Hakone Skyline and Fuji Lakes
A 209 km loop from Odawara coast
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Why this ride
Tokyo escape with mountain air and Fuji discipline. A 209 km loop that starts and ends near Odawara, about 4 h 01 of riding. On the way it passes Lake Ashi, Gotemba window and Lake Yamanaka Fuji view. Hakone Turnpike high road is the high point. It tops out at about 900 m. The passes are the reason to go.
Roadbook
- Odawara coast gate
fuel
Odawara is the gate to Hakone, and it knows it. The city, with two hundred thousand people, sits where the Sagami Bay coast meets the foot of the mountains, about eighty kilometres southwest of Tokyo, and for centuries travellers on the Tokaido highway stopped here before tackling the pass. The castle was the seat of the Hojo clan, who ruled much of the Kanto plain in the sixteenth century until Toyotomi Hideyoshi besieged and took it in 1590. The keep that stands today is a postwar reconstruction, but the stone walls and moats are authentic enough, and the whole thing is worth a short visit on foot.
For a rider, it is a practical place. Fuel stations are everywhere, convenience stores open all night, and the roads out toward the mountains are clearly signed. The coast road, Route 135, runs south along the bay with the Pacific on one side and small fishing towns on the other, and the first light of the day, with the sea turning from grey to pink, is a lovely thing to see if you start early. Odawara is also a good place for breakfast: it is famous for kamaboko, steamed fish paste, and for dried fish, both of which come from the local fishing tradition and are on sale in shops near the station.
Expect traffic. The Tokyo to Hakone corridor is one of the busiest weekend routes in Japan, and on a sunny Saturday the roads fill up with cars, coaches and motorbikes by mid-morning. The best answer is to leave early, or to ride on a weekday, when it is quiet. Japan has its own habits too: speed limits are modest and enforced, tolls are common on the scenic roads, and an electronic toll card makes life easier if you have one. Motorcyclists often gather at roadside stops and convenience stores, and a nod or a wave is usual.
From Odawara the road climbs into the Hakone mountains almost at once, through a forested valley with hot spring villages and old inns, and the temperature drops a few degrees with each bend. On a clear day, Mount Fuji appears over the ridges, but do not count on it, because clouds often hide it in summer. The air is cooler and fresher in autumn, and the leaves are beautiful in November.
- Hakone Turnpike high road
pass
Hakone Turnpike is a toll road, one of Japan's famous scenic drives, and it climbs from the coast near Yugawara and Odawara up through the caldera rim into the mountains of Hakone. The turnpike runs through cedar and pine, with views over Sagami Bay behind and the volcanic cone of Mount Kintoki ahead, and it is smooth, well-surfaced and maintained to a very high standard. The bends are broad and flowing, designed for sightseeing as much as for sport, which means the pace is relaxed and the road is wide enough for a bit of enjoyment.
The whole of Hakone sits inside a huge volcanic crater, the rim of which forms the ridges you ride along. Inside the caldera is Lake Ashi, and near it the active volcanic zone of Owakudani, where steam rises from vents and the air smells of sulphur. Eggs boiled in the hot springs turn black and are sold to visitors, and local legend says they add seven years to your life. The volcano erupted in a small way in 2015, and parts of the area were closed for a while, so it is wise to check current conditions before you go.
Hakone was also a barrier. During the Edo period, the Tokugawa shogunate set up a checkpoint here on the Tokaido, the great road between Edo and Kyoto, to control weapons coming into the capital and women, known as irionna, leaving it. A reconstruction stands beside the lake today, and you can still walk a stretch of the old paved path through an avenue of ancient cedars. The place has many hot springs, and a night in an inn with an open-air bath is one of the great pleasures of the region.
The turnpike is a good ride in nearly all seasons, though fog can arrive suddenly and hide the road in a few minutes. Early morning is best, because the road is empty and the light is clear. Autumn colours are bright in late October and November, and in winter the road can have ice in shaded places. The town of Hakone has a population of thirteen thousand, and is the nearest source of fuel and services. Expect to pay a toll on the turnpike, and keep some coins or a card ready.
