D3 perfect autumn scenes on small roads

Route: Saku Uminokuchi - Tatsuoka castle - Shimonita - Takasaki
Bicycle: 103 km
Train: 104 km
Total ascent: 1046 m
Average speed: 18.4 km/h
Riding time: 5:35 h
Weather: Clouds and some sun

When preparing for this ride I had seen a trip on Japan Guide in this area, where the writer visited the remains of a castle and a shrine in Saku. So I decided to ride down that way. From there I had also multiple options. Easiest would have been to just continue further downhill and take the Shinkansen either in Ueda or in Karuizawa... but the more interesting (and more challenging option) was to ride through the mountains to Takasaki... and that's what I did. 

But first to the castle... or well, the little bits that remain. Frankly from the ground it is not very impressive. Apparently there is a view point above in the hills... but although I tried, it wasn't accessible by road bike. Too much gravel on a steep road, so I gave up on it. What would be visible from there is the form: a five pronged star. One of only two castles in Japan with this form, the other one being in Hakodate in Hokkaido. 

However the koyo at the shrine in the same village was in full swing. Apart from this it was a normal temple (or shrine?), but with pagoda and all.

From there it was up through the mountains. Already until here I had managed to cycle on very private roads, but the road up here between Usuda and Shimonita was again one of these small mountain roads where one wonders why they have been constructed. But I am not complaining. Thanks to the Japanese tax payer (myself included), we have these small roads that connect minuscule villages through the mountains. And once there is a road it will get maintained. 

While yesterday on Yatsugadake koyo was way beyond peak... well, essentially all the leaves were gone, here in the lower elevations of this mountain range, koyo was at its best. Up on the pass a picture of a bike ...

With this impressive mountain range in the background. It must be somewhere between Takasaki and Karuizawa. I had also seen it in the distance when I went to Bessho onsen earlier this year. Definitely doesn't look apt for cycling. Probably not even for hiking. But for climbing. 

From there it was a very long downhill. Not only the downhill from the pass, but further down, as Saku on the Nagano side of the mountain is much higher than Takasaki and Shimonita on the Gunma side. Mostly  through very remote mountain forests. Only further down small villages came into view. 

Even quite close to Takasaki station (I think at about 7 km) this was the panorama: 

Definitely an other area of Japan to explore more. I will probably consider the same ryokan again, for it's good price, rotenburo and vicinity to a conbini. Next time a bit earlier in the season to see koyo on Yatsugadake... or maybe spring. 

So much to explore. But today's ride was already a treat with those small roads, no traffic (and no bears) and koyo.