The end of the ride is the beginning of Tokyo again, and it comes in stages. First the hills drop away, and the road widens; then the first signal lights, the first convenience store, the first apartment blocks, and finally the glow of the capital spread across the plain in the dark. Arriving in Chofu at the end of a long day, with the Tama River running quietly beside the road, is a gentle way to come home.
Chofu is an ordinary city of two hundred thousand, quiet in the evening, with a stadium that hosts football and rugby, a long riverside cycle path, and shopping streets where small restaurants serve grilled chicken and cold beer. After a day in the mountains, a plate of yakitori and a noodle soup in a place with a steamed-up window is about as good as it gets. The locals are used to bikers returning in the dusk, and the hospitality is easy.
A few practical points make the last hour smoother. Japan drives on the left, and speed enforcement is strict, with fixed cameras and patrol cars, particularly on the expressways. Rain makes painted lines and manhole covers slippery, and in the city, taxis and delivery vans stop and start without warning. Tolls are charged on most expressways, and an electronic card saves time at the gates. The Chuo Expressway can back up for many kilometres on Sunday evenings, with the Kobotoke tunnel as a notorious bottleneck, so plan to leave the mountains early or accept a slow crawl.
This is also a good place to check the bike over after a long day, look at your tyres, and wipe the bugs from the visor. Park in the places marked for motorcycles, because the rules about street parking are tight and fines can be steep. Then take a deep breath, and let the ride settle.