HIROSHIMA, Japan – Many diners flirt with danger by consuming the highly toxic puffer fish. I push my culinary boundaries a notch further by popping its sperm sac into my mouth.

The rich, creamy texture is one of the culinary delights I unearth during a cycling journey across rural sea towns in Japan on one of the world’s most scenic bicycle rides – the Shimanami Kaido. Billed as one of the world’s best cycling routes, the well-maintained bicycle path winds through six islands, linked by dramatic bridges and ramps.

The route, suitable for a wide range of riders, rewards cyclists of all levels with grandiose ocean views, quaint fishing villages, majestic temples, lush greenery and sparkling beaches.

Speedy riders can cover the 70km route from retro town Onomichi to the shipyard hub of Imabari in a single day, but I take a leisurely pace, crossing six islands in the Seto Inland Sea over two days.

I expect to burn some calories. Instead, I gain a happy belly.

Between jaw-dropping postcard scenes, I feast on fresh, wriggly octopus, slurp on oysters harvested hours ago, dig into a lemon seafood hotpot and make excuses for ice cream pit stops.

I discover tremendous value, such as a 3,850 yen (S$30) lunch in a Michelin-starred restaurant, and hunker down at sleek hotels for $100 a night.

The ride across towering bridges has its inclines, but overall, it is breezy and endorphin-laced – even for someone whose physique has seen better days and whose medical scan a fortnight earlier showed complex meniscus tears in both knees. But here is my confession: I use a battery-assisted bicycle.

This is why this slow journey through the picturesque islands of rural Japan is worth the ride.