Ashinoko Skyline Short Attack
3 passes in 536 km, topping out at 1339 m
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Why this ride
A proper escape from Tokyo with roads worth waking up for. 536 km round from Sakado - plan on about 9 h 45 of riding. On the way it passes Tanashichō and Tateyama. The climbs: near Narutō, Scenic stretch near Mobara and near Chichibu. It tops out at about 850 m. The line favours views over speed.
Roadbook
- Fuel stop near Sakado
fuel
Fuel at 0 km.
- Near Tanashichō
finish
The western suburbs of Tokyo go on and on, and Nishitokyo, Kiyose and the old town of Tanashi sit in the middle of them: a quiet, flat, residential belt of low houses, apartment blocks, train stations and shopping streets, about twenty kilometres from the centre. Nishitokyo was formed in 2001 when Tanashi and Hoya merged, and its tallest landmark is a slim tower that carries broadcasting and observation equipment, visible from far away.
Kiyose, just to the north, has an unusual history. In the early twentieth century its clean air and woods made it a centre for tuberculosis sanatoria, and the town became one of Japan's main hospital areas. Many medical institutions remain today, and the woods that once healed the sick still survive in patches, along with the Yanase river valley, where you can walk along the water among fields and groves. Elsewhere, the suburbs are a mix of new houses and old farm plots, where vegetables are still grown in small fields between homes.
It is a logical end to a Tanzawa and Doshi Road day. The Doshi Road, Route 413, runs from Sagamihara through a beautiful forested valley to Lake Yamanaka at the foot of Mount Fuji, with river crossings, tight curves and steep climbs, and it is a favourite with Tokyo riders, though it gets crowded at weekends and police are often present. The ride back usually comes in on the Chuo expressway or along the roads through Hachioji and Tachikawa, and then into the long suburbs. Expect heavy traffic, lots of lights, and slow progress in the late afternoon.
There are plenty of convenience stores, family restaurants, ramen shops and fuel stations around, and many train lines into central Tokyo, which helps if someone is collecting you. It is not a beautiful place, but it is calm, safe and practical, and after a long day in the mountains, a hot bath at a local sento, the public bath that many Tokyo neighbourhoods still have, may be the best end you could wish for.
- Photo stop near Narutō
pass
This is where the road stops climbing.
- Scenic stretch near Mobara
pass
Mobara is a quiet city in central Chiba, on the eastern side of the Boso Peninsula, where the low hills of the interior meet the long, straight coast of Kujūkuri Beach. The landscape is a gentle mix of rice paddies, woods and small towns, with the hills rising gradually to the south and west.
A few kilometres north-west, at Chōnan, stands one of the most unusual temples in Japan. Kasamori-dera is built on top of a rocky outcrop, supported by a forest of wooden pillars, in a style that is said to be unique in the country. Climbing the steep stairs to the veranda gives you a view over the surrounding forest. To the east, Kujūkuri Beach stretches for some sixty kilometres along the Pacific, one of the longest beaches in Japan, popular with surfers.
The riding around Mobara is relaxed and pleasant. The roads through the hills are winding and wooded, with short climbs and descents, and the routes along the coast are flat and open, with the sea on one side and pine forests on the other. Traffic is light away from the main roads, though summer weekends bring crowds to the beach.
Mobara has fuel, food and basic services. As a start and finish, it offers a calm setting on the quieter side of the Boso Peninsula. The hills to the south, around Ōtaki and Isumi, offer more interesting riding through forests and valleys.
- Tateyama
swim
Tateyama faces west across the mouth of Tokyo Bay, and its bay is so calm that it has long been called Kagami-ga-ura, the mirror bay. On a still evening, Mount Fuji, across the water, is reflected in the sea, and the sunset turns the whole bay gold. Hōjō beach, in front of the town, is one of the best swimming beaches on the Boso peninsula, with calm water, fine sand and lifeguards in summer.
The town is crowned by a reconstructed castle on a hill, the seat of the Satomi clan, who ruled the southern Boso in the sixteenth century. Their story inspired the famous Edo-period novel Nansō Satomi Hakkenden, the tale of eight dog warriors, and the castle museum tells it.
Okinoshima, a small island connected to the shore by a sandbar, is a nature reserve with forest, rock pools and clear water, popular for snorkelling. Warm currents allow corals to grow here, close to their northern limit.
The riding around Tateyama is gentle and scenic, with coast roads and hills. The Boso Flower Line runs south along the coast towards Nojimazaki, and the roads inland are quiet. In summer, aim to arrive in the late afternoon, swim from Hōjō beach as the heat goes out of the day, and then sit on the sea wall for the sunset over Fuji. Fuel and food are close at hand in the town centre.
