I planned to cycle the outskirts of Hamamatsu this summer. But the heat was very discouraging so I've done my cycling at night. Cycling at night is awesome! Few cars, less people and refreshing breeze. The only problem is there's no place to really go at night. The only places I've visited during my night cycling trips are late-night stores.
Here are some places I've visited Hamamatsu when dreamland was still far away:
1. Seiyu
Seiyu is a 24-hour supermarket. It has more items than your average kombini or convenience store. The goods are cheaper too even compared to other supermarkets in the area. From Hamamatsu Station, the nearest Seiyu is only about 15 minutes for a cyclist of normal speed. If you're still up for an intense late night cycling, go up to Hamakita for a bigger Seiyu store. They have clothes, shoes , bags and household & office items.
How to Get There: Follow the JR train line from Hamamatsu Station going to Toyohashi. Cycle on the side opposite of Entetsu so you don't have to cross the streets. It's behind the building with a YAMAHA logo but it's not the Yamaha Office. Use Google maps if you're still lost.
For Seiyu Hamakita, follow the red train going to Nishikajima. It's near Pleha Walk, the mall near Hamakita Station. You can't miss it cause it's really big. I'm telling you now that it's really far. It took me more than an hour to get there and I regret going that far at night in that area. It's pretty dark along the way and I'm one of those people who are afraid of the dark. I don't recommend cycling at Seiyu Hamakita at night.
2. Don Quijote
Instead of going all the way to Seiyu Hamakita, there's a nearer department store from Hamamatsu Station called Don Quijote. It's along the same road as the nearer Seiyu but on the opposite side. Cycling there from Hamamatsu Station takes about 30 minutes or more depending on your speed. The whole first floor is a big supermarket with some clothes, shoes and bags too. The second is a department store with more clothes, shoes, bags, cosmetics, household items, appliances, etc. Don Quijote is only open until 2 am.
How to Get There: Again, just follow the JR train going to Toyohashi. You'll ride past Seiyu, Cats' Cafe and Mc Donalds. You can't miss it cause its building is quite big. It has a blue top with a huge parking lot. It's across from a car office.
3. Mc Donalds and Denny's
There were some days when I got tired looking at items at Seiyu and Don Quijote. As an alternative, I'd cycle to 24-hour food shops and grab a dessert or some snack. For late night food cravings, there are Mc Donalds and Denny's.
How to Get There: Mc Donalds is along the same road as Seiyu and Don Quijote. It's between these two stores. I like this particular Mc Donalds place because it's bigger and more quiet than the one in the station.
Denny's is on the opposite side. It's quite hard to give the direction in writing except to say don't follow any train line. Cycle along the road going to AEON Irino. That's the simplest direction I can give. Again, use Google maps for clearer direction.
I wish I've cycled to more exciting places but I'm too weak for the summer heat. Summer's almost over so maybe I can take up day cycling again. Problem is, vacation's almost over too so I don't know when I'll ever get to cycle to nicer places. Anyhow, at least I've got some place to go even at night. I might even have memorized the prices of their goods there.
How about you, where do you go for a late-night bike ride or walking trip?