from the local dairy and some of the best brownies in Japan. We agree that it will make a worthy refuelling stop before the short ride back home.

About the Author: Charles Olbery originally hails from Tasmania. He has lived in Hokkaido for seven years where he runs a ski guiding business in Winter, skiing white powder. In the summers he runs a bicycle guiding business; Biketoursjapan.com According to Charles, Hokkaido has some of the best roads in Asia and likens the surfaces to 'Black Powder.'