Three View of Mt. Fuji - View from Wada pass

Day 2 - Fuji from Wada pass

Route: Takao - Uenohara - Miyagase Dam - Hashimoto
Bicycle: 62 km
Train: 80 km
Average Speed: km/h
Total Ascent: 1368 m
Riding time: 4:15 h
Weather: Sun and clouds

Today an iconic climb in the Kanto area: Wada pass! 

Known for being steep... and that it is. But I like it. Very little traffic, steep uphill. I don't manage to ride it up all in one, but with 3 - 4 stops (I have my specific points where I stop to regain energy), I manage to ride it up completely. I have phases when I ride in some parts more often, and Wada pass every now and then ends up a weekly ride. 

From the pass itself one can walk up to the peak of Mt. Jimba, from where with good weather one has a 360 view over Mt. Fuji, Minami Alps, the mountains around Chichibu and even as far as Nikko. Today I did not walk up, as I wanted to continue cycling. 

On the downhill towards Uenohara one of the famous views of Mt. Fuji awaits, equipped with some benches to have a snack. Weather wasn't perfect, so one has to kind of know where Mt. Fuji is, but I promise once you found it, you can see it on this picture! 

From here downhill to Uenohara loosing all the elevation I had struggled up, and then up again on the other side. However the good thing about starting a ride with Wada pass is that any climb that comes after it, is much easier. 

From Miyagase dam theoretically one could even go up Yabitsu pass, which I think is slightly higher than Wada pass, but much less steep, at least from the Miyagase side. But today I did not have enough time for that, so it was only over to Miyagase Dam and then down from there to Hashimoto. With an obligatory stop at Onigo pan to get one of their fried donuts. 

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. 

D3 Daibutsu and schools

Route: Heguri - Nokogiriyama - Kimitsu

Bicycle: 50 km
Walking: 3 km
Train: 90 km
Total ascent: 750 m+
Average speed: 15,5 km
Riding time: around 5 h
Weather: sunny and warm, but very windy. Mainly tailwind though, 20 C

For my last day in Boso peninsula I went to the other (other than the flowers) famous place: Nokogiriyama and it’s Nihonji temple with an enormous Daibutsu carved out of the rock:

And as a Daibutsu wasn’t enough they threw in a gigantic Kannon as well:

The small buddhas had suffered though under the Meiji restoration when Buddhist figures in some temples were destroyed.

The other theme of the day was schools. I had started my day in a school, …

… but also for lunch I ended up in a school now transformed into a very popular road side station with many small restaurants. I lined up at the most popular which was in an old class room and served nostalgic school lunches. The Japanese families around me all remembered their school days. 

Overall I am not sure how much I like Boso peninsula. It’s relatively hard to reach from my place (2h+ by train), it was very windy and on the road along the shore there is traffic. Nothing really crazy, but not my solitary mountain roads. However truth be told, the mountain roads in the interior were very quiet. 

D2 Boso flower line

Route: Heguri- Tateyama - Boso Flower line - Chikura - Heguri 
Bicycle: 92 km
Total ascent: 439 m
Average speed: 18.1 km/h
Riding time: 5:06 h
Weather: sunny and VERY windy. Colder than I though  13C

For my second day on Boso Peninsula, I went down to the south coast riding along the famous Boso flower line. I had read about this place full of flowers years ago and always wanted to come, and theoretically now should be a relatively good time to see all these flowers blooming. But frankly enough, there were only two places with some small flower fields. Nothing that you could compare to the tulip fields in the Netherlands.

Luckily, before starting the ride, I had checked the weather, including the wind. And saw that there would be a very strong wind from the south. So I inverted the direction of the ride to have tail wind. And the wind in some places, especially around the lighthouse of Nojimazaki, was ferocious.

While the wind generally was tail wind, in places it was side wind, and that was feeling outright dangerous. So I proceeded with an abundance of caution. And as a result of that, probably didn’t enjoy the ride as much as it deserved to be enjoyed.

But maybe I’m also more of a mountain than a seaside person. I was rather happy to ride back to my accommodation in the hills of the Peninsula.

D1 through the hilly interior of Boso peninsula

Route: Sodegaura - interior of Boso peninsula - Heguri
Bicycle: 74 km
Train: 85 km
Total ascent: 900 m
Average speed: 16,9 km/h
Riding time: 4:24 h
Weather: sunny, some clouds and around 12C

It feels like a long time without some proper rides. Lately, most of my weekend time is taken up by visiting kitchen exhibitions, bathroom showrooms, toilet manufacturers, and obviously meeting with the house builder. But this long weekend I did reserve to do some touristic riding in an area, actually not very far from Tokyo, but where I have never been before: Boso peninsula. 

