D2 - Towadako and Oirase

Route: Kazuno - Towadako - Oirase and back
Bicycle: 29 km
Car: 42 km 
Riding time: 1:49 h

Total ascent: 236 m 
Average speed: 16,1 km/h
Weather: mostly cloudy , 27 C 

When my friend first suggested this trip she proposed to cycle once around Lake Towada.  Which I agreed to, but also pointed out that although this is only about a 50 km ride it has more than 1000 m of elevation gain. It’s a lake. But it is a volcanic lake in an old crater and in one place the road goes up to the rim of the crater. So it was quite unlikely that we would manage to do the ride. 

Luckily a good alternative appeared. We had a relatively late start and until we were actually sitting on the bikes (we drove up to the lake from Kazuno by car) it was already 11:00. We parked at a road side station and started from there which was the flatter part of the ride. On our way I saw that the road along Oirase stream would be open from 12:00 onwards. 

My friend was very happy to see that news as it meant we could alter our overly ambitious plan to make a full round of the lake to a much more easy but tourist-worthy ride along Oirase stream. Actually I had hoped that we could walk along the stream, but only the road had been opened for traffic, the walking path officially was still closed. Which didn’t stop all potential hikers but did stop us from attempting it. Oirase stream is very popular and has become very popular with foreign tourists as well. But thanks to the closure yesterday there were very few people today and no bus tours. So we could ride leisurely along the road , stop every now and then and walk a bit to see some highlights. 

The River was fast flowing still showing the damage of the strong rain a few days ago. 

As this is a River flowing out of the lake the road along it is downhill. Not steep at all, but it also meant we would need to ride it uphill again  so relatively early we returned and started on our way back to the car.

The main road in some places was still very dirty from the rain that had washed down parts of the forest. So our bikes (and we) got pretty dirty.

Back at the car we put the bikes back into their bags and in the car and then drove back down to our excellent ryokan. We did stop at a very new road side station in our village that even had a foot bath. Kind of mandatory at a road side station called “big onsen”.

Back at our hotel we had a relaxing hot bath in the rotenburo before another excellent dinner and an early night on two very comfy futons. 

D1 - Towadako with a friend

Route: Tokyo -  Hachinohe - Towadako- Kazuno

Bicycle: 12km

Walking: 2 km

Train: 650 km

Car: 110 km

Weather: Sun and clouds and much cooler than Tokyo but still warm. 29C

A friend of me wanted to go for some summer vacation.  I hadn’t any plans but insisted that it must be up North to flee the scorching heat of Tokyo. I hadn’t any plans made some potential plans to go to Towadako, so that’s where we went. We met up a few weeks ago to plan everything, found a very nice ryokan in Kazuno (all the places on the lake itself were either extremely expensive or had bad evaluations). 

A month before we bought the train tickets, which turned out to be more complicated than we thought. Although we took an early morning train out of Tokyo on a Friday morning when we wanted to buy the tickets, there were no rear row seats available anymore and overall the train was already pretty packed. But she managed to get some reasonable seats in the second but last row. 

However this morning we had to wait for 1,5 h for the train. Somehow there was a delay in rail works between Omiya and Sendai so no trains of the Tohoku Shinkansen could leave Tokyo station.

 So although I got up at 4:30 we were only at around 12:00 in Hachinohe. 

Towadako is pretty hard to reach by public transport and probably impossible with a bicycle in tow, so we rented a car (my first time driving in Japan after converting my driving license again back in 2022… I had driven here sometimes between 2015 and 2017 but not since)  but luckily driving is slow and automatic cars are easy to drive. 

As a typical Japanese my friend found a perfect spot for a light lunch in an old farmhouse. 

Our original plan was to do some hiking along the famous Oirase stream… but when we got to the upper parking lot we learned that both the road and the hiking trail were closed since a few days due to damage by too much rain. So we did a mini walk around that information center … 

.. and then continued by car onwards to our ryokan. Which was actually good timing as we arrived around 17:00 and had all the time to enjoy the rotenburo while gazing out into the big Japanese garden with an even bigger pond…

… before our rich dinner in the room.

