Why this ride
Repeated coastal bends, headlands and frequent viewpoint stops. It also links naturally to Noto Satoyama and Satoumi.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Noto Peninsula Coast
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 171 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 3 h 05
- Journey
- Recorded itinerary
Distance and timing basis
The recorded total and the leg detail need reconciliation. Inspect the leg notes before using this record for timing or navigation. Stops, delays, approach and any separate return travel add time. Basis: producer-declared routed record.
Reading history stays on this device. My road watch requires a separate selection; opening it does not subscribe this ride.
Distance and riding time are measured on the routed road. Check local closures and conditions before you ride.
Access context
Check toll-road motorcycle access, weather, volcanic alerts and seasonal closures. Specific flag: earthquake recovery; closures; live review.
Seasonal context
Apr-Nov
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Kanazawa
Kanazawa is one of the few Japanese cities of its size to have come through the Second World War untouched, and the old quarters show it. It sits on the Sea of Japan coast, with the Sai and Asano rivers running through it, and was for nearly three hundred years the seat of the Maeda family, the richest feudal lords in Japan after the shogun, who ruled the Kaga domain and spent their wealth on arts and crafts. That legacy survives in gold leaf, silk dyeing, lacquer and ceramics, and in a taste for refined things.
Read the complete Kanazawa write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Kanazawa sits at 0 km, early in the day. Next is Wajima.
2. Wajima
Wajima sits on the northern coast of the Noto Peninsula, in Ishikawa prefecture, a long finger of land pushing out into the Sea of Japan, and for a long time it was best known for two things: lacquerware and its morning market. Wajima-nuri lacquer, made with layers of lacquer over a base mixed with local diatomaceous earth, is among the finest in Japan, with a deep gloss that lasts for generations. The market, held every morning along a street near the harbour, sold fish, vegetables and crafts, with elderly women calling out to passers-by.
Read the complete Wajima write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Wajima comes up 67 km in. Next is Nanao.
3. Nanao
Nanao sits on the sheltered inner coast of the Noto Peninsula, on a bay of the same name, where the Sea of Japan is calmer than on the exposed western shore. It was once the capital of the old Noto province, and a castle of the Hatakeyama family stood on the hills above the town, until it fell to the warlord Uesugi Kenshin in 1577. The castle is now a ruin of stone walls and a pleasant park. The town is a working port, with a fish market and an old street of merchants' houses.
Read the complete Nanao write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
171 km in you reach Nanao.
Recorded source links
More motorcycle rides nearby
- Noto Peninsula Coastal Road (271 km) · 159 km
- Chirihama Nagisa Driveway · 39 km
- Noto Peninsula Coastal Loop · 303 km