Coming back through Gotemba after a day in the hills has its own pleasure, because the town sits at the foot of Fuji and the mountain rules the sky above it. The city lies at about 450 metres on a broad, gentle fan of volcanic ash, with the rice fields of the plain below and the black upper slopes of the volcano above, and at the end of a day the setting sun lights the summit in orange and pink. In clear weather, the whole mountain seems to hover over the town.
A return check is also a practical matter. Gotemba is a convenient place to review the day, check the bike and plan the way home. Over the Otome Pass to the east, the road drops toward Hakone and Odawara, a route of smooth bends through forest, and to the south and east the Tomei expressway runs toward Tokyo, which is about a hundred kilometres away. Expect heavy traffic on Sunday evenings, particularly at the Tanzawa section, where the road narrows and queues form for many kilometres. Leaving early or late can save an hour.
Gotemba is known for its rice, which is grown with the cold, clear water filtered through the volcanic soil, and many restaurants proudly serve it plain, with a few pickles and a bowl of miso soup. Local specialities also include a hot pot, grilled river fish and the rich, creamy dairy products of the highland farms. A simple set meal, with rice cooked in an earthenware pot, makes a fine end to a day. The town has more than eighty thousand people and a big outlet shopping centre, so fuel, food and rooms are all easy to find.
The air at this height is cooler than in Tokyo, and temperatures can drop sharply after sunset, even in summer. Mist forms in the evening and rolls across the fields, and the smell of damp grass and woodsmoke gives a feeling of countryside. Typhoons can bring heavy rain and wind in late summer, and winter nights can be near freezing, with frost on the road in the early morning. If Fuji is hidden by cloud, as it often is, be patient: a gap often opens near sunset, and the mountain emerges for a few minutes, glowing, before the light fades.