Noto Peninsula Coastal Road

Waypoint introductions and full write-ups

1. 1. Kanazawa

   Kanazawa escaped the bombs of the Second World War and kept its old quarters, which is a large part of its charm today. The city sits on the Sea of Japan coast of Ishikawa Prefecture, between two rivers and a hill, and for centuries it was ruled by the Maeda clan, the second richest domain in feudal Japan. Their money went into art and craft, and Kanazawa is still known for gold leaf, lacquerware, ceramics and tea ceremony. Kenroku-en, the garden the clan laid out over generations, is counted among the three great gardens of Japan, with its pines held up by rope umbrellas against the heavy winter snow.

   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 is where the day begins. Next is Chirihama Nagisa Driveway.

2. 2. Chirihama Nagisa Driveway

   Most beaches ask you to leave the vehicle in the car park. Chirihama asks you to bring it along. On the west coast of the Noto Peninsula, facing the Sea of Japan, a strip of sand some eight kilometres long is packed so hard by the waves and the fine grain that ordinary cars and buses can drive along it, which is claimed to be unique in Japan. The sand squeaks underfoot, the surf thunders in from the left, and a line of tyre tracks runs away ahead of you along the waterline. It is a surreal experience even if you are only watching it from the dunes.

   Read the complete Chirihama Nagisa Driveway write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Chirihama Nagisa Driveway comes up about 43 km into the recorded legs. Next is Wajima.

3. 3. 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

   about 115 km into the recorded legs you reach Wajima. Next is Suzu.

4. 4. Suzu

   Suzu sits at the very tip of the Noto Peninsula, the thumb of land that pokes into the Sea of Japan from Ishikawa Prefecture, and it is the sort of place where roads end and the sea begins. It is a long way from anywhere: Kanazawa lies about two and a half hours back down the peninsula, and the landscape between is one of terraced rice paddies, small fishing villages, black-tiled farmhouses and cedar windbreaks. The people of Noto have a reputation for quiet resilience, and the cooking is seafood-led, with squid, crab and yellowtail landing in the winter.

   Read the complete Suzu write-up.

   Recorded stop-planning note

   May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.

   Planning note

   Suzu closes the day.