The Kibiji cycling route is a 17-kilometre path through the flat agricultural plain west of Okayama city, connecting the ancient shrines and burial mounds of one of Japan's oldest settled regions. The route passes through rice paddies and past large kofun (burial mounds), stopping at two of the most important shrines in western Japan: Kibitsu Shrine and Kibitsuhiko Shrine, both associated with the legendary prince Kibitsuhiko-no-mikoto, whose story of slaying a demon served as one of the inspirations for the Momotarō folk tale.
Kibitsu Shrine is the more architecturally remarkable — a long covered corridor connecting the main hall to subsidiary buildings creates a roofed walkway of unusual elegance, designated a National Treasure. Kibitsuhiko Shrine sits on wooded grounds at the foot of Kinojo Mountain. Rental bicycles are available from a station near Bizen-Ichinomiya Station on the JR Kibi Line (one stop from Okayama). The route is flat, the roads quiet, and the signage is good; allow three to four hours for the round trip.