And I’m really lucky with the weather.  Yesterday it was snowing big flakes in Tokyo during most of the morning and then cold rain in the afternoon. But for this long weekend, today, Thursday, is a local holiday, I think for the start of spring, the weather forecast is excellent. Sun, a few clouds and getting warmer by the day arriving to about 20°C on Saturday. On Sunday I need to be back in Tokyo for more visits to the house builder. Hopefully finally being able to decide on the layout of the rooms, so that the plan can be fixed and we can enter into the next planning phase.

The ride didn’t feel so hilly, because there wasn’t one big climb, but it must’ve been more up-and-down and more gradual ascents than I thought, because somehow I climbed 900 m although I never really got very high up.

I didn’t have enough time to actually plan the rides so I just planned something quick in the Komoot app while sitting in the train. And I have to say so far what I saw today was not spectacular. Not bad either but nothing to write home about, or to actually write in this blog.

The one sightseeing spot, recognizing by Japanese local tourists, was this minor waterfall through an arch.

As far as I know, Boso Peninsula is famous for its flowers. but for sakura, it is still way too early, and while they were some isolated, flowering plum and peach trees, in the mountainous interior of the peninsula, it was clearly still too cold for the flowers.

The day finished in a small village in their abandoned  elementary school, now transformed into a basic guest house,co-working space, and restaurant. But the restaurant is open only for lunch on some days and there are no coworkers around. Luckily, the owner was able to organize a freshly cooked bento, which I ate in one of the old classrooms. And no, this is not my bicycle in the background. Those are some bicycles that can be rented here.

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. 

D2 Mistumine Jinja

Route: Otaki - Mitsuminejinja and back
Bicycle: 50 km
Total ascent: 1046 m
Average speed: 14,7 km/h
Riding time: 3:25 h
Weather: cloudy and fresh, 22 C

I came here without any specific plan. So yesterday evening on the suggestion of the owner of the guest house I looked into Mitsumine jinja, which seems to be very famous in the area. He said that the climb up was very difficult, but in Komoot it didn’t look that terrible. Just a few red sections but otherwise similar to a lot of other climbs I have done. So I settled for it.

The day started with breakfast out on the street in front of the guest house  and then I collected my cloths I had washed yesterday under the shower and dried over night using the bicycle as a rack. 

The guesthouse apparently was a ryokan in the past when this village (per the information displayed at its entrance) was a thriving place on the main street between Saitama and Yamanashi. However since this region has become pretty remote, although there is still a considerable amount of traffic on the road. 

The house is very old and for sure outside of any building regulations. One needs to tread carefully but it’s very atmospheric. 

I set off after breakfast climbing and climbing. This was a picture somewhere halfway up the climb. 

Before reaching the top there was a long row of cars waiting for the parking lot, but s as a cyclist I passed them all. Surprisingly there wasn’t any bicycle parking space, at least no official one, and well admittedly I did only see 3 cyclists the entire day. It’s probably simply a bit too difficult to reach from Tokyo. 

The entrance gate is a 3 entrance torii, apparently something quite unique, as are the wolves. 

Here people were praying to the 3 high peaks around. If I understood it correctly this is (yet another) origin of Japan. 

The actual entrance to the shrine is this massive colorful gate.

Also the shrine itself is very colorful and full of carvings. 

While I was still looking at the shrine it started raining ever so slightly plus it was surprisingly cold, so I didn’t linger too long and mar my way back downhill. At the bottom of the climb along a dam I met this local family:

These are only 3 members of the family, there were many more around. 

I had thought about riding a bit more to a dam, but the road I had chosen was so small, that I was a bit unsure if it was a good idea to ride there all alone, so instead I continued downhill, had a break at the only conbini of the valley and then entered into Otaki onsen. A simple onsen with 2 indoor pools, however one with a huge open wi Dow over the river and narrow valley. The water was very smooth and silky. 

After this proper test, I continued downhill for another 6 km and returned to my guesthouse and tonight’s dinner outside on the street. 

The place is incredible cheap. 11040 yen for 2 nights and half board. 

