Izu Skyline and Jogasaki Coast
3 passes in 336 km, topping out at 1099 m
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Why this ride
Scenery first, traffic last, with checkpoints that make sense on a bike. A 336 km loop that starts and ends near Yashio, about 7 h of riding. On the way it passes Kumagaya, near Itsukaichi and Kawasaki. The climbs: near Fujisawa, near Kisarazu and Scenic stretch near Honchō. Long stretches are under trees.
Roadbook
- Fuel stop near Yashio
fuel
Yashio is a flat, workaday city in south-eastern Saitama, just north of Tokyo's Adachi ward, sandwiched between the Nakagawa and Ayase rivers. It is a landscape of small factories, warehouses, apartment blocks and the occasional field of vegetables, crossed by expressways and railway lines. It will not feature in any guidebook, and it does not pretend otherwise.
What it offers a rider is position. The Tokyo Gaikan expressway, the outer ring road, runs past, and the Metropolitan Expressway and Tsukuba Express link it with central Tokyo, so it is a practical place to meet, fill the tank and grab breakfast at a convenience store before heading out. Service stations are plentiful, and the convenience stores sell everything from rice balls and coffee to rain ponchos.
The rivers are the main natural feature. Their embankments, which protect the low-lying land from floods, offer long, open views across the plain, and they are lined with cherry trees in places, beautiful in early April. The land here was once marshy, and the efforts to control the rivers, which began centuries ago, have shaped the whole region.
From Yashio, the roads lead south-west towards Tokyo and the bay, or north towards the open plain and the mountains. Traffic is heavy, especially on weekdays and at rush hour, and the roads are lined with traffic lights. An early start, before the city wakes up, is the best way to escape. Once you are clear of the suburbs, the riding improves quickly.
- Near Kumagaya, on the way back
swim
In July 2018 Kumagaya recorded 41.1 degrees Celsius, then the highest temperature ever measured in Japan, and the city wears the title of hottest town with something like pride. Banners proclaim it, shops sell heat-themed souvenirs, and in summer the town fills with misting stations. If you are riding through in July or August, take the heat seriously: drink constantly and avoid the middle of the day.
Kumagaya lies on the north bank of the Arakawa, in the flat plain of northern Saitama. In spring the river embankment is lined with cherry trees, and the town fills with people picnicking under the blossoms. The Uchiwa Matsuri, a big summer festival in July, features floats, drums and crowds.
There is no good swimming nearby. The Arakawa is a broad river with strong currents and a stony bed, and while people paddle at the edge in summer, it is not safe for swimming. The town has public pools, which are a better option on a hot day.
Gyōda, a little to the east, has one of Japan's most important groups of ancient burial mounds, the Sakitama Kofun, with large keyhole-shaped tombs from the fifth and sixth centuries. An iron sword found in one of them bears an inscription in gold that is one of the oldest written texts in Japan. Gyōda also has the reconstructed Oshi castle, which held out against a siege in 1590.
The riding is flat and straight, with busy national roads and heavy truck traffic. Route 140 heads west towards Chichibu and the mountains, where the riding becomes much more interesting. Shaved ice has become the town's edible answer to its own climate, and in August there is no more sensible purchase. Pumps and konbini are everywhere along the main roads.
- Food stop near Itsukaichi
food
Itsukaichi takes its name from the market that was once held here on days ending in five, a trading point where charcoal, timber and silk from the mountains of western Tokyo met merchants from the plains. It is now part of the city of Akiruno, a quiet town at the mouth of the Akigawa valley, where the suburbs of Tokyo finally give way to forested hills.
The Akigawa is a clear mountain river, popular for barbecues, swimming and fishing in summer, and its valley leads into the mountains of Hinohara and Okutama, the wild western edge of Tokyo Metropolis. The forests here are dense with cedar and cypress, planted after the war, and mixed with native broadleaf trees that turn red and gold in autumn. Waterfalls, gorges and mountain villages make it a world away from the city.
For riders, the area is a classic escape from Tokyo. The Itsukaichi Kaido leads into the valley, and the roads beyond climb into the mountains, with tight curves, steep grades and spectacular views. The Okutama Shūyū Road, a famous mountain toll-free road, links Hinohara and Okutama over the ridges, and it is very popular with motorcyclists, though it has seen restrictions on motorcycles at night after accidents. Traffic can be heavy on weekends, and the roads are narrow, so ride with care.
Itsukaichi has fuel stations, convenience stores and restaurants, making it a good stop before heading into the mountains, where services become scarce. Local restaurants serve soba noodles, a speciality of the area. The Izu Skyline lies far to the south-west, a long ride across the Kanto plain and around Mount Fuji.
- Photo stop near Fujisawa
pass
Fujisawa sits on Sagami Bay, south-west of Yokohama, at the heart of the Shonan coast, the stretch of beaches, surf shops and seaside towns that Tokyoites escape to on summer weekends. The town's most famous landmark is Enoshima, a small, steep island linked to the mainland by a bridge, covered with shrines, caves, gardens and seafood restaurants, with a lighthouse observation tower on top.
The Enoshima Electric Railway, the Enoden, rattles along the coast between Fujisawa and Kamakura, sometimes running down the middle of the street, and it has become an icon of the area. Kamakura, a short ride east, was the seat of Japan's first shogunate in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries, and it is full of temples and shrines, including the Great Buddha, a huge bronze statue sitting in the open air.
On clear days, especially in winter, Mount Fuji rises across the bay to the west, its snow-capped cone floating above the water. The view from Enoshima or from the beach at sunset, with the mountain silhouetted against an orange sky, is one of the classic images of Japan.
