HITA, Oita Prefecture--Fans of the wildly popular "Attack on Titan" manga who make a pilgrimage to author Hajime Isayama's hometown here can now feel the immense scale of the epic story.

Oita Prefecture was known since ancient times as the "Land of Plenty." But why? English cyclist James Hobbs looks for answers on a 3-day, 350-km ride through this southern region. His interest ...