D2 NAAF Around Omachi

Route: around Omachi and up to Kuzuonsen

Bicycle: 60 km
Total ascent: 1012 m
Average speed: 
Riding time: 4:19 h
Weather: clouds and sun, no rain, 22C

Also today I saw one piece of art that was great. Unfortunately only one. Or one and an half. But that one was actually the best I have seen so far. Better even than the ones in Echigo Tsumari. 

Initially I thought that the second last art work was good, and it’s nice and all, but like yesterday the best was the last one.

A very cruel piece of art. In the forest some trees have been cut, prepared into wooden planks, firewood and even the branches are all there. Only a central column remains and the root still in the earth. While the neighboring tree hasn’t been mutilated and is still growing as if nothing had happened to his neighbor. Makes you wonder if one should be “lignio abstinent”. But at the same time I am thinking of buying a piece of land in Tokyo to build a house which will be made of wood… conflicted…

It’s also true that there are too many trees in Japan. Specially Japanese cedars (probably the tree in the picture) which causes hay fewer to what seems to be half of the population in Japan. Actually the government announced a plan to reduce these trees, but it is hard to see how this can be implemented due to the lack of manpower specially in rural areas and just the vastness of the forests and mountains in Japan.

The day started relatively late, because the art works don’t open until 9:30 and I used the full opening time until 16:30. The first art work was close to my accommodation around lake Nakatsuna. 

I’d say decorative, but mainly because the lake is nice by itself. The next two in an abandoned school did tell me even less. 

The third on my way to a dam was a video installation about hunters and the forth was a decorated but otherwise ugly wall of the Omachi Power museum… 

… a museum likely dedicated to the many dams that exist in the area. The most famous of them: Kurobe Dam, which is on a complicated but very popular route of many different transports (Trolleybus, cable car, bus, train…) through the Northern Alps. 

From there it was up and up to a first dam …

And a second dam which had yet another piece of art.

For me it was the place to eat my onigiri. Which felt a bit little but was all I had. As it was already 12:00 I decided against continuing up to the final dam but instead was tempted by an onsen in the area which had been highly recommended by the owner of the pension where I am staying. 

It was a nice onsen, but I confirmed that doing an onsen during a ride isn’t so nice as doing it at the end knowing thrrr are only a few kilometers left. 

Once down from the mountain I found a soba restaurant (in the middle of soba fields) , where I had lunch. Warm soba this time. 

Before heading to the last cluster of art works on Omachi onsenkyo a hotel village , now apparently popular by bus tours that do the Kurobe dam tour. 

In this old sake factory now a sake museum where small moving and sounding objects. 

Right next to what seemed to be a waste thermal plant was this art work, which didn’t tell me anything. Jus looked like wooden planks for walking, similar to the ones in the forest with the long poem above. It looks like a nice place to have lunch, but that’s about it.

Anyway even here I did get one more stamp for my passbook.

And off I went to the last but one piece of art, which gains an honorable mention.

But the best was the last, to which I arrived in extremis, barely minutes before they were closing. 

D1 NAAF Matsumoto - Omachi plus art

Route: Matsumoto - Omachi and art installations between 

Bicycle: 65 km

Train: 220 km

Total ascent: 659 m
Average speed: 15,9 km/h
Riding time: 4:04 h
Weather: cloudy, later on light drizzle, 20 C

I read recently in the Japan Times about an “inconvenient“ art festival in the Northern Alps, which picked my interest. 

The Northern Alps Art Festival (NAAF), curiously organized by the same person as the Echigo Tsumari triennial where I was a few weeks ago. Initially I had thought to come here next weekend which will be a long one, but it turned out that 2 weeks before there were no train tickets anymore available, and with me being busy most of the other weekends in October plus reasonable weather I decided to make also this weekend a long one. Although there is no koyo yet and it is not a long weekend, it was difficult (but possible) to buy train tickets. 

