Winter is in full swing. I rode along Chikuma River bike path, which was covered in a light dusting of snow, despite the cold weather. Here is an easy short ride of about 18km to enjoy the nature of Chikuma River while eating delicious food in the town.

Rent a Bicycle at “Zukudashi” and Let’s go!

The starting point is Zukudashi Eco Tours, located next to Kamekiyo Ryokan in Ueyamada Onsen (hot spring), by Chikuma River in Ueda city, Nagano prefecture. This office offers rental bicycles and eco-tours by cycling.
We borrowed a cool bicycle here. Mr.Tyler Lynch, who came to Japan from the U.S., is the owner of Kamekiyo Ryokan (“ryokan” is a Japanese style inn) and also a guide for Zukudashi Eco Tours.
Unfortunately, I could not meet him that day because he had some business to attend to, but we heard that he is conducting a tour to explore the charms of this area in depth.  “Zukudashi” is a local Nagano phrase meaning “make the effort when times are rough.”

Chikuma River in the Early Morning in a Fantastic Fog

From Kamiyamada Onsen, head for Taisho Bridge. Snow that fell the day before is still on the riverbank. Perhaps it is because the water temperature is warmer than the cold air. There was a fantastic fog. This is one of the charms of Chikuma River that can be seen only at this time of the year.

There was a torii gate of a shrine near the bridge. The name of the shrine is “Sarashina Shrine.” I entered the shrine for a moment.

“Sarashina” reminds me of “Sarashina Nikki” (Sarashina Diary, written in the middle of Heian period (794-1185)), but its kanji (Chinese characters) are different. The reason is unknown. It is said that the shrine was  founded in the 430s. Surrounded by large cedar trees, it looks solemn.

To Chikumagawa River Bicycle Path

A bicycle path is maintained along Chikuma River. The road can be ridden separately from cars, making it safe to ride. The road surface is easily permeable and water does not pool, and the road surface is not icy, making it a comfortable ride. Today, we will ride down from Taisho Bridge to Chikuma Bridge.

On the way down, we were attracted by the snow-covered riverbed. It was a beautiful day and the mountains in the distance were clearly visible.

Winter River is Full of Wild Birds

Now, if you look closely at the riverbeds and watersides in winter, you will see wintering birds everywhere. I came across a flock of rustic buntings in the dead grass. The characteristic of the rustic buntings is that the back of its head stands up in a slightly reclined position. That is why they are called “kashira daka”(high-head) in Japanese.
A gray heron was standing on a cobble stone riverbed.

A bird of prey was also flying. A black kite was flying leisurely in the blue sky.

A buzzard at the top of a tree.

Dabbling ducks were gathering at a pool where the water flowed gently. They were spot-billed ducks. They can be found in Japan throughout the year. The ducks were flowing comfortably with the current of the river. Playing, perhaps…

The male mallard duck has a bright green head. The female is on the right.

The teal is a small duck. The male is on the left and the female is on the right.
Both mallards and teal come to Japan in winter.

There were also Eurasian coots. The head of the nose from the beak is white.

Rekigawara (gravel riverbed) and Mountain Views

As the sun rose higher, the weather became nicer and nicer.
From Taisho Bridge to Kamurikibashi Bridge, the riverbank is spacious, and beyond it, Kamurikiyama (also known as Mt. Obasuteyama) can be seen in the distance.
Chikuma River flows from this sandy riverbed, with the mountains in the background. Isn’t this angle wonderful? This kind of scenery is one of the charms of Chikuma River.

The riverbed of Chikuma River is characterized by its rounded stones. It is said that the round stones were formed by rolling and shaving during the floods.

In the past, there were many such sandy riverbeds and many creatures living in such places, but in recent years, the environment has changed as trees have grown and soil and sand have covered the area.
On the way to the site, we found this sign. The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism is currently implementing a nature restoration project to restore Chikuma River’s sand and gravel beds.
Many people are involved in maintaining this wonderful scenery of the Chikuma River in ways that we are not aware of.

Delicious Soba Noodles for Lunch

Well, in the meantime, we came to Chikuma Bridge. It was now time for lunch. We were looking for a place to have lunch around here.
Inariyama area is also known as a town of warehouses. We passed through the storehouses with namako-walls and looked for a restaurant.
We found a soba (buckwheat noodle) restaurant. It is called “Wakyu.”  The soba noodles were thin but hearty and delicious!

Tempura soba (cold)

Tanuki soba (cold)

With our stomachs full, we turned around and headed back.
The streets are filled with a sense of history. We wanted to take a peek at “Inariyamajuku Kurashikan”, but unfortunately, it was closed on Monday.

Uzura-mochi for Snack

From here, we will leave Chikumagawa River for a bit and ride through town to Takemizuwa Shrine.

We are looking for uzura-mochi (rice cakes).
We had heard from Zukudashi Eco Tours that it was delicious, and we wanted to try it.
There was a magnificent holly tree standing in the precincts of Takemizuwa Shrine, and it was in full bloom. The holly blooms from late fall to winter.

The holly leaves have the image of being pointy, don’t they? But it is not always so.
In this picture, you can see that some leaves are pointy, while others are round.

As the tree grows, the leaves of larger holly trees become rounded because they are no longer eaten by deer and other grass-eating animals. It is said that people have a sharp personality when they are young but become mild when they get old. It seems the same thing.

Now, there is a small shop near the entrance to the approach. You can taste uzura-mochi here.

A kind lady served us with hot tea. We ate it while sitting on the stove. The price with tea is 400yen.
We wonder if it is called “Uzura-mochi” because it is shaped like a quail, “uzura” in Japanese. The sweet bean paste inside was so sweet and elegant that it easily filled my stomach. It was in a wooden box, so it had a nice wooden aroma.

Heading Home

From the prefectural road, we turned back to Chikuma River cycling path again.
The riverbank, which had quite a bit of snow on it in the morning, was almost completely melted by the afternoon.
The warm winter sun, blue sky, and white riverbanks are beautiful.

The sun is slowly slanting down. Winter days are short.

We arrived at Kamiyamada Onsen. This is “Karakoro footbath.” It seems to be good for tired legs from cycling.
This is the last stop. Good job.

Course Introduction

▼Zukudashi Cycling Tour
http://www.zukudashi.com/cycling-tours/

Summary

Chikumagawa River in winter offers a variety of wonderful discoveries.
Chikuma River, with the mountains in the background, creates a beautiful contrast between the white riverbed of cobblestones, the blue of the sky, and the blue of the water. Many living creatures live there. You can feel that the history and the lives of the people of today are right next to each other, and together they form the charm of this area.
The environment is changing with the times, and yet there are efforts being made to restore the river to its original state through a nature restoration project. The river is an interesting place where dynamic nature remains together with people’s lives. We would be happy if people who live in this area and those who visit on a trip can experience the charm of Chikuma River.