Hakone afternoon · Lake Yamanakako
254 km from Hakone
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Why this ride
254 km from Odawara to Odawara, about 4 h 23 of riding. On the way it passes Suyama Sengen-jinja Shrine, Nirayama Reverbatory Furnaces, Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine and Lake Yamanakako. The highest point is about 900 m.
Roadbook
- Hakone
start
Hakone is where Tokyo goes to get away from itself. The mountain resort sits in the caldera of an old volcano southwest of the capital, about an hour and a half by road without traffic, with Lake Ashi in the middle and Fuji looming to the northwest on a good day. Odawara, on the coast below, is the practical town, with its castle and its fish markets, while the hot-spring villages scattered through the hills have catered to travellers for centuries. The old Tokaido highway crossed these mountains, and you can still walk stretches of its stone-paved surface and see a reconstructed checkpoint beside the lake, where officials of the Tokugawa shogunate once inspected every traveller's papers.
On a bike, the draw is the mountain road. The Hakone Turnpike climbs from the coast in a long run of bends, open and smooth, with good visibility and a toll that keeps heavy trucks away. The Skyline and the roads around the crater rim offer views over the lake and the Pacific. Expect weekend crowds of cars and motorcycles, especially on fine autumn days, and be careful in fog, which rolls into the caldera quickly and can drop the temperature several degrees. Winter mornings can bring ice on the higher sections.
Landscape matters here as much as the road. Owakudani, the steaming valley of sulphur vents above the lake, is the remains of a violent eruption roughly three thousand years ago, and the smell of rotten eggs drifts across the road. Locals boil eggs in the hot pools there until the shells turn black, and tell you each one adds seven years to your life. The pampas grass fields of Sengokuhara turn silver in autumn, and the cedar avenue along the old highway is cool and dark even in midsummer.
Fuel is straightforward, with stations in Odawara and along the main road up the valley, but the mountain sections have fewer, so fill at the bottom. Konbini stores at the lakeside and along the turnpike sell hot drinks and snacks. A cup of coffee at a mountain cafe, with the lake and the trees outside, is a decent reward after the climb.
Come on a weekday if you can, and early. By midday the lake road is slow, and by evening the mist often comes back down.
- Suyama Sengen-jinja Shrine
sight
On the southern flank of Mount Fuji, above the town of Susono, a quiet shrine stands among tall cedar trees at the start of one of the oldest climbing routes on the mountain. The Suyama Sengen-jinja is dedicated to the goddess of Fuji and marks the beginning of the Suyama trail, used by pilgrims for centuries before falling into disuse in the twentieth century and being partly revived in recent years. It is one of the component sites of Fujisan, Sacred Place and Source of Artistic Inspiration, listed by UNESCO in 2013.
The shrine is small and peaceful, with moss-covered stone lanterns and the scent of cedar and incense in the air. Unlike the busy shrines and trails on the more popular routes, it sees few visitors, and you can often have it almost to yourself. On a clear day, the summit of Fuji, at 3,776 metres, rises above the trees, and the view of its perfect cone across the fields and forests is one of the classic images of Japan. Mount Fuji has been worshipped for centuries as a sacred mountain, and pilgrims would purify themselves at shrines like this before beginning the climb.
The roads around Fuji are excellent for riding, with smooth surfaces, careful drivers and stunning views. The Fuji Skyline and other roads that climb the mountain's flanks lead to car parks and trailheads at the fifth stations, with hairpins and changing landscapes from forest to volcanic rock, though some may be subject to closures or restrictions in winter and during the climbing season. The Hakone area, a short ride east, has more curvy mountain roads and lakes with views of Fuji. Traffic can be heavy on weekends and holidays.
Gotemba, a city of over eighty thousand, has fuel, shops and restaurants, as well as a large outlet mall. Local specialities include Fujinomiya yakisoba, fried noodles with a chewy texture, and fresh trout from mountain streams. The best views of Fuji come in the colder months, when the air is clear, while summer is often hazy and humid. Bring warm layers if you plan to ride high on the mountain.
- Nirayama Reverbatory Furnaces
sight
Two pairs of tall brick chimneys stand in a quiet suburb at the base of the Izu Peninsula, looking strangely European against the green hills. They belong to the Nirayama reverberatory furnace, built in the 1850s to melt iron for casting cannons, at a time when Japan felt threatened by Western warships arriving in its waters. The project was led by Egawa Hidetatsu, the local magistrate, a forward-thinking official who studied Western military technology from Dutch books. He died before it was completed, and his son finished the work. It is the only surviving reverberatory furnace of its era in Japan that was actually used for casting, and since 2015 it has been part of the UNESCO site of the Sites of Japan's Meiji Industrial Revolution.
The furnaces are made of firebrick, with a structure of stone and iron to hold them together, and they have been restored. A small visitor centre explains how they worked and the story of the Egawa family. There is also a tea plantation on the hillside behind, where you can taste local green tea while looking at the chimneys.
