The Ome Kaido, Route 411, is the road that leads from the western suburbs of Tokyo up into the Okutama mountains, and it follows the Tama river most of the way, with the valley narrowing and the slopes steepening mile by mile. This stop falls on the lake road, with Itsukaichi and Ome some seventeen kilometres behind, and the air at this point is noticeably cooler and cleaner than in the city. The ride out from the suburbs takes an hour or more on a busy day, and the reward is a different world.
Before the road reaches the lake, it passes the foot of Mount Mitake, where a Shinto shrine with a history of more than a thousand years stands among ancient cedars on the summit, reached by a cable car. Pilgrims have climbed here for centuries, and the shrine keeps a tradition of mountain priests and a guardian wolf, a legacy of the belief that wolves protected crops. Farther up the valley, the Nippara limestone cave is Tokyo's largest, a dark, cold cavern that is open to visitors and a surprising thing to find within the city limits.
The village of Okutama lies at the end of the railway, and its station is a small, cheerful place where hikers gather. From here the road continues past the lake and climbs toward the mountain passes and on to Yamanashi, with the valley narrowing until the slopes seem to close overhead. The road is well surfaced but narrow in places, with tunnels, blind corners and occasional rockfalls, so take care. On weekends, groups of cyclists and motorcyclists share the road, and traffic can be heavy in autumn, when the leaves attract visitors.
Fuel stations are few here, and the sensible move is to fill up in Ome or Itsukaichi before leaving the plain. There are small shops and a handful of restaurants in Okutama, serving soba, trout and local wasabi, but opening hours are short and they close by late afternoon. Wasabi grows in the cold streams of the mountains, and the fresh root is mild and aromatic. Wildlife is plentiful, and deer and monkeys often appear at the roadside, so ride with care. Mist often fills the valley in the morning, and the clear, cool air in autumn is a delight.