Takino Kaminopporo Cycling Road

The third day of our bike ride.

First we passed the gate of the Sapporo Art Park.

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Then the gate of Takino Reien (cemetery).

The replicas of Moai statues can be seen.

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And this is the gate to Takino Suzuran Park.

Can you see those carp streamers in the picture above?

They are to celebrate the “Children’s Day” on May 5th.

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After dropping in at “Sport DEPO” in Ohmagari, a shop that has a lot of cycling goods,

we went into the Shiroishi Cycling Road.

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The Shiroishi cycling road has a lot of cherry trees and they are now in bloom!

Today’s travel distance: 53 km (33 mile).

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Takino Suzuran Hillside National Government Park

Today I’m going to go to the Takino Suzuran Park! 

“Takino” is a place name, and “suzuran” means “lily of the valley”,

which is an official flower of Sapporo. 

I’ve been there many times by car or even on foot (on foot!),  but never on my bike.

On the way to the Takino Park, I dropped in at Ishiyama Ryokuchi Park.

The picture above shows the entrance of the park.

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Ishiyama Ryokuchi is a unique park built on a former quarry of a sand stone

called “Sapporo soft stone”. 

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And then I passed the front gate of the Sapporo Art Park —

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and also Takino Reien (Cemetery). 

It’s a mystery why this huge bigger-than-Tokyo-Disneyland cemetery has moai statues,

but it’s just surrealistic to see moai statues and four heavenly kings

(you can see one of them on the right) at the same time.

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Now it’s Takino Park. 

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The park has four falls, and  this is one of them, Ashiribetsu falls. 

This was selected as one of “One Hundred Waterfalls of Japan”.

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And this is Furo Falls.  Furo means ever-young.

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And then Shiraho Falls. 

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The park area spreads over 395.7 hectares.

You might want to rent a bicycle (250 yen for 2 hours).

The picture above shows the rental bicycle shop in the park

and “Kinotan”, the mascot of the park. 

You can see Kinotan here and there in the park.

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The falls of Masumi.

Here you can come closer to the falls and enjoy a splash of cold water!