About the Kumamoto Prefectural Sports Park Cycling Course

Hello travelers! I’m Gachako, a writer for [Sarukuma].

Today I’m excited to introduce a hidden gem in Ishihara, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City:
The Kumamoto Prefectural General Sports Park Cycling Course.

Previously on Sarukuma, our writer Gussan introduced the [Kids’ Plaza]:

[Kumamoto Prefectural Sports Park Kids’ Plaza] Nature and play equipment! A park where adults and kids can play all day! [Ishihara, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City]

And our writer Ayu-mama covered the [Fun Plaza]:

[Kumamoto Prefectural Sports Park Fun Plaza] Enjoy authentic artificial grass skiing! [Hirayama-machi, Higashi-ku, Kumamoto City]

The cycling course reception is located right in front of Parking Lot B.

(From the official website of Kumamoto Prefectural General Sports Park)

After parking at Parking Lot B, walk over to the park reception.

Purchase your tickets at the vending machine.

Reception is open until 16:00 (until 15:30 for bikes with training wheels).
Operating hours are 9:00 to 16:30.
The course is closed on Tuesdays. The course may also be closed on rainy days or during major events, so it’s a good idea to call ahead just to be safe.

Pricing:

Adults: One bike per lap costs 220 yen
High school students and younger: one bike per lap100 yen (so cheap!)

Infants and toddlers who don’t need a bike ride free of charge. Additionally, children with various disability certificates such as a Ryoiku Techo and one accompanying adult are eligible for fee reductions.

There are also adorable little push tricycles, so even kids from around 2.5 years old can join in the fun! (^^♪

However, each push tricycle requires one adult who can walk the full 3.5km course.
(It’s a great workout!!)

Elementary school students and younger are required to wear helmets.
Don’t worry — helmets are also available for rent! 🎵

What Makes This Cycling Course Special

Now, time for our family to pick out our bikes!

My 5-year-old daughter chose a pink bike with training wheels and a helmet.

I went with an orange mama-chari (classic Japanese city bike) (^^♪

We pushed our bikes outside the storage area and set off on our 3.5km adventure!

(Photos taken safely while stopped)

The first sharp downhill curve had my daughter a little nervous.
We took it slow with the brakes on.

It feels so refreshing and fun!!

You still need to keep an eye on the kids, but not having to worry about cars is such a relief! Where do you usually let your children ride bikes?

Once we hit the straightaway, my daughter picked up speed and started leaving me behind…
We rode along the left side of the white line.

The course is wide and spacious, but just follow the signs and you absolutely won’t get lost, so no worries.

Along the way you’ll find restrooms, vending machines, a baseball field, and tennis courts — perfect spots to take a break and enjoy the changing scenery.

On this day, we found a beautiful golden carpet of ginkgo leaves.
There were also lots of cherry blossom trees, so it’s bound to be gorgeous in spring too! ✨

\\GOAL!//

At a leisurely pace, the loop took us about 40 minutes.
It had been a while since I’d been on a bike, and it was incredibly fun.

Please note that for safety reasons, bringing your own bicycle into the park for use is prohibited.

Cycling freely with your child without worrying about traffic is wonderful 🚴 My daughter was already excited about coming back to try riding without training wheels next time.

Highly recommended for families visiting Kumamoto! ✨

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Frequently Asked Questions

※Information is current as of the time of reporting. Pricing and operating hours may change. Please confirm before visiting.