This blog is about travelling through Japan on a bicycle. Initially on a foldable bicycle (Brompton) and more recently mostly by road bike (Spezialized)... but also by train, ferry, plane, bus or any other transport, if sea, weather, mountains or the like come between me and my desire to ride.
I have tried to summarise information that could be potentially helpful also for other bicycle travellers through Japan, such as list of bicycle roads, helpful web pages etc.
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.
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…
Route: Kazunumabudokyo to Lake Suwa Bicycle: 110 km Train: 130 km Average Speed: 17.3 km/h Total Ascent: 1470 m Weather: sunny and fresh, with a feisty headwind all day, 17 C
It’s a long weekend in Japan and I added an other 2 PTO days making it a super long weekend.
Before it gets too cold, I decided to come to Nagano Prefecture. This time, not so much around Nagano city, but in the valley of Matsumoto instead. Today I got up before 5 o’clock in the morning, in order to take a train to Takao around 5:30, and then from there another train to Yamanashi Prefecture. I started my ride at Kazunumabudokyo, a train station, just at the entrance of the valley of Kofu, from where one has a very nice view over the entire valley and the vineyards.
I had been here last year in the summer, with a group from Meetup by train, where we visited together some vineyards, actually, not really a vineyard, but a field of grapes, where one could pluck ones own grapes and eat them there. Before that I had absolutely no idea that the region around Kofu is famous in Japan for its wine.
Initially, it was all downhill, until reaching Ryuo from where, unfortunately it is all uphill and a lot of uphill, as you can see from the Strava, nearly 1400 m of elevation. And that’s because although on Google maps all this looks like one big valley, it actually isn’t and one has to cycle up to the lower slopes of Yatsugadake, literally a mountain with 8 peaks, and definitely a majestic one.
I’m still amazed by the amount of mountains everywhere, and took way too many pictures of mountains, which truth to be told, as pictures don’t look so impressive.
As impressive as these mountains may be, none that overbearing like Fujisan. Even from deep and Yamanashi prefecture, at Fujimi, you can see clearly in the distance Mount Fuji topping every single mountain around it, and standing in solitude.
All that climbing, albeit gradually, was a lot of climbing and I came up to an elevation of over 1000 m but one is still being surrounded by mountains and it feels like cycling actually in the valley. It also wasn’t only all the climbing there was also a fierce headwind the entire day. So I have clearly gained my relax time now in the onsen of my Ryokan here in Matsumoto.
Originally, my plan was to cycle all the way to Matsumoto, which is about 130 km and sounded kind of doable when I was planning the long weekend. But also, I got a pretty early start, I was not able to finish the right, so instead, I changed my endpoint to Lake Suwa, which has a nice cycling lane around most of the lake, and even from there when can see Mount Fuji in the distance. Admittedly, in real life, it looked bigger and way more visible, than on this photo.
Today only a short ride on the bicycle, but an interesting and scenic ride into the Kurobe gorge and a perfect ending to the day in a hot onsen pool, gazing at monkeys in the total wilderness.
Bicycle: 4.5 km
Train: 40 km
Riding time: 20 min
Total ascent: 45 m by bike and much more on foot in the gorge
Route: Kurobe to Shin Kurobe by bicycle, shin Kurobe through Unazuki Onsen to Keyakidaira and back to Kuronagi
Weather: Sunny and some clouds, maybe 13 C
Today still weather was good, but from tomorrow rain is forecast. I made the few kilometers from my hotel to Shin Kurobe station and parked there my dear brompton and left also most of my luggage in a locker, setting off into the Kurobe gorge with only a handbag.
Already the first leg of the train travel was quite nice. In a train that felt of luxury, although it came at the price of a normal local train. There were seats with tables facing the window, other seats with small tables for two and for groups of four.
After about half an hour of ride, we arrived to Unazuki onsen, where the journey continued in a much smaller train right into the gorge.
This train ride is quite well known, specially for its autumn colors. So there were several buses full of tourists, including a group from Korea. However as it was a weekday I had no problem in getting a ticket for the next train. I took one in a carriage with windows (as opposed to one that is open-air) fearing that it might get a bit too cold on the ride.