From Matsumoto I first needed to get out of the city and then went as a first stop to a point to buy the “passport” for the art festival. Had a quick lunch in a restaurant on the same parking lot and then went to the first art work, which left me a bit underwhelmed.

The second piece was behind a temple in a forest.  This seems to be a theme with this festival. A lot of the places I saw today are somehow within temple or shrine grounds. 

Also this one frankly did not impress me. But it was in a curious location on a kind of golf in the woods ground. 

At the third place were some video installations. One of them being story telling from what seemed to be old , Japanese tales. 

I didn’t stop in Omachi, where there is more art in the town but continued to lake Kizaki, that had also more art.

But the highlight of the day was this spiral of lenses. They were specially magical as by this time it had started to rain  slightly. 

Although this art festival is called “Northern Alps” those guys did hide today behind some big clouds, so instead of Alps, there were only some smaller mountains around. 

SW D9 Ueda to Suwako

Route: Ueda - Shinonoi - Matsumoto - Suwa
Bicycle: 73 km
Train: 57 km
Total ascent:  635 m
Average speed: 16,5 km/h
Riding time: 4:30 h
Weather: for the first part rainy, for the second part windy and dark clouds but no rain anymore, 

The original plan was to ride over from Ueda through Aoki to Matsumoto and then either by bike or train to Suwako. A road I had seen a few months ago when I tried (and failed) to cycle from Bessho onsen to Matsumoto. But that plan didn’t count on a cold rainy day. When I started there was only very light rain, but t this transformed into proper rain quite quickly and at a conbini already in direction to Aoki I reconsidered my options. Being alone in the mountains on a small road up and (!) down with so much rain wasn’t going to be neither safe nor fun. So I reconsidered my options:

1. Cycle to Komoro and get a local train to Kobuchizawa. 
2. Cycle to Ueda and take a Shinkansen back to Tokyo and call it off. 
3. Cycle to Shinonoi and get a train from there to Matsumoto.

I went with option #3. Option #1 has considerably less trains. Option #2 was tempting because then I could have participated in the evening in Tokyo at the NPC ride, but weather tomorrow in the lake Suwa area seemed to be so nice plus I already had booked a hotel which at such short notice was not going to be refundable. So option #3 it was. 

So I cycled down again on the same bicycle road along the river all the way to Shinonoi. Uneventful but wet ride. 

However as soon as I arrived at the station, had packed up my bike and changed into dry clothes, the rain stopped and the sun made an appearance. But this wasn’t going to fool me. Now I was sold on the train option. 

From the train I was surprised to see a lot of damaged trees. Apparently dried out. How is that even possible on Japan with the humid summers? Or were those trees simply killed by heat not lack of water? Japan has more than enough trees, so it’s probably not a problem. And maybe even a chance to plant something else that hasn’t half of the nation sneezing in spring with allergy.

I arrived at Matsumoto station shortly before 12:00, found a very good karaage restaurant where I had chicken nanban. After lunch I changed back into my slightly damp cycling clothes, put the bike together again and then set off towards Suwako. On google maps it seems like an easy ride, but in reality there is a 1040 m high mountain pass in between and the road has a lot of up and down. 

But one gets a nice view of the lake below, and on days with less clouds the Minami and Kita Alps would also be visible. From a distinctively brutalist viewing platform. 

From there on a very small and incredibly steep (I walked) road down to the lake, a short stop on the shores in a foot spa and then off to my hotel for the last night of this trip.

O-bon cycling

Day 1

Route: Hashimoto - Miyagase Dam area - Hashimoto
Bicycle: 57 km
Train: 70 km
Total Ascent: 784 m
Average Speed: 16.5 km/h
Riding Time: 3:14 h
Weather: Hot and sunny

Thanks to the very hot ride with ICON in Hungary this year, I discovered a way how to ride also in summer. Not in the total heat... but in somewhat more moderate heat: soak the entire t-shirt in cold water, put it on cold... and repeat every hour or so. 