The Izu Peninsula is one of the most popular riding areas near Tokyo, and with good reason. The Izu Skyline, a toll road along the spine of the mountains, offers flowing bends and views of Mount Fuji and Sagami Bay. The west coast road, Route 136, winds along cliffs and coves, with views of Fuji across Suruga Bay on clear days. Inland, the old Amagi pass road climbs through forest past waterfalls, and the Kawazu Nanadaru loop bridge, a double spiral of road, is a highlight on the descent towards the east coast. Traffic can be heavy at weekends and holidays, especially in spring and summer.
The peninsula is famous for its hot springs. Shuzenji, a short ride south of Nirayama, is a charming onsen town with a temple, a bamboo forest and a river running through the centre. Soaking in a hot spring after a day of riding is one of the great pleasures of touring in Japan.
Izunokuni and nearby Mishima and Numazu have fuel, supermarkets and restaurants. Numazu is known for its fresh seafood, especially horse mackerel. The weather is mild compared with Tokyo, but rain is frequent in early summer, and typhoons can bring heavy storms in late summer and autumn.
- Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine
sight
On the eastern side of Mount Fuji, in the village of Subashiri, a shrine has stood at the start of the pilgrims' path for more than a thousand years. The Fuji Sengen shrine, often called Higashiguchi Hongū, the eastern main shrine, marks the beginning of the Subashiri trail to the summit, and pilgrims traditionally prayed here before starting their climb. The shrine is set in a forest of tall cedars and old trees, with a red gate, wooden halls and a quiet, spiritual atmosphere, and it is one of the components of the Fujisan UNESCO site, recognised as part of the mountain's cultural and religious landscape.
The Sengen shrines are dedicated to Konohanasakuya-hime, the goddess of Mount Fuji, a blossom princess associated with cherry trees and volcanoes, and the worship of the mountain, Fuji-kō, was a popular religious movement in the Edo period, when groups of pilgrims from Edo, now Tokyo, made the climb as a spiritual practice. Their names and marks can still be found on stones and lanterns around the shrine.
The riding around this side of Fuji is excellent. From Gotemba, roads climb toward Subashiri and the fifth station of the Subashiri trail, through forests and with views of the mountain, and the road is open to private vehicles outside the climbing season restrictions, which apply to some roads in summer. The Lake Yamanaka area, north of Subashiri, has roads circling the lake and climbing over the Kagosaka pass, and the Hakone area to the southeast, with its winding roads, hot springs and views of Fuji over Lake Ashi, is a famous riding destination. Traffic can be heavy on weekends and holidays, and the weather on the mountain changes quickly, with fog and rain common. Winter brings snow and road closures at higher altitudes.
Gotemba, about nine kilometres away, is a city with fuel, shops, restaurants and a huge outlet mall that draws crowds from Tokyo. Subashiri has small shops and restaurants near the shrine, selling local specialities like grilled river fish and soba noodles. Hot spring baths in the area are a wonderful way to relax after a ride, though some do not admit people with tattoos, so check beforehand.
- Lake Yamanakako
turn
Yamanakako is the largest and highest of the Fuji Five Lakes, lying at nearly a thousand metres at the eastern foot of Mount Fuji, and on a clear winter morning, with the snow cone of the mountain mirrored in still water, it delivers the view that sells a million postcards. The lake was formed when lava flows from Fuji dammed the valley, and it is shallow, with reed beds, swans and boating piers along the shore. In summer it is a cool escape from the heat of Tokyo, busy with families, rowing boats and lakeside cafés; in winter the crowds thin and the mountain is at its most impressive.
The whole area around Fuji is volcanic: black lava fields covered in forest, lava caves, springs that bubble up through the porous rock. Fujiyoshida, the town at the foot of the traditional climbing route, has the Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen shrine, set among giant cedars, where pilgrims began their ascent for centuries. The local food is hoto, thick flat noodles stewed with pumpkin and vegetables in miso, and Fujiyoshida's udon is famously chewy.
For motorcyclists, this is a major destination. Route 138 climbs out of the Gotemba side over the Kagosaka Pass and down to the lake, and Route 413, the old Doshi road, runs east through the mountains towards Sagamihara along a river valley, with a long run of corners that draws riders from Tokyo every weekend. The roads around the lake are gentle and scenic, and to the south-west Route 139 runs past the other lakes and the Aokigahara forest. Traffic is heavy on holidays and in the summer, and the roads can ice up in winter, especially in the early morning. Speed limits in Japan are low, and police are particularly active on popular weekend routes.
Yamanakako village has fuel, convenience stores and restaurants along the lake road, and Fujiyoshida and Gotemba are both large towns with full services. There are onsen hot springs in the area, perfect after a cold ride, and plenty of campsites and lodges. If you want the classic view, go to the northern shore at sunrise between November and February, when the air is clearest; in the summer, Fuji often hides behind cloud for days.
- back through Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine
stop
back through Fuji Sengen-jinja Shrine comes up 159 km in.
- back through Nirayama Reverbatory Furnaces stop
- back through Suyama Sengen-jinja Shrine
stop
back through Suyama Sengen-jinja Shrine, late in the day.
- Hakone
finish
The route ends here after 254 km.