Akiruno is a young name on an old place. The city was created in the 1990s by merging Itsukaichi and Hikawa, two towns at the western edge of Tokyo, and the name comes from the Aki river, which runs through a pretty valley of wooded slopes and clear water. At about 180 metres, it is where the mountains of Okutama begin to fall away toward the flat Kanto plain, and it marks the point where Tokyo's suburbs give way to forest. The transition is abrupt: one moment you are among shops and houses, and the next the road is lined with cedar.
The Aki valley, known locally as Akigawa Keikoku, is the main attraction. In summer, families gather on the gravel banks for barbecues and paddling, and the river runs cold and green over rounded stones. Small restaurants along the road serve grilled sweetfish, called ayu, and mountain vegetables, and in winter the stews are warming. Itsukaichi, the old market town, was once a trading post between the mountain villages and the plain, and a few old buildings remain.
North of here, Fussa, just three kilometres away with over sixty thousand people, has several things worth knowing. It is home to a famous sake brewery, Ishikawa, which stands beside the Tama river and is open for visits and tastings. There is also a large American air base, Yokota, whose fences run beside the roads in town. Fussa has fuel stations, supermarkets and plenty of places to eat, so it is a sensible place to refuel before heading into the hills.
For riders, Akiruno is a gateway and a rest stop. Route 411, the Ome Kaido, runs west to Okutama, while smaller roads climb into the Hinohara area and over passes to Yamanashi. The riding is best on weekday mornings, when traffic is light, and the heavy weekend crowds of cyclists, hikers and sightseers are absent. Be careful on the narrow valley roads, especially in damp weather, when moss and leaves make the surface slick. Summer afternoons can bring sudden thunderstorms, and autumn colours peak in mid-November. Eat early, because many small restaurants close by mid-afternoon.