And well... getting up very, but very early! 

It has been too much time without cycling, so today I got up really early in the morning (around 4:30) took the second train of the day out to Hashimoto and was on the bike already at 6:45 before it is getting way too hot in the plains to cycle. And up I went to Miyagase dam. Stopping by the conbini in front of Ogino pan, which at that early morning hour wasn't open yet. And then further up to the dam. 

I would have wanted to ride up to Yabitsu toge, but unfortunately the road is closed since a few weeks (I kind of knew from people I follow on Strava). So instead I went to explore further some very small roads a bit behind the dam. Roads that lead to absolutely nowhere but are very nicely in the shade and thanks to not leading anywhere have very little traffic. They do get a bit of traffic though as there is a fishing spot which seems to be quite popular. 

I have since been back in this area later in August... but not only wasn't the road to Yabitsu toge yet repaired (they had it closed for quite some time in the winter this year to repair it... just to close it again in early July... probably due to a land slide), nor was the other road cleared yet of the landslide that had come down there back in June/July. Actually when I went again at the end of August, that  road was closed even further down. So while I like the area and these small roads, I'd like the climb to be a bit longer. Let's hope they don't give up on that road and repair the landslide... but not sure... I am not having high hopes, as that small road doesn't lead anywhere... so not sure if the local government really wants to invest money into it. At least the one over Yabitsu toge, I guess will be reopened again, as that one is a proper road. 

I came down the mountain, had an obligatory fried sweet bread at Ogino pan and then down to Hashimoto on the big road (probably not the best decision) and back home where I arrived to a cool shower and air conditioning before 13:00 and then had a good long nap. 

Day 2

Route: Ome - Kosuge - Saruhashi
Bicycle: 56 km
Train: 130 km
Total Ascent: 856 m
Average Speed: 17.6 km/h
Riding Time: 3:12 h
Weather: Hot and sunny

After the success yesterday, I decided to go for mountains again today, this time to the Okutama region, again knowing the roads are nicely in the shadows of the forest. 

Today I got up even earlier than yesterday, as I had a longer train ride and was in the saddle with my soaking wet t-shirt shortly before 7:00 heading up the road to Okutama. I didn't have a precise plan and but thought that if it wasn't too hot on the lake side, I would continue up to Kosuge and then through the long tunnel and down the Otsuki side. I had done that ride with a friend last year, and remembered that the tunnel didn't have a lot of traffic and that the descent on the other side wasn't too steep and on a well maintained, wide road. 

In Kosuge, there is a small shop that sells filled buns, with a surprisingly large variation of tastes. I got myself one and ate it nearly on the top of the mountain in a nice a shady location sitting on some huge sandbags on the road side. 

Before the descent I came by this small shrine on the hillside: 

Surprisingly the descent was quite hot. I had stopped at a toilet on the descent but opted against soaking again the t-shirt (something I had done multiple times on the way up), thinking that a descent shouldn't be so hot with all the wind and not much pedaling involved, but hot air is still hot. Anyway, I made it down to Saruhashi station, where I arrived in good time to pack up the bicycle and head back home for an other long nap in the afternoon. 

Overall very enjoyable and to be repeated. 

Around Hakone

Day 1

Route: Matsuda - Sengokuhara - Owakudani - Hakone
Bicycle: 45 km
Train: 70 km
Total ascent: 1397 m
Average speed: 10,5 km/h
Riding time: 4:22 h
Weather: warm but definitely not too warm , cloudy

A few weeks ago I already cycled here to Hakone but didn’t get down to the Hakone valley, instead went down to Gotemba after a look at Ashinoko from Nagao pass. This time I came over to Hakone and am even staying here. 

From Matsuda I took a different road over to Hakone (with less climbing) but still clocked nearly 1400 m of ascent on a very quiet but very well maintained road. Hakone Kintaro line. 

