Hanno is where Saitama's flat suburbs run out and the green ridges begin, at about 100 metres above the sea, on the Iruma river at the mouth of the valley that leads up toward Okutama and Chichibu. It is a city of about eighty-six thousand people, so a fuel stop is easy, and it has a long history as a timber town. For centuries the cedar and cypress felled in the mountains upstream were floated or hauled down here to supply the building boom of Edo, and the old lumber trade gave the place much of its wealth.
Today Hanno is better known for something gentler. Moomin Valley Park, beside Lake Miyazawa, is a Finnish-inspired village with a theme dedicated to the beloved trolls of Tove Jansson, and it is a favourite family outing. The lake itself is a quiet reservoir surrounded by woods, with a path around its shore, and it is often the starting point for walking and cycling trips into the hills. Cherry blossom in early April and the autumn colours bring crowds.
The Hanno riding starts the moment you leave the town. Routes 299 and 70 climb into the valley through cedar forest and small hamlets, with tight bends, shade and occasional mossy patches, and it is known among riders as the gateway to the best roads west of Tokyo. The Shomaru and Tokigawa areas have cheerful, winding roads, and the Chichibu basin lies just over the hills. At weekends, the road is thick with bikes and cars, so a weekday or a very early start is a good idea.
Convenience stores and petrol stations are plentiful in town, but they become sparse as you climb, and some mountain stations close early in the evening, so fill up before you head into the hills. Many riders gather at a few popular stops near the foothills, particularly on Sunday mornings, and the atmosphere can be quite sociable.
Check your tyre pressures, warm up the engine gently and enjoy the long, shaded climb. After the grey suburbs, the green of the mountains feels like a reward.