D1 From Hanno to Chichibu Tama Kai National park

Route: Hanno - Sanno pass - Yamabushi pass - Chichibu - Otaki
Bicycle: 67 km 
Train: 45 km

Average speed: 16.1 km/h
Total ascent: 884 m
Total riding time: 4:08 h
Weather: sunny and warm but not yet humid hot, 28 C

It is crazy. I woke up in the biggest metropolis of this planet with nearly 38 million inhabitants (in the entire Tokyo area). Took a train from the third most busy train station in the world (Shibuya station) for just one hour and then cycled 60 km and ended up in a village so small, that the owner of the hostel puts the dinner tables outside on the street as there is absolutely no traffic.

This trip to Chichibu is thanks to me searching a house in Tokyo. That doesn’t sound logical, right. Well , I am looking for a piece of land close to where I am living now and then to build a new house to my specifications there. I went last weekend to see a model house exhibition where there is a house from a company I liked the material they sent me. Very Japanese houses. They had an actual house they just finished building which one could go and see before it is handed over to the new owners. And that was in Hanno . I saw that weather this weekend was still okay, not too humid hot, so decided to make it into a long weekend as I needed to take anyway a day of vacation in June for my “birthday vacation allowance”. 

So off to Hanno it was, where I first visited the house.

Then changed back into my cycling clothes, had a quick conbini lunch and started the ride only at around 12:00. Up it was over Sanno pass (I came up here nearly 2 years ago with some other cyclists I had organized) …

.. and then gradually up into the mountains with a few stops (there were a lot of public toilets along the road) and finally over Yamabushi pass. 

I didn’t take that many pictures. The area is nice, but also not THAT nice to stop continuously to take pictures.

Riding down towards Chichibu I stumbled over one of the 33 (or is it 34?) temples of the pilgrimage. This one in the middle of a cement factory.

Lake Ashi and Fuji from a distance

Route: Shin Matsuda - Ashigara pass - Nagao pass -    Gotemba
Bicycle: 57 km
Train: 170 km
Total ascent: 1397 m
Average speed: 12,6 km/h
Riding Time: 4:32 h
Weather: Sun, clouds and quite warm 

Yesterday in my Strava feed I saw a Strava friend doing a Hakone loop, and decided to copy it. As you can see my copy didn’t become a loop, because I ran out of time but I did compete the two main climbs and avoided the steep descent from Hakone to Odawara. 

Conveniently the starting point is in Matsuda, direct train by Odakyu from home. Initially along a bicycle lane on a river and the up to Ashigara pass on a road that is mainly used by cyclists and motorcyclists, but hardly any cars. 

But steep. Cyclable for me, but with several rest stops along the road. Nearly all other cyclists were faster than me, except a guy on a vintage bike who similar to me struggled the hill up with rest stops as needed. 

On the top however one is greeted by a wonderful view over the valley of Gotemba and Mt Fuji. Today the weather was a bit cloudy so not the same brilliant pictures as I saw in the Strava feed yesterday, but still nice… and a reason to return on a blue skied day. 

On the downhill at a parking lot are these Fuji shaped parasols (and a matching public toilet) behind which a shy Fuji was hiding.

Down and some conbini lunch and then in towards the next climb to Hakone. On the way there I decided to just do the climb but to not cycle down in the Hakone side, because it was getting late (finally I was on top of the pass at about 15:30), from Hakone to a station it is farther and there is a quite steep descent to content with towards Odawara. 

The climb to Nagano pass initially was in a relatively busy road , which however has a cycle / walk path song it, which I used uphill. But midway through it turns away from this major road to a much less used but very well build road up to Nagao pass. That ride up was sooooooo nice. Really nice gradient, good surface, wide road, little traffic and stunning views of Fuji and more stunning views right after the pass of lake Ashi down in Hakone. One can even see the kitschy pirate ships.

The downhill was also nice … and those views! 

Down in Gotemba I took a very crowded train back to Matsuda and then back by Odakyu line home. 

Up and down and up and down around Oku Tama and Hinohara

Route: Okutama - Kosuge - Hinohara - Kitano
Bicycle: 85 km 
Train: 105 km
Total ascent: 1,216 m
Average Speed: 17.3 km/h
Riding time: 4:55 h
Weather: Very sunny and perfect temperature

This was an extremely nice route and definitely one to repeat. I can't wait! 

