Day 4 - Minimasatuma to Ibusuki
Distance: 67 km Ride Time: 3 hours 34 minutes Elevation Gain: 690 meters
We began our fourth day on the road with a traditional Japanese breakfast and a warm send-off from the owners and their children, along with a group photo, which made for a rather heartfelt farewell.
We started out the day with a last detour to the Chiran Peace Museum in Kagoshima. This airbase site commemorates the memory of over 1,000 young pilots who served as Special Attack (Kamikaze) pilots during World War II. The museum stands as a solemn reminder of the devastating human cost of war and the value of peace.
From Chiran, we cycled through lush, rolling hills blanketed in green tea fields, some of the most scenic stretches we have encountered. Kyushu, often regarded as the tea capital of Japan, gave us a newfound appreciation for the art and culture of green tea, which we have grown to love more with each passing day.
Our next experience was something truly unique: a sand bath in Ibusuki. The region’s natural hot spring waters heat the beach sands, offering what is believed to be the world’s only naturally occurring geothermal sand bath. An Ibusuki tradition dating back over 300 years, it’s not just a cultural experience but it’s also supported by research from Kagoshima University’s Faculty of Medicine, which cites benefits such as improved blood circulation.
Inspired by a quirky YouTube episode of Dirt featuring Huckleberry and Josh Rosen, we thought: why not? After hours of cycling in rain and heat, being gently buried in warm sand for 10-15 minutes was more therapeutic than we imagined. You could literally feel your heart working to pump blood through your revitalized body. After rinsing off and soaking in a traditional onsen, we geared up for the final 10 km stretch to our hotel.
We all met this evening at the lobby bar to discuss tomorrow’s ride, prior to heading out to dinner. JD led the discussion, with so many options. We were looking at the weather forecast (150-300 mm or 6 to 12 inches), the latest on Japan’s Sakurajima Volcano eruption, the ferry, bus and train schedules, where the ash is near where we are biking tomorrow.
Multiple options are now on the table. Do we take the train, catch a taxi, reroute to the west, or power through and ride on. This conversation continued throughout dinner at an American-themed bar (where the music simply hit the right notes) the unanimous decision, was that we are all enjoying this Japanese cuisine far more!
Sayonora,
Linda and Matt