This small train was originally built for the construction of a series of dams in the valley and is still used by the construction and maintenance workers. This is probably also the reason why the locomotives look so industrial.
But nowadays it is also widely exploited for tourism and there is good reason for this, as the following pictures of the gorge can proof.
This castle like looking building with its own railway tracks leading right into it, is probably the nicest building in the ravine.
I headed right to the final station, Keyakidaira, from where there are several walkways into the gorge, with more opportunities for pictures.
This rock here is called 人食岩 (hitokui iwa) = People eating rock:
After some explorations. I headed back down, but only until Kuronagi.
In Kuronagi I had managed with only two days anticipation to secure a room in a Ryokan close-by. Close-by, but through a mountain walkway. About 20 minutes from the small station.
The Ryokan lies spectacularly at the turn of a river, with a waterfall right outside my room window.
But the best treat is the onsen. There are two rotenburos. One is mixed bathing for most of the day and the other one is female only. The big, mixed one lies close to the river surrounded by rocks and woods. However one cannot really see the river from it. The smaller, female only onsen, lies high above the river with direct sights into it and as a small plastic roof. Which will be handy tomorrow, as rain is forecasted.
As a special treat there was also an entire troop of monkeys on the river.
And crossing the river over a purposely built monkey-only bridge.
From the female only onsen I could also observe them directly. So what could be better than to soak in a hot (but not too hot) rotenburo with for sure healing waters, looking over a river into the woods and watching monkeys as they gather food and do their daily chores.
It was an entire monkey family with kids, babies and adults of all sizes.
Dinner in the ryokan was early, at 17:30, and I got lucky and was invited by 3 elderly Japanese ladies to join them on their table, as I looked so lonely on my single table.
Early dinner allowed for an other soak in the big rotenburo afterwards, at the female only hour between 19:00 and 20:00. Actually it wasn't a female-only hour, it was a Susanne-only hour, as none of the other guests made the treck (may 200 m) out of the ryokan at night. But once I got over the initial feeling of cold, stripping naked outside in mid October, the soak was superb.
And then off to an early rest. Tomorrow I'll try to get up at 6:00. If it isn't raining I will definitely have an other soak in "my" big outdoor pool again before breakfast.
Bicycle touring Japan - Ride maps
For details on the bicycle tour today in Toyama, checkout the below maps:
Today was dedicated to sightseeing in Hiraizumi, a UNESCO World Heritage site, which is not (yet?) very well-known. It includes also some bicycle riding, between the different attractions.
Bicycle: 35 km
Route: Sightseeing in Hiraizumi
Riding time: 2:25 h
Total ascent: 261 m
Weather: cloudy, around 17 C, but feeling much colder
Today sightseeing in Hiraizumi. A city declared UNESCO world heritage and I had never heard about it before starting to make plans for this travel. In general, except Nikko, it seems that the entire northern part of Honshu gets quite ignored by international travelers. Everyone is going to Tokyo, Kyoto, Osaka and then maybe on to Hiroshima & Fukuoka or even over to Kanazawa, Nagano and / or Matsumoto, but people going North to Sendai, Yamagata or Iwate prefecture are less. Actually since I started this weeks trip in Morioka on Day 7, I have seen only very few Western tourists. I did see however a few Chinese (probably actually Taiwanese) tourists. Not many, but some.
Weather forecast for today wasn't great with possibility of rain in the afternoon, so I decided to start my day early. Decision made easy also by the fact that hotel breakfast is only between 7 and 8:30. I had mine around 7:15 and in contrast to the dinner it was not a great experience. But well, at least there were some oranges and grapefruits, so I got some fruits, which wasn't a bad thing. At 8:15 I was all set and rode down the hill towards Chuson-ji temple. The main attractions of Hiraizumi and quite close to my ryokan.
