Furukawa Kokufu basin in Hida city, 30-minute-drive away from Takayama, is located in the north of Gifu Pref. and has large rice paddy. When you visit there, you can find some colorful bikes running through countryside with the beautiful rural landscape. They are HIDA SATOYAMA cycling tour. The tour is quickly becoming popular among foreign tourists because they can discover Japanese countryside.

Mrs. Shiho Yamada, who is the director of SATOYAMA EXPERIENCE, guided us. She and her husband are from Tokyo and have traveled to 29 countries for 2 years. They started this guide tour in 2010. They wondered what is Japan’s proud, as a result, they found it is countryside where people and nature live together.

SATOYAMA EXPERIENCE has a good reputation on trip advisor, and 90% of their guests are foreign tourists.

When she visited Machu Picchu in Peru, the tour guide told that Japan has earthquake-resistant buildings. Only Japan has wooden resistant houses among earthquake-prone countries.
She had looked for the best place which has nature and old house and is popular among foreign tourists. She finally found Hida city and started the cycling tour there.
The local people thought the tourists just rental a bike at first, but they gradually become to enjoy talking with the tourists. The tour values coming across Hida daily life.