- Lake Ashi viewpoint
photo
Lake Ashi fills the old crater of Hakone, a long, narrow stretch of blue-grey water surrounded by wooded hills, and the viewpoint here gives the postcard version: the lake in front, the ridges behind, and, on the right day, the white cone of Mount Fuji rising over the far shore. The lake is about 723 metres above sea level, cold and clear, and it freezes at the edges only in very hard winters. Sightseeing boats shaped like pirate ships cross it from end to end, which seems silly until you are standing on the shore watching one cross a pool of morning mist.
On the west shore, a red torii gate stands in the water in front of Hakone Shrine, one of the most photographed sights in Japan. The shrine itself is up in the trees, along a quiet path, and dates back to the eighth century according to tradition. The old Tokaido road runs beside the lake here through a long avenue of cedar trees, planted in the early seventeenth century to shade travellers, and some of the trunks are huge and moss-covered. Walking along it for ten minutes is a good way to forget the traffic.
Riding here is more about the setting than the road. The lakeside route is busy and slow, with coaches, taxis and cars looking for parking, and speed limits are low. Early on a weekday, or late in the afternoon, it is quieter. Take time for a stop at one of the cafes by the water, and enjoy the view. Fuji is clearest in winter and early spring, when the air is cold and dry, and in the early morning before clouds build. In summer, haze and cloud often hide it completely, and you may only see the base.
Hakone town, three kilometres away, has about thirteen thousand people and can supply fuel, food and rooms, and Yugawara down the coast has more. There are public toilets and vending machines at the lakeside, and a dozen small shops selling local wooden marquetry, a craft for which Hakone is known. Parking for motorbikes is usually free or cheap, but in peak season it can be hard to find a space. Wear layers, because a cold wind often blows off the water.
- Gotemba fuel window
fuel
Gotemba lies on the southeast skirt of Mount Fuji, at the foot of a vast, gently rising slope of black volcanic ash, and the mountain fills the sky to the northwest on any clear day. The city has about eighty thousand people, so fuel is easy, and this is one of the best places to fill the tank before or after the mountain roads of Hakone. Stations are plentiful along the main road, and many are staffed, which in Japan means someone will fill the tank for you and guide you back onto the road.
The town sits at around 450 metres, a modest height, but the air feels cooler than in Tokyo, and the evenings can be fresh even in summer. Gotemba is known for its rice, grown in the fertile volcanic soil with clean water that comes down from the mountain, and for its outlet shopping centre, which draws crowds from Tokyo. To the east lies the Fuji Speedway, one of Japan's most famous circuits, and the area is popular with car and motorbike fans. On race weekends the roads fill up quickly, so check the calendar.
The best thing about Gotemba, for riders, is the road that leaves it. West of the town, a road climbs the slopes of the volcano, through forest and then across barren cinder, to the fifth station where hikers start their climb on the Gotemba trail. East and south, the Otome Pass road climbs toward Hakone, with views of Fuji at its best when the weather allows. The bends are smooth, the gradients easy, and the surface is excellent. Weekday mornings are quietest.
The Fuji Five Lakes lie a short distance to the north, and many riders make a night of it in the area. A hot bath in the evening, followed by a plate of noodles or grilled fish, is hard to beat. The weather around Fuji changes quickly, so carry rain gear, and remember that the summit is often hidden for days at a time. Typhoon season, from late summer into autumn, can bring heavy rain and strong winds, so it is worth checking forecasts. Spring and autumn are the most reliable times for clear views of the mountain.
- Lake Yamanaka Fuji view
swim
Lake Yamanaka is the largest of the Fuji Five Lakes and the one closest to Tokyo, a broad sheet of water lying at around 980 metres on the north side of Mount Fuji's lower slopes. On a calm morning the mountain reflects in it, and the view of the cone, with its snow cap in winter and spring, is one of the great scenes of Japan. Wind often blows across the lake in the afternoon, so windsurfers and sailors use it, and the water can be choppy.
