Why this ride
290 km one way from Honchō - plan on about 4 h 44 of riding. It goes by way of Sano and near Nagatoro.
CURVESCOUT / MOTORCYCLE RIDE
Okutama and Chichibu Forest Roads · part 1
Plan this ride
- Recorded distance
- 290 km
- Riding-time estimate
- 4 h 44
- Journey
- One way; return travel is separate
Distance and timing basis
Ordered leg totals agree within rounding. Stop distances are approximate sums of rounded legs. 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.
Waypoint introductions and full write-ups
1. Fuel stop near Honchō
Honchō is the central district of Funabashi, a big commuter city on the northern shore of Tokyo Bay in Chiba Prefecture. This is not riding country in itself; it is the urban sprawl you have to pass through to get from Tokyo towards the mountains and coasts beyond, and the best attitude is patience and a full tank.
Read the complete Fuel stop near Honchō write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Okutama and Chichibu Forest Roads is where the day begins. Next is Tokyo / Kanto rides return.
2. Near Sano, on the way back
Sano ramen is the first thing to say about this corner of Tochigi. The town is known across Japan for noodles that are flat, springy and kneaded by bamboo poles, served in a clear soy broth that tastes clean and slightly sweet. It also has a famous outlet mall and a temple devoted to warding off bad luck, so the town has a steady flow of visitors.
Read the complete Near Sano, on the way back write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Tokyo / Kanto rides return comes up about 92 km into the recorded legs. Next is Food stop near Nagatoro.
3. Food stop near Nagatoro
Nagatoro is a small town in the hills of western Saitama where the Arakawa river squeezes through a gorge of layered grey-green rock, and that rock is the reason the place is famous. Along the riverbank lies the Iwadatami, a broad flat terrace of crystalline schist, worn smooth by the water and split into slabs like stepping stones, and it is a national natural monument. Japanese geologists have studied it since the late nineteenth century, and Nagatoro calls itself the birthplace of Japanese geology, with the Saitama Museum of Natural History right in town.
Read the complete Nagatoro write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
A break here. Next is Photo stop near Hadano.
4. Photo stop near Hadano
Hadano lies in a basin at the southern foot of the Tanzawa mountains, west of Tokyo, and for Kanto riders it means one thing: the Yabitsu Pass. Prefectural Route 70 climbs north from Hadano over the Yabitsu Pass into the Tanzawa and down to Lake Miyagase, a narrow, twisting road through dense forest, with countless tight bends and steep gradients. It is a legendary road among motorcyclists and cyclists, and on weekends it is busy with both.
Read the complete Photo stop near Hadano write-up.
Recorded stop-planning note
May refer to an earlier itinerary; verify against your selected route before riding.
Planning note
Photo stop near Hadano closes the day.
Leg by leg
Fuel stop near Honchō to Near Sano, on the way back
Fuel stop near Honchō → Near Sano, on the way back is 92 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.
Food stop near Nagatoro to Photo stop near Hadano
Food stop near Nagatoro → Photo stop near Hadano is 131 km of getting across. Ride it tidily and keep the enthusiasm for what comes after.