The Jikkasegi in spring
“I want to ride a bicycle while viewing the cherry blossoms at Jikkasegi Canal."
In October 2020 and June 2021, I cycled along the Jikkasegi, an irrigation canal in Azumino City. (past article.)
Since that time, I have wanted to cycle during the cherry blossom season, so I decided to go this spring. I chose a weekday, April 3, anticipating that it would be crowded on weekends.
I loaded my folding bike into the car and arrived at Toyoshina Nanbu General Park.
The view from the parking lot. The weather is wonderful.
I had prepared a bicycle helmet, put on sunscreen because the sun was going to be strong. And this was the first day to use the cycle computer that had just been installed. I’m looking forward to using it, which now measures distance. (This photo was taken around the bike square.)
In this article, I put a number in the lower right corner of each photo and drew a map of the location of the photo (making the map was the most time-consuming part…). From Toyoshina Nanbu General Park, I first ran west, then turned around and headed east.
This is the Azumino Yamabiko Bicycle Path on the north side of Toyoshina Nanbu General Park. The path passes under the roadway to make it easier to ride.
A little further on, I came to a bridge, so took a photo of the west side from the top of the bridge.
This photo is taken at the next bridge.
This is a shot from the same spot looking back to the east.
The Jikkasegi is an irrigation canal built along the contour line, so it is almost flat and easy to run.
Where the bike path crosses the canal.
Under the tree on the right side of the red bridge is a monument commemorating the completion of the improvement work at Jikkasegi (see photo in past article).
This is before the railroad bridge of the Oito Line. The number of cherry trees has decreased and the scenery has become wider.
Beyond the bridge is the “Cycle Plaza". Some people are enjoying the view from the bridge.
In addition to the cherry blossoms, we can also see moss pinks at the Cycle plaza.
Passing through the Cycle plaza.
The Jikkasegi is about to cross the Yorozui-gawa River.
The JIkkasegi makes a big turn to the right. The building in front of us is Horigane Elementary School.
According to my vague plan, I was going to have lunch at the roadside station, but the cafeteria was more crowded than I expected. I decided to buy something at a convenience store and eat at a park somewhere later.
I took the road north of the roadside station and headed south along the Yorozui-gawa River, then back to the bicycle path.
Since I was taking pictures while riding my bicycle, I noticed I had not taken any pictures of my own bicycle. I took this photo on the west side of the Cycle plaza.
This place is called Shimotoba lawn square. It feels very good.
Passing the park where I had parked my car, I ran further east.
This is the Shinano Education Association Lifelong Learning Center. As I wrote in my past blog, this building is the former Shinano Education Center in Nagano City, which was moved and remodeled. It was closed on this day, so I only took a look at the exterior.
There are also cherry trees to the south of the Takibe Ground (next to the center building), and I was curious to see a building that looked a bit old.
It looked like a warehouse of an agricultural cooperative. There was a one-story steel-framed building that looked like a working space to the south of this building, so I couldn’t see it well, so the photo is just the side.
This is the end of the cherry blossom viewing cycling tour in Jikkasegi.
I have another cycling route planned after this, so I will have lunch and head there, but I will write about it next time.