Three Views of Mt. Fuji - Sunset from close to home

Route: Just between my old apartment and new house
Bicycle: 11 km
Average Speed: 12.3 km/h
Total Ascent:  60 m
Riding time:  54 min
Weather: Actually sunny

Today the weather forecast did trick me. I saw a hint of rain and was convinced that it would come true. So instead of getting up early and out and about to the mountains I had a lie in. Frankly I needed it. I have been so busy this year with work, house building, organizing and then on the weekends again getting up early to get into the mountains... that a lazy day was what the doctor prescribed... But looking at the brilliant sun that was shining all day I had remorseful thoughts. 

When I finally did make it out I took my brompton and pottered around a bit. To the new house, to a home center looking at bricks and possibility how to paint them, and finally to Bic Camera for a A/C unit. (Finally - I am writing this post several months later already sitting in my new house -  I did not need the paint but instead decided with the exterior construction company on some nice bricks for the garden wall. And even the A/C I didn't buy at Bic Camera but ordered last minute with the home builder. Which was definitely a good idea. It was probably cheaper and so much less hassle. Already installed when I moved in in early December). So really the only "useful" thing I did today was looking at a perfect sunset behind Mt. Fuji from outside of Setagaya-Daita station:  

Including afterglow with a shadow projected over the horizon: 

Three View of Mt. Fuji - View from Wada pass

Day 2 - Fuji from Wada pass

Route: 
Bicycle:  km
Train: km
Average Speed: km/h
Total Ascent:  m
Riding time:  h
Weather:

2/Nov

Three views of Fuji - Autumn view of Mt. Fuji from Nagao pass

Route: Shin Matsuda - Kentaro-Hakone Line - Nagao pass and back
Train: 170 km
Average Speed: 13.7 km/h
Total Ascent: 1271 m
Riding time: 4:09 h
Weather: Sunny

Bicycle: 57 km

In the spirit of Hokusai, I had a long weekend with 3, instead of 36, 46 or 100, famous views of Mt. Fuji. 

Normally for a long weekend I would have probably gone somewhere, but this year with all the house building I was busy most weekends in Tokyo, so instead of going far, I did day trips from Tokyo. Normally I don't write about them in the blog. Afterall, when the weather is good enough and I am not busy with the house I am going riding every weekend. And while the nature around Tokyo is nice, I do tend to go to the same places a lot. I do enjoy it... but it's "just riding" the bike, not an adventure or sightseeing about which to write a blog. But this weekend it kind of came together under one topic: Views of Mt. Fuji.

For the first day I took Odakyu line out to Shin Matsuda. An area from where one can cycle up either to

• Ashigara pass, the first time I did it I thought it was very hard... but once you know how it is and know where it finishes the next time it gets easier and a nice view of Mt. Fuji awaits at the top (but this wasn't where I went today)
• Kentaro - Hakone line over to Hakone, which is a road going actually higher than Ashigara pass but less steep then a short downhill to the Hakone area. From there one could either cross Hakone along the lake and then the hairpins down to Odawara (I think I have done that only twice so far) or, like I did today, up again to Nagao pass. 
• Tanzawa Lake and further up, an area I first explored in March 2026 - I am writing this blog post many months later while recovering from a very persistent cold

But today it was Kentaro-Hakone line and then up to Nagao pass. Nagao pass is probably one of my preferred passes in the Tokyo area. It is a very agreeable inclination. From the Hakone side also quite short and with spectacular views first of the Hakone bassin and the volcano and then once through a small tunnel at the top great views of Mt. Fuji. Today even with some autumn colours:

This is the road up to Nagao pass. Such a bliss and with very few cars, because there is a main road through a new tunnel to which most traffic defaults. However recently I am seeing that there are tourist tours with JDM cars, mostly sporty cars, for hire to go on a group ride. There is a toll road closed to bicycles (why??? I would even pay...) which seems to be one of the destinations. 

At the top of the pass is a very short, old tunnel. Before crossing it one last view into the valley of Hakone with Ashi lake:

And out on the other side of the tunnel ... and an ugly view of Mt. Fuji. One needs to get a bit closer to have a more direct view of the mountain without the abandoned old restaurant. 

There I turned back and went back the same way I had come. Alternatively one could go down to Gotemba, but it is more complicated to get back from there by train and for going down and then up again over Ashigara pass back to Shin Matsuda I did not have enough time. Plus I dont really like the outskirts of Gotemba. Too much traffic. 

The Kintaro-Hakone line in itself is relatively uneventful and doesn't have too much traffic either, but gets some images of Kintaro and the Hakone mascot.