For riders, Route 134 runs along the coast through Fujisawa, with the sea on one side and pine trees on the other. It is scenic but often congested, especially on weekends and in summer. Fuel and food are plentiful. As a photo stop, the coast near Enoshima with Fuji in the background is unbeatable on a clear day. Go early, before the traffic builds.
- Near Kawasaki
finish
It is not a famous place, but it is a sensible base for rides south-west to the Izu Peninsula, because it lies on the right side of the metropolis.
Kawasaki is mostly an industrial city, stretching from the factories and refineries of Tokyo Bay up to these quieter, greener hills in the west. Here, in Tama Ward, the Fujiko F. Fujio Museum celebrates the creator of Doraemon, the robot cat beloved by generations of Japanese children, and the Ikuta Ryokuchi park has a museum of traditional farmhouses moved from all over Japan, a peaceful place to walk among thatched roofs and old trees.
Riding in Japan requires some adjustments. Traffic drives on the left, roads are generally well maintained and drivers are disciplined, but speed limits are low and enforcement is strict. Larger motorcycles can use the expressways, which are tolled and can be expensive, but the network is efficient. The route to Izu typically follows the Tōmei Expressway or the national roads towards Odawara, and from there into the hills of the Izu Peninsula. The Izu Skyline, a toll road along the volcanic ridge of the peninsula, offers fast, flowing curves and views of Mount Fuji on clear days.
Convenience stores are everywhere, and they are a lifeline for riders, with food, drinks, toilets and sometimes parking for motorcycles. Fuel stations are plentiful, though many close at night in rural areas, and some are full-service, with attendants who will fill your tank. Tokyo traffic can be heavy, so leave early, especially at weekends, when many people head out of the city. The best seasons for riding are spring and autumn; summer is hot and humid, and the rainy season in June and July brings frequent downpours.
- High point near Kisarazu
pass
North of Kisarazu, the flat industrial shore of Tokyo Bay gives way inland to the Boso hills, a rumpled landscape of low, steep ridges and narrow valleys covered in forest. The hills are not high, but they are surprisingly wild, cut by deep ravines and rivers that wind through them in tight loops, and they offer some of the best riding close to Tokyo.
The Yōrō river is the star. Its valley, the Yōrō Keikoku, is a gorge of sandstone cliffs, waterfalls and forests, especially beautiful in late November and early December, when the maples turn red and gold. Awamata Falls, a long, shallow cascade over a rock slope, is one of the most popular spots. The Kominato Railway, a rural line with old diesel trains, runs through the valley, and its little wooden stations are charming.
As a high point, the ridges above the gorge offer views over the folded hills, with the bay and the industrial shore visible in the distance. On clear days, Mount Fuji can be seen far to the west, across the bay.
For riders, the roads through the Boso hills are a joy: narrow, twisting, with short climbs and descents, and generally light traffic, except in the foliage season. Surfaces vary, and some roads are narrow, with blind corners and gravel. Watch for wildlife, including deer, monkeys and wild boar. Fuel and food are available in Kisarazu, Ichihara and the small towns in the hills, but stations are sparse in the interior, so fill up before you go.
- Scenic stretch near Honchō
pass
Along the north-eastern shore of Tokyo Bay, between Funabashi and Chiba, almost everything you see stands on land that did not exist a century ago. Reclamation turned tidal flats and shallow water into ports, factories, housing and the business district of Makuhari, with its convention centre, Makuhari Messe, and the stadium of the Chiba Lotte Marines baseball team. Inage, a little further south, has an artificial beach with a promenade and views across the bay.
The shore was once famous for its tidal flats, where people dug for clams and gathered seaweed, and the fishermen of the bay supplied Edo with fresh seafood. Most of that has gone, but a few patches survive, including the Yatsu tidal flat in Narashino, protected as a wetland of international importance and a haven for migratory birds.
As a finishing stretch, this coast is about getting home. The Keiyō road and the Higashi-Kantō expressway run along the shore, carrying heavy traffic towards Tokyo, and the local roads are busy and lined with traffic lights. But in the evening, with the sun setting over the bay and the towers of Tokyo glowing on the horizon, there is a certain urban beauty to it, and on clear days Mount Fuji appears on the far side of the water.
Fuel and food are plentiful along the shore. The promenades at Makuhari and Inage are pleasant places to stop and watch the sunset before the last stretch home.
- Back to Izu Skyline
finish
Sōka is famous for its rice crackers. The senbei makers of the city, just north of Tokyo, have produced the crisp, soy-flavoured snacks for generations, and the shops by the station sell them fresh, grilled over charcoal.
For a ride on the Izu skyline and the Jōgasaki coast, this is a plain finish. The roads are straight and busy, with lights and lanes, and the surface is good. The area is crossed by expressways and railway lines, and the landscape is low, with the horizon marked only by apartment blocks. But there is a quiet charm in the canals and fields that survive between the housing estates, and the roads along the river banks are pleasant at dusk.
Sōka has a famous avenue. Matsubara, a long walk beside the old Nikkō highway, is lined with pine trees, and it was a stage on the road that the poet Bashō walked at the start of his great journey to the north in 1689. It is a gentle, shaded route, now a park, with a bridge and tea houses. Yashio, to the south, is a newer town, built mostly in the second half of the twentieth century to house commuters, and it has a large park with a lake.
Fuel is easy, with stations along the main roads and supermarkets close by. The restaurants of Sōka are modest, and the senbei shops are the most interesting stop. A tea house on the Matsubara avenue serves green tea and sweets in the traditional way. The Tobu Skytree line runs from Sōka to central Tokyo, and the stations are modern.
Walk the pine avenue if you have time. The shade and the stones underfoot are a reminder of how old this road is.