Cyclist AMU on the 2026 UCI Gran Fondo World Championships in Niseko and Her Stay at Intuition Niseko

AMU (@amuaiamu) is a Japanese digital creator and YouTuber who documents cycling and bike travel. With six years of experience as a casual road cyclist, she completed her "Amu Tabi 47" challenge in July 2024, which involved riding across all 47 prefectures of Japan.

This summer, she came to Niseko as a guest rider for the UCI Gran Fondo World Championships, the first time the Championships have been held in Japan. We spoke with her about cycling in Hokkaido, the event, and her stay at Intuition Niseko.

I initially started cycling to get more exercise. I used to be an indoor gamer and didn't get much movement in. For beginners, I'd recommend starting with a rental bike and giving it a try. Cycling isn't only about riding fast like you do in a race. By taking your time and enjoying a leisurely ride or exploring somewhere by bike, you can experience a different kind of charm that you wouldn't get from travelling by car. Not to mention, it's great for your health.

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I enjoy watching races just as much as participating in them, so having the opportunity to experience a world-class race and ride during the same period is very special. It's exciting to see a major cycling event being held in Japan.

Since I won't be competing, I'll mainly be enjoying the event while planning out which races to watch. I also enjoy being able to see the riders racing while I'm out cycling myself.

I was particularly looking forward to the Discovery Cycling ride, as well as exploring other cycling routes during my stay. The Discovery Cycling course is quite challenging, so I want to make sure I'm well prepared and in good condition for it. I also planned photo and video shoots for content creation.

It's great that Niseko offers a more comfortable environment for cycling, with lower temperatures and humidity compared to mainland Japan. I think a lot of people head to Hokkaido to escape the summer heat anyway, and I could really see Niseko becoming the kind of place where you can spot cyclists everywhere, and think, "This is a really fun place to ride." As it's my first time here, I'm especially looking forward to cycling to Lake Toya.

The region's aged potatoes! They're delicious.

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Having a refrigerator, kitchen and washing machine made Intuition an ideal base for cyclists like me and I loved being able to store my bicycle indoors! I was really happy to be able to properly rest and recover in such a clean and comfortable space.

I initially had the impression that staying here would be quite expensive, but I found summer to be much more accessible compared to winter. I can see how rooms with kitchens and multiple bedrooms would also be great for groups travelling together.