YBP - Yuta’s Bike Park
With a name like Yamanashi (山, yama - mountain), you expect to find a certain kind of view here. Surrounded by mountains, including Mount Fuji and Yatsugatake in the distance, and Atago-yama, Yumura-yama, and Yougai-san quite close, Kofu doesn’t disappoint. A popular hiking destination, Yamanashi not only features some of the 100 Famous Mountains of Japan but also has its own 100 Famous Mountains.
Booklets available at the tourist counter at the Kofu Station south exit
Surprisingly, this doesn’t mean Yamanashi offers great skiing. Sun Meadows is fine for a day trip. I wouldn’t recommend Kamui Misaka or Fujiten other than for a quick morning run before work. (They’re small and crowded with groups from Tokyo.) Taking the extra time and spending the extra money to ski in Nagano is worth it for the high quality of the resorts. Additionally, no place in Yamanashi has developed into a destination for outdoor activities like rafting, canyoning, and bungee jumping in the way that some onsen towns (like Minakami, in Gunma) have. However, one person has been responsible for promoting outdoor Yamanashi, specifically in the world of BMX.
A Breakdown of Yuta’s Bike Park (YBP)
Yuta - Yuta Kurise came to Hokuto City, Yamanashi from Osaka, by way of Nagano. He started the YBP Project to secure funds for building the courses and for promoting BMX biking. He opened the park in 2013. As a pro rider, you may think he spends his days practicing on the trails and ramps. Actually, he devotes his time to maintaining the park. The weather plays a huge role in how much work he has to keep the courses safe and fun1.
Bike - There are courses for beginners, experts, and pros. (In fact, there was a special visitor when I was there - pro-BMX rider Sae Hatakeyama. She’s to compete in the Tokyo Olympics and will practice at YBP2. You can also rent bikes and safety gear.
Park - I want to put an emphasis on park here because the outdoorsy quality of YBP is unmistakeable. It’s surrounded by trees and the air is crisp. The edge of the course is a fine place to play it safe and just be a spectator.
Yuta’s Bike Park is open on weekends and Wednesdays - Wednesday is the day that most BMX shop workers have off, so it’s the best day for them to have some fun. It also hosts its own Yatsugatake Cup twice a year.
Check out the YBP website for great videos and views of the park.
Carnosa and Frame
Closer to Kofu are the sister shops of Carnosa Indoor Bike Park and Carnosa Camp. Carnosa Camp carries outdoor gear, new and used. Carnosa Indoor Bike Park, near the Ito Yokado supermarket, in Showa consists of a bike shop, ramps, a dirt course (designed by Kurise), and Frame cafe. Check out the shop and have lunch at Frame (serving on weekends and holidays) and consider taking a spin.
1. I asked Yuta if he had any kind of engineering background. He says the design of the courses is really just done by eye, and working on it and working on it.
2. Ariake Urban Sports Park in Koto-ku will host the Olympic BMX events, as well as the skateboarding events.