As fans of competitive bike racing manga and anime Yowamushi Pedal know, the setting for much of the action takes place in Sakura, Chiba Prefecture. Thanks to franchise's popularity, the city has become a haven for cycling enthusiasts.

If you're in the Kanto area and thinking about getting away from the urban jungle and doing some outdoor activity, Sakura City is collaborating with Yowamushi Pedal on a stamp rally this month, and there's still time to participate.

You can either rent a bicycle for JPY 2,000 or bring your own for JPY 1,000.

There are six rally points where you can collect stamps, after which you'll receive commemorative goods. To participate, show up at the Tourist Information Center at JR's Sakura Station between 9:00 and 17:00. (Goods will be handed out between 9:00 and 16:30)

The rally ends on March 29th, so this weekend is the perfect time to go.

Chamomile's stamp rally report

Chamomile is also quite the biking enthusiast. So, it comes as no surprise that she jumped on the opportunity to participate in this stamp rally, which she visually documented on her social media accounts.

And since Sakura City's press release was a bit skimpy on photos, with Chamomile's gracious permission, we'd like to share some of the stamp rally highlights with you here.

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Riding the B.B.BASE train

Whether you're taking your bike with you to Sakura or renting one before you get there, one convenient way of traveling is on JR's bike-rack equipped special B.B.BASE (Boso Bicycle Base) train, which runs through Chiba's Boso Peninsula.

For more information about the B.B.BASE train, see their website here (in Japanese)

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In Sakura Station

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1. Sakamichi Onoda point: Sakura City Samurai Residence

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2. Shunsuke Imaizumi point: Sakura City Museum of Art

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3. Shoukichi Naruko point: Millenium Center Sakura

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4. Hajime Aoyagi point: Imbanuma Sunset Hills

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5. Junta Teshima point: Sakura Furusato Hiroba

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6. Issa Kaburagi point: Sakura Castle Ruins Park

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If you're not much of a competitive rider, you can also take it easy and rent a mamachari bike to take in all the sights at your leisure. The cherry blossoms are in bloom now, so it's quite beautiful.

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There are also all kinds of discounts available in participating cafes and restaurants. For example, Chamomile had this tasty-looking wild duck roast with balsamic vinegar sauce at Italian restaurant Costa where the first 10 participating customers get a free soft drink.

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For more information about the stamp rally, visit Sakura City's home page here.

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Chamomile

Since February, Chamomile has started her own podcast on Radio Chronicle which you can catch here.

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