It opened at 8:30 and there I was... yet quite alone:
Way up the hill to the temple buildings
The main attraction of Chuson-ji temple is a Golden temple hall. Well, it is VERY golden, but also a bit strange. Not like the Kinkakuji in Kyoto, here the golden temple is protected within an other, quite ugly, concrete building. I get it that it is not a good idea to leave a golden building covered with lacquer and mother pearl out in the open, exposed to rain, snow, heat, sun, humidity, animals, humans... However "hiding" it inside an other building makes it loose some of its attraction. Just compare these pictures (not taken by me) of Kinkakuji (Kyoto) and Konjikido (Hiraizumi). But well, for a building covered entirely in gold, plus mother pearls and made out of precious wood, constructed in the 12th century one probably needs to make some concessions.
And actually, while I complain about the protection building (see image below), actually it seems that since the temple was originally constructed, it always was kind of inside of an other building, or at least had an other roof constructed above it for protection.
Protection building in which the Konjikido is "hidden"
As I had my early start (and it was Monday), I could see the temple with only an other 4-5 people and stroll leisurely through the temple grounds. However when I came back only about 30 minutes later, already tons of school groups had arrived, all lining up for their group photo.
And then off they went into the Konjikido, while I continued to explore the vast temple grounds, including a Noh stage (which is actually a shrine building).
I had set out this morning only with a cardigan and my skirt, and while I was on the bike that was sufficient, in the temple grounds, being in the woods, I got quite cold. So I was happy to get back to my bike and put the fleece jacket on. I even found a vending machine with some hot green tea to get some heat back into my body.
Then I continued on to the center of Hiraizumi where the Motsuji Temple is located.
Now, before coming to Hiraizumi I didn't know anything about this town. When I learned that it is UNESCO world heritage site, I thought it must be a rather important city. And actually it WAS a very important city. I only came 900 years too late. Back then it was the capital city of all Tohoku, which was a very rich region of Japan. Now it is a small city, with less than 10,000 inhabitants and consequently the city center looks like this:
Motsuji temple is actually less a temple and much more a garden.
Or even better to say, a lake with a garden around. But obviously not just some kind of lake, but a specifically planned lake, representing beaches, rivers, mountains etc.
Both at Chusonji and here I met a film crew. They seemed to shoot some new commercial for Hiraizumi, at least the only thing I ever saw the actors do, is walk around in admiration of the parks, temples and shrines.
Apart from the film crew, the only other visitors here were groups of elderly Japanese, all following their tour guide, bearing a small flag for all to follow.
For lunch, today Udon, just to change from all the Soba I had in the past days. Today in a hot soup to gain some temperature. For further protection against the cold I also donned my stockings and on I went to the next attraction of Hiraizumi, Takkoku no Iwaya.
As Hiraizumi is such as small town, there aren't any outskirts to speak off. Practically immediately after Motsuji temple the country side started. Again, similar to Tono (Day 10), with well preserved, large farm houses and the harvest ongoing.
Takkoku no Iwaya is a shrine build partially inside a rock and very scenic.
The last sightseeing point of the day was Genbikei gorge, just above a small hill towards Ichinoseki.
It is a nice but also sad place. Sad, because the surroundings clearly tell a history of past glory that is slowly but steadily rusting away or just getting abandoned.
Travelling alone in Japan, at least as a Westerner, makes you interesting for Japanese tourists (and locals). So not surprisingly also today I was approached by some asking from where I come and if I travel. At the gorge, I noticed a couple who had a very small dog in their rucksack and when they ordered some dango sweets, they got 3 sticks, and offered me one. Which was actually tasting quite nice. With black sesame sauce. And the delivery was all a spectacle:
From the gorge I went back to Hiraizumi, but this time through Ichinoseki (no hill to climb and an other road to take). However in contrast to Hiraizumi, Ichinoseki does have the typical Japanese outskirts.
I also found some smaller roads and came safely back to my hotel on the hill on the other side of Hiraizumi.
Surprisingly today, although I mainly did sightseeing I did still do 35 km of riding.
Bicycle touring Japan - Ride maps
For details on the bicycle tour today in Hokkaido, checkout the below maps:
