Let's start our morning exploration ride! Today's destination is the Yayoi Pottery Ruins.

Our "exploration morning ride" started with the theme of "going somewhere I've never been before!"

Since a grand adventure far away all at once would be difficult, we decided to start our exploration close to home! And so we did.

The round trip was about 30km. The roads along the way offered a variety of surfaces, including paved roads, gravel, and trails.

Our destination this time was the Yayoi Pottery Site, where 1800-year-old earthenware was excavated.

There were three members on the ride: Mr. Wata from Mount Coffee Stand, Murakami-kun from Grumpy staff, and me, Ikeda.

Since we expected some rough patches on the road, we all rode gravel road bikes.

There were also attractive spots along the way to our destination, and we stopped at them in order.

The first place we visited was a spring called "Tagata Reizenji Famous Water."

We had planned to refill our water bottles here, but unfortunately, there was no water that day...

There are some things you just don't know until you go!

"Tagata Reizenji Famous Water" is located here.

Next, we visited a waterfall spot we stumbled upon along the way.

This place is called "Kannon Falls." With its 8-meter height and the refreshing scent of the forest, it was the perfect place to unwind.

After that, we rode up and down mountains, entered trails, returned to paved roads, and navigated a variety of paths.

Gravel road bikes are great because they can handle any road surface!

There were some climbs and descents, cycling and walking, so it wasn't just cycling; there was a bit of mountain climbing too.

Next, we arrived at the "Tin Ore Bed Remains."

This was a tin mining site used during the Taisho era, where we found remnants of mining pits, tunnels, and stone kiln ruins. It is said that there are tin veins in the mountains around this area.

The Tin Ore Bed Remains are located here.

Heading further into the mountains, we finally reached the Yayoi Pottery Site.

This is where Yayoi pottery, dating back 1800 years, was excavated.

The discovered pottery included "kame" (jars) used daily for cooking, and the presence of soot marks and charcoal in the soil layers of the area suggests that there were dwellings here.

It was a place that offered a glimpse into where ancient people lived.

Exploring the surrounding area, we discovered a new hiking trail! We couldn't enjoy it all in one day, so we plan to come back another time.

The Yayoi Pottery Site is located here.

On the way back, we stopped at Glamour Pain (a bakery) to get lunch.

Bread tastes so good after a workout!

Glamour Pain Itsukaichi store is here.

When I mentioned wanting to do an exploration ride, many customers shared fascinating spots with me.

There are so many places I want to visit, so 2024 is going to be a busy year!

We'll be releasing a video of this exploration ride on YouTube, so please check it out.

This year, let's find some interesting spots and go exploring!