This is the fourth year of our cycling development project in Hyogo Prefecture. Together with six other cycling businesses in Hyogo Prefecture, we have created a cycling tour that explores the local area. On this day, the tour was a maze-like ride through the castle town of Himeji Castle. It is a casual tour with overseas agents riding e-bikes. Since this tour is usually held, we enjoyed every store and every experience as if we were visiting on a whim.
This is because of the daily negotiations with and contributions to the local community made by the cycling guide, ACT Travel Co.

Volunteer photographer on a tandem bike cycling tour for the visually impaired.
Cycle Volunteer Japan, a non-profit organization, organizes cycling tours for the visually impaired in various locations.
At the suggestion of Hosokawa, a RIDAS cooperative member and a JCGA certified professional, I volunteered as a photographer.
I learned a lot about how to realize a “cycling experience that leaves no one behind. I also learned a lot about the current road environment in Japan, the unique operation of tandem bicycles, the differences when organizing cycling tours, and above all, the need for cycling guides to provide both vanguard and rear guard services.

Taste of Japan (SAMURAI SPORTS MARKETING) & RIDAS Corporation’ original inbound long tour. After the interruption caused by the Corona disaster, we were able to hold this year’s tour following last year’s!

This time, in addition to the Shimanami Kaido, a new route from Harima & Tanba to Kyoto has been set up with the participation of cycling operators from Hyogo Prefecture, who have always been of assistance to Lidas, with destinations including Imabari, Himeji Castle, Takeda Castle, Sasayama Castle, and Nijo Castle in Kyoto. The tour, called the ‘Five Castles Tour’, took 12 guests from the USA on a 10-day journey.

Lydas contributed guide work and safety management, bike rental operations, mechanical support, photography, and almost all the equipment, including rental bikes, support vehicles, tools, AEDs and digital radios. It was quite a lot of stuff.

To the local operators, we are grateful to have worked with you for the last three years on the grantmaking. We look forward to working with you again on the RIDAS cycling tour!

On October 26, 2023, the UNWTO (World Tourism Organization) will select five companies to sign the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, RIDAS Corporation was selected as one of the five signatories to the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism.

https://unwto-ap.org/event/gcet2023/

The World Tourism Charter of Ethics is about maximizing tourism development while minimizing potential negative impacts on the world’s environment, cultural heritage, and society.
While many companies are working hard to develop sustainable tourism, we are just at the beginning of the process. However, I believe that our efforts to disclose our initiatives on the ground to the United Nations and the evidence we have disclosed have led to this selection. However, the reality is that there are many areas where we have actually fallen short.
This signature is a commitment that we will continue to develop sustainable tourism as part of our corporate mission. Therefore, we must continue our commitment to sustainable tourism development, while undergoing inspections to a global standard.

This signature is a commitment that we will continue to develop sustainable tourism as part of our corporate mission. We are therefore committed to continue this sustainable tourism development initiative, with cycle tourism as its core, while undergoing global standard inspections in the future.

UNWTO世界観光倫理憲章 民間部門による誓約　署名式を開催しました

世界観光倫理憲章

https://www.unwto.org/global-code-of-ethics-for-tourism

Photo: Reprinted from the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO) Office in Japan

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On 26 October 2023, the UNWTO (World Tourism Organisation) selected five companies this year as signatories to the Private Sector Commitment to the UNWTO Global Code of Ethics for Tourism, Lydas Inc. was one of the five companies selected.

UNWTO世界観光倫理憲章 民間部門による誓約　署名式を開催しました

The Global Code of Ethics for Tourism aims to maximise the development of the tourism industry while minimising potential negative impacts on the world’s environment, cultural heritage and society.
While many companies are working hard towards sustainable tourism development, we are just at the beginning of our journey. However, we believe that our efforts to disclose our initiatives on the ground and evidence to the UN have led to this selection. However, the reality is that there are many areas where we actually fall short.
This signature is a commitment that we will continue to develop sustainable tourism as part of our corporate mission. Therefore, we must continue to work hard and continue this commitment to sustainable tourism development, while undergoing inspections to a global standard.

This signature is a commitment that we will continue to develop sustainable tourism as part of our corporate mission. We are therefore committed to continuing this sustainable tourism development initiative, with cycle tourism as its core, subject to global standard inspections in the future.

RIDAS Corporation.