- Food stop near Fujiyoshida
food
Fujiyoshida sits on the northern foot of Mount Fuji, and the mountain fills the sky above the town so completely that it can feel almost unreal. For centuries, this was the starting point for pilgrims climbing Fuji, and the great shrine of Kitaguchi Hongū Fuji Sengen Jinja, set in a forest of ancient cedars, marks the traditional beginning of the Yoshida trail. Walking through its huge wooden torii into the dark, quiet forest is a moving experience.
On the hillside opposite, the five-storey Chūreitō pagoda stands above the town, and the view from the platform above it, with the red pagoda in the foreground and Fuji behind, is one of the most photographed in Japan, especially in spring when the cherry trees bloom. Expect crowds and a lot of steps.
Fujiyoshida is also known for its noodles. Yoshida udon is famously thick, firm and chewy, served in a soy and miso broth with cabbage and a dab of spicy sauce. It was once the lunch of the town's weavers, and dozens of small restaurants serve it, many in ordinary houses. It is cheap, filling and perfect after a cold ride.
For riders, the area around Fujiyoshida is superb, with roads around the Fuji Five Lakes, through the forests and up into the surrounding mountains. The Fuji Subaru Line climbs to the fifth station, but private vehicles are restricted during the climbing season, so check before you go. Traffic can be heavy on weekends and holidays. Fuel and food are plentiful in town.
- High point near Chichibu
pass
Every December, on the night of the third, giant wooden floats lit with lanterns are hauled through the streets of Chichibu to the beat of drums and the crackle of fireworks, in a festival that is among the most famous in Japan. The Chichibu Night Festival has been held for centuries, and it draws huge crowds. The rest of the year, Chichibu is a quiet mountain town in a basin west of Tokyo, ringed by forested peaks.
Mount Buko, which looms over the town, has been quarried for limestone for decades, and its summit has been cut away into terraces, a scarred profile that dominates the view. The cement industry was a mainstay of the local economy. Chichibu is also a pilgrimage centre, with a circuit of thirty-four temples dedicated to Kannon, the goddess of mercy, scattered through the valleys.
In spring, Hitsujiyama park is covered with a carpet of pink and white moss phlox, shibazakura, and the crowds come to see it. Nagatoro, to the north, has river boats that shoot the rapids of the Arakawa between flat rock formations.
The food is hearty and local: waraji katsu, a pork cutlet as big as a straw sandal, served over rice, and soba from local buckwheat. Chichibu also makes whisky, and a small distillery has won international prizes.
For riders, the roads around Chichibu are among the best near Tokyo. Route 299 climbs over the mountains to the east, and Route 140 heads west through a long tunnel into Yamanashi. Both are winding, well surfaced and busy with riders on weekends, and the police know it. In winter, watch for ice on shaded corners. Fill the tank in town: once you are on the passes, stations are scarce.
- Back to Ashinoko Skyline
finish
The Kawagoe streets, with their dark warehouses of tiled roofs, a bell tower called Toki no Kane and rows of sweet shops selling sweet potato treats, are the best place to feel the atmosphere of old Tokyo, and it is worth the detour on any ride that ends in this area.
The ride that ended here began far to the west, on the Ashinoko skyline road, so this is the plains end. The roads are flat and fast, running between fields of vegetables, tea bushes and rice, with a surface that is generally good and bends that are slight. The Iruma and Koma rivers cross the area, and the Chichibu mountains stand on the horizon, white with snow in winter. Traffic is moderate, though heavy around Kawagoe, and the best time to ride is early in the day. Bamboo groves and low shrines break up the farmland, and in early summer the fields glow green with young tea and vegetables.
The area is known for its sweet potato, and the Kawagoe variety is among the best in Japan, with a creamy, sweet flesh. Further west, near Hidaka, the Kinchakuda park has a vast field of red spider lilies that bloom in September, a remarkable sight that draws large crowds. The Koma district, once settled by immigrants from the Korean kingdom of Goguryeo, has a shrine that preserves the memory.
Fuel is easy, since Sakado and Kawagoe have stations and supermarkets, and the area has many small restaurants. Sweet potato ice cream, roasted sweet potatoes and sweet potato beer are sold in Kawagoe, and a bowl of udon is a local specialty. The Tobu Tojo line runs from Sakado to Ikebukuro in about fifty minutes.
Look at the horizon in the evening. The line of the Chichibu mountains is a reminder of the road you have ridden.