The area has grown into a holiday district, with campsites, holiday homes and a scattering of hotels around the shore, and it can be crowded in summer. On weekdays and out of season, however, it is quiet, and the walk along the shore at dusk is lovely. The temperature here is lower than at sea level, with cool nights even in August, and in winter the lake can freeze at the edges. It is worth stopping for a photograph, even if the mountain is hiding behind a cloud.
Fujiyoshida, eight kilometres to the north, has about forty-nine thousand people and the kind of services riders need, including fuel, supermarkets and restaurants. It is known for its Yoshida udon, a thick, firm noodle served with cabbage and a rich sauce, and for the Kitaguchi Hongu Fuji Sengen shrine, which stands at the old start of the pilgrim path up Fuji. Many centuries of pilgrims, dressed in white, made the climb from here, and the old inns along the street recall that time. Gotemba, to the south, is a larger alternative.
For riders, the road around the lake is easy and pleasant, with gentle bends and good surfaces, and the route over the Mount Fuji foothills toward Hakone or Doshi is among the best in the Kanto region. Check the weather before setting out, because clouds can arrive fast. Autumn colours are best in late October and November, and the air is crisp and clear. Fuji is most likely to be visible in the early morning, so an early start is rewarded.
- Doshimichi road
scenic
The Doshimichi is a legend among Tokyo motorcyclists. It is Route 413, a mountain road that leaves the Sagami plain near Sagamihara and climbs west into the Tanzawa and Yamanashi hills, following the valley of the Doshi river toward the village of Doshi. The name simply means the road to Doshi, and it has been a favourite for decades, with twisting bends through forest, steep slopes and the occasional tunnel, and a good number of bikers on weekends.
This is a landscape of cedar plantations, small farms and narrow valleys, with steep slopes cut by streams. Lake Sagami, a reservoir on the river of the same name, lies nearby, and the roads around it are quiet.
Doshi village is known for its clear spring water, and there are several places where you can fill a bottle from public springs. The water is cold and tastes of stone, and it is a good reason to stop. The village itself is small, with a handful of shops, and there is a park with a stream, popular with families in summer. In winter, snow can fall on the upper part of the road and ice can form in shaded corners, so be careful.
Do not expect to ride fast. Police patrol the Doshimichi regularly, particularly on weekends, speed limits are strict, and fines are high. The best approach is to enjoy the rhythm of the road and the scenery, and to stop for a break at one of the roadside parking areas. Fuel is available in Uenohara and Otsuki, each with around twenty-eight to thirty-one thousand people, and in Sagamihara, and it is wise to fill up before entering the mountains. Early morning is best, when traffic is light, and the forest smells of damp earth and cedar. Autumn brings red and gold leaves, and the air is clear.
- Back to Odawara
finish
Odawara is a castle town at the foot of Hakone, and for most riders it is the place where the mountains begin. The castle, which belonged to the Hojo clan until Toyotomi Hideyoshi besieged it in 1590, has a reconstructed keep, built in 1960, with a museum inside. The old town around it is quiet, with a modest shopping street and some traditional shops. It sits on Sagami Bay, with the coast road leading east and west and the Hakone mountains rising behind.
The town is known for food. Odawara is one of Japan's great producers of kamaboko, the white fish paste cakes that appear in noodle soup and on celebration tables, and shops along the coast sell them freshly steamed. The fishing port sells dried horse mackerel, and Odawara also has a long tradition of growing ume plums, which are made into pickles and drinks. It is a pleasant place for a late lunch, with sushi bars close to the station.
For the rider, Odawara is a gateway and a place to refuel. It has a population of about two hundred thousand, so there are petrol stations, convenience stores and restaurants in abundance, and the roads inland lead to the Hakone Turnpike, one of Japan's best-known scenic toll roads. Riding back down into Odawara at the end of a day in the mountains, with the road sloping to the bay and lights in the town below, is a pleasure. The coast road, Route 135, is busy at weekends but good for relaxed riding.
Expect traffic, especially on summer Sundays, and note that speed limits in Japan are low and enforced. Weather on the coast is mild, but Hakone can be wet and foggy when Odawara is dry, so check conditions before you go up. Autumn offers crisp air and good views of Fuji on clear days. Park near the castle, walk up to the keep, then find something warm to eat.