Hisashi Inoue

We performed photography work for the promotion of a cycling tour to explore Himeji City.
Himeji Castle is indeed a national treasure. The majesty of the castle cannot be seen simply by taking a bus or cab in a straight line to the castle tower. The outer moat, the town layout where samurai residences once stood, and the many old highways leading to the castle are all visible.
I believe that Himeji Castle can be seen through the various locations of the castle tower that can be seen. The guided cycling tour conducted by ACT Corporation was a rich tour of the castle area that could only be offered by a local business.

We went touring on the Saba Kaido (over Harihata). This is the “old highway cycling” that Lydas specializes in. It was a three-day trip with members who collaborate with mountain professionals and cycling guides. Our destination was Obama City, Fukui Prefecture. Goshoku Kuni. The tour was a one-stroke ride from Kyoto.
The Saba Highway finally began to feel like autumn. It is a precious road that still retains a strong sense of the original landscape of Japan. We do not want the place to be polluted by mascot characters, unnecessary sign boards, unnecessary road lines, etc.

The e-BIKE tour was organized by the Miki City Tourism Association.
The tour was held at the same time as the RIDAS membership tour, with two tours held in the morning and afternoon, and many people participated.
In addition, since safety and security are our first priority, we had the luxury of having four JCGA-certified guides on the tour this time!
Many people think of Miki City in terms of golf, but there are many other things to see and do in the center of the city.
We enjoyed exploring the area by bicycle, which is something you cannot do by ordinary sightseeing, taking a cab or bus, or walking around eating and drinking gourmet food.
Some people said they had no idea that Miki City had such steep hills….
With the real sports type e-BIKE, the hills were not even there.

We were fascinated by the charm of Miki City, Hyogo Prefecture.

A project to create cycle tourism in Hyogo Prefecture. This is a collaborative project with cycling businesses in six regions in the prefecture. Our work is to ensure safety and security in the cycling business and to promote it.
The Kato-shi Tourist Association offers guided cycling tours as a priority project. Visitors are carefully guided through beautiful rice paddies in the area where Yamada-Nishiki, an ingredient of Japanese sake, is produced. The shop also has a fully equipped bike rental and maintenance facility that could easily be mistaken for a bicycle store, catering not only to sightseeing cyclists, but also to amateurs! Why don’t you enjoy cycling in Kato-shi this fall?

A cycle tourism creation project in Hyogo Prefecture. ACT Corporation, located in Himeji City, offers popular original cycling tours under Himeji Castle and in Shiso City. Under Himeji Castle, we were able to enjoy an interesting tour that could never be experienced by car, cab, or on foot. In Shiso City, we had the opportunity to taste the ancient mysteries of Shintoism and experience (non-alcoholic, of course) the making of sake, an essential part of the Shinto religion. It was a wonderful tour that is already available for sale.

The Awaji Landscape and Horticulture School / Graduate School of Green Environment and Landscape Management, University of Hyogo, invited the school’s graduate students to experience e-BIKE cycling through the original landscape of Awaji Island.
This is the fifth year for this class. This year, the students responded very well to the experience, and we learned a lot from the day. But still, Awaji Island is a great place to visit.

Consulting for “HIKE & BIKE TOUR” at ADATARA NATURE CENTER.
This tour includes hiking through the spectacular volcanic area of Mt. Adatara in Fukushima Prefecture, traversing gravel roads at the foot of the mountain by e-bike, and then enjoying the beautiful countryside.
On this day, the conditions were perfect, and we enjoyed the spectacular, world-class view of the mountain.

I went to Kato City on a promotional mission for the Hyogo Prefecture’s cycling business. As the hometown of Yamada-Nishiki sake rice, many prominent sake breweries were showing off their rice paddies in the special A district. I was amazed at the density of the Yamada-Nishiki plantings.
Next was Toryu-nada.
I was surprised again by the mass of andesite rock that suddenly appeared on the calm surface of the river.
And the most amazing thing was the facilities of the Kato-shi Tourist Association. There were many e-bikes, cross bikes, road bikes, a Wahoo kicker bike, a drawer with tools, a bike stand, and even a Honda N-BOX as a support vehicle.
What is even more impressive is the skill of the guide, Yasuhiro Uno. He was practicing almost all of the contents of the guiding courses that we have been offering for the past three years.