Every spring, along an embankment in Satte, about a thousand cherry trees bloom at the same time as fields of yellow rapeseed beneath them, and the combination of pink and yellow draws huge crowds. Gongendō Park, on the levee of an old river, is the place, and if you happen to ride through in late March or early April, it is a sight to remember. The rest of the year, Satte is a quiet town in the flat farmland of north-eastern Saitama.
The Kanto plain here is low and flat, crossed by rivers and canals, with rice paddies, vegetable fields and scattered towns. The Tone River, one of Japan's largest, flows nearby, and the history of the region is a story of floods and the efforts to control them, with levees, channels and pumping stations. The embankments themselves offer the best views in the area, with wide skies and, on clear winter days, the mountains of Nikkō and even Mount Fuji on the horizon.
The riding here is easy but not exciting. Roads are straight and flat, with traffic lights and junctions, and traffic can be heavy on the main routes. The Ken-Ō Expressway passes nearby, offering a fast route around the Tokyo region. In summer, the heat and humidity can be intense, and in winter, a cold, dry wind blows from the mountains.
Satte is well stocked with fuel stations, convenience stores and eateries. A stop at a convenience store for a coffee and a snack is a Japanese riding tradition. Mount Haruna and the hot springs of Ikaho lie to the north-west in Gunma, a much more scenic destination, with winding roads and an onsen bath at the end.