The downhill wasn’t very long, but surprisingly cold. And I didn’t bring my rain/wind jacket thinking that I wouldn’t need it anymore for the cold and no rain was forecast for today (but it did rain very slightly for a short time just before arriving in Motohakone). So mental note: bring rain jacket always can be useful for a cold downhill as well. 

I am also always surprised how high the area around Mt Fuji already is. Ashinoko is at about 700 m, and it’s noticeably cooler here. 

During lunch I looked up what to do in Hakone (I came quite unprepared) and discovered that there was a temple right behind the restaurant where I was eating and that another sightseeing spot (Sengokuhara grassland) was on my way. 

I first visited the temple. The temple itself want interesting but the hill behind it was covered with status of very funny gods.

The next stop were some grasslands… well… green…

From there surprisingly it was still uphill and then I added even more uphill by going to Owakudani, a place o have fond memories of from 1995, when I arrived there by cable car and then walked on the volcano with boiling mud besides the path. Now all this is off limits and only accessible with a guided tour. It was off limits for a long time due to too much volcanic activities and now seeing the crowds up there it’s probably off limits because of the sheer number of visitors. There aren’t that many places on earth where you can conveniently get to the crater of an active volcano by public transport.

In typical Japanese fashion they are trying to control the volcano by building structures within it. I wonder what the volcano thinks of all this.

From there down to Ashinoko with a shy Fuji hiding behind some clouds, along the lake on a bicycle path…

… and into an onsen with great views right over the lake.

From there it wasn’t far to Motohakone and my hotel, but I did stop briefly at the famous torii in the water, which even at this relatively late hour still had a queue for taking pictures.

Hakone was always a very touristy area but it’s surprising how many foreigners are here. In the capsule style hotel I am there are only foreigners, in the restaurant I had dinner was only one table with Japanese guests and even in the onsen I went there were more foreigners than Japanese. 

So now making a plan for tomorrow… where should I go from here? 

Day 2

Route: Hakone - Nagao pass - Ashigara pass - Kaisei 
Bicycle: 70 km
Train: 75 km

Total ascent: 1365 m

Average speed: 13,8 km/h

Riding time: 5:02 h

Weather: surprisingly cold, cloudy and this no Fuji

For the second day I made it back to Odakyu line but not through the descent from Hakone to Odawara, which frightens me a bit (plus it was way too close to where I started my day), but instead crossing again the entire caldera of Hakone passing over Nagao pass down to Gotemba and then up again to Ashigara Pass before finishing the day in a wonderful onsen.

My hotel was a kind of hip interpretation of a capsule hotel, but actually quite okay and at a bit over 8000 yen a cheap solution in Hakone which is totally overpriced (and overrun). After breakfast I went to the pier to see the pirate ships (but no Fuji) …

… before cycling back along the shore to the opposite end of the lake. There is a cycle / pedestrian path along most of the shore and relatively early in the morning it was still cyclable. I’d imagine later in the day on weekends it is so clogged by pedestrians that it wouldn’t make for a nice experience. 

On Komoot I saw a recommended route from the lake to the start of the climb to Nagao pass and it was a wonderful small road through an enormous golf course. Not really sure if it is one golf course or several ones, but most of that inner area of Hakone is just golf course. Back in the day it must have been a swamp. 

From there to the start of the climb to Nagao pass and then up. I did ride up from the other side to this pass a few weeks ago and it was such a nice climb. Gradually and with a great view. From the Hakone side it is an equally enjoyable climb with great views of the entire caldera (and its golf courses in the valley and smoking volcano) 

As it was cloudy this was the best view of Mt Fuji that I got. 

After a nice downhill of Nagao pass it was up again over Ashigara pass which even from the Gotemba side is hard (but not that long). A rest on the top, again no view and then some curry udon halfway down. After some more downhill it was uphill again to the onsen of the day. Which was a wonderful onsen with two big pools outside in what seemed to be pure nature. I am sure it’s nature that got some help but it was really feeling like sitting in a hot pool in the middle of the forest. There were also relax areas in similar positions.