Michinoku Cycling Road

Running quietly along the Abukuma River through the heart of Fukushima, the Michinoku Cycling Road (みちのく自転車道) offers a relaxed ride through Japan’s peaceful countryside. The route links Sukagawa and Nihonmatsu, passing right through Kōriyama, with gentle gradients, riverside scenery, and glimpses of daily life in rural Tōhoku.

It’s an easy, mostly paved path that winds past rice fields, small shrines, and local parks — perfect for a calm morning ride or a full-day journey with stops for coffee or a soak in a nearby onsen. In spring, cherry blossoms line the trail; in autumn, the golden fields and crisp air make for ideal cycling conditions.

Far from the busy tourist routes, the Michinoku Cycling Road captures the quiet beauty and unhurried rhythm of inland Fukushima — a place where you can simply ride, breathe, and feel Japan at its most authentic.

The Route

The Michinoku Cycling Road largely stays along the Abukuma River

Getting there and away

Koriyama Station is accessible via the Tohoku Shinkansen with most of the Yamabiko services stopping.