This year I am not taking Golden Week as vacation, but the following week, because my colleague wanted to take GW. However that still means I have a long weekend at the beginning of the week as the Monday is a public holiday anyway. Today on the Sunday I went to the Okutama region. 

I had cycled parts of this ride already. Obviously up to Okutama lake and also to Kosuge and over to Uenohara, but this time I connected it over to Hinohara before descending again into the plains and taking the train back home. I nearly like everything about this route:

• Nice small street from Okutama station up to Okutama lake
• Road along a big lake
• A bit more challanges up the hill around Kosuge and then a slightly ondulating descend with not much traffic towards Uenohara, but without making it down to Uenohara which can be clogged with traffic
• View of Fuji in the distance
• And then up again through a quiet tunnel but on a well build road 
• And finally down hill on the bigger of the two Hinohara roads, which has a nice decent

This route really has it all! 

This statue is in front of the visitor center at the dam. 

As it was GW houses and villages were decorated with flying carps for the boys:

It seems however that I didn't take any picture of the views of Mt. Fuji... but hey... another reason to go back again. 

Full bloom around Fuji

Day 1

Route: Hashimoto - Doshi - Yamanakako
Bicycle: 72 km
Train: 35 km
Total ascent: 1496 m
Average speed: 13,6 km/h
Riding time: 5:19 h
Weather: sunny and nicely warm during the day but cold once the sun had set

Originally I had planned to go with a group of cyclists from Osaka to Mt Fuji last weekend, but the weather forecast showed rain for most of the weekend, so the ride was cancelled… and finally it was a nice and sunny weekend where instead I went house hunting and enjoying time with friend on our bikes in Tokyo. 

I have now ridden already several times from Hashimoto to Yamanakako through Doshi village. A long but never too steep ride on a road with traffic but tolerable amounts.

 Today the flowers were out in force.

Mostly cherry blossoms as to be expected but also some peach flowers, recognizable with their full flowers in strong dark pink: 

I had decided to have lunch at the road side station but shortly before arriving there I saw a small restaurant with a lot of motorbikes parked outside. So , thinking that this must be very tasty I went there as well. And yes, tasty it was. It was a lot of small tapas like dishes plus a full dish of meat and rice. I will definitely be back.

Over the mountain and then a short way down to Yamanakako and a picture of the lake , swans and Fuji in the distance before heading to an onsen at the other side of the lake. 

 First time in this onsen and one with a really nice and unobstructed view of Mt. Fuji while soaking in one of the two rotenburos: 

After a good bath and a simple dinner at the onsen I road to my hotel for the night. A hotel from the bubble years, never renovated, but in a convenient location on the lake shore and with a good price. In the end it’s about sleeping. Nothing else. 

Day 2

Route: Yamanakako - Kawaguchiko - Otsuki
Bicycle: 72 km
Train: 80 km
Total ascent: 503 m
Average speed: 15 km/h
Riding time: 4:48 h
Weather: blue skies, sunny and not too warm

While at Yamanakako yesterday the cherry blossoms hadn’t even opened yet, in Kawaguchiko they were in their prime full bloom. I always knew that Yamanakako is higher, but never thought of it to be that much higher that it would make so much of a difference to the cherry flowers. 

The day started in a cool morning at Yamanakako with a clear blue sky and a Fuji still partially covered in snow.

From there I made my way over to the Kawaguchiko area and Chureito pagoda sure that I’d be able to get a famous photo with Fuji in the background, the pagoda in the forefront and sakura in full bloom. Well, I only managed to arrange 2 days f these things in any one picture. Either Fuji and sakura or sakura and pagoda. But all three were elusive due to a decision (by the local government?) to burn on this blue skied, full bloom Sunday with thousands of local and foreign tourists, the grass on the hills of Mt. Fuji. I don’t understand why these grasses need to be burned, but to burn them on a weekend with brilliant weather and full bloom seemed to be a specially stupid decision. 

Fuji with sakura alone however is already quite nice.

And I had waited for about an hour in this line observing how the sky little by little got clouded by the smoke. 

The pagoda towering over the sakura trees. 

From here I made it through a very small mountain road over to Kawaguchiko , taking more pictures and finally to a shrine on the foothills of Mt Fuji. Everywhere sakura in full bloom and many people around enjoying them. 

To return I went downhill all the way to Otsuki, put my bike in its back and back to Tokyo by train. 

Although the smoke was a shame it was a great weekend enjoying hanami around Mt Fuji.