Tokyo · Okutama and Chichibu Mountain Loop
A 188 km loop from Hachioji
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Why this ride
Close to Tokyo, but the road language is mountains, not blocks. A 188 km loop that starts and ends near Hachiōji, about 3 h 14 of riding. On the way it passes Okutama lake road, Chichibu forest bend core and Nagatoro river stop. The highest point is about 800 m.
Roadbook
- Hachioji fuel gate
fuel
Mount Takao stands at the edge of Hachiōji like a patient dog, a green hill of about six hundred metres that Tokyoites climb in their hundreds of thousands. For a rider, it is a start and finish point, a convenient place for fuel, parking and a good bowl of ramen before the mountains begin. The city sits at the foot of the Tama hills, and the climate here is a few degrees cooler than central Tokyo.
Hachiōji has a clear identity. The local ramen is a shoyu broth with chopped onions floating on top, a simple, comforting bowl that sells at counters across the city. The city was an important silk centre, and its merchants traded in bales of silk that travelled to Yokohama along a road still called the Silk Road. In the sixteenth century, the Hōjō clan of Odawara held a castle on a hill here, which fell to Toyotomi Hideyoshi's army in 1590, and the remains of its walls can still be walked. In late November, the avenue of ginkgo trees along the road to Mount Takao turns a brilliant yellow, and the city holds a festival beneath them.
The riding that starts here goes west. Route 20, the old Kōshū Kaidō, climbs past the foot of Mount Takao and through the long Kobotoke tunnel, then continues toward Sagamiko, Ōtsuki and the Chūō corridor. Other roads lead north-west to Ōme and the Okutama valley, or south-west to the Tanzawa foothills. The early morning is the best time, when the city is quiet and the mountains are cool. Sunday traffic is heavy on the way out.
Fuel and food are everywhere. The city has hundreds of stations and restaurants, and the area around Hachiōji station is lively with cafés and small bars. If you finish here at the end of the day, plan to arrive before the evening rush, when the roads back into central Tokyo are slow. A bowl of ramen after a long ride is hard to beat, and the soy broth, rich and salty, is just what a tired rider needs.
- Okutama lake road
swim
The Ome Kaido, Route 411, is the road that leads from the western suburbs of Tokyo up into the Okutama mountains, and it follows the Tama river most of the way, with the valley narrowing and the slopes steepening mile by mile. This stop falls on the lake road, with Itsukaichi and Ome some seventeen kilometres behind, and the air at this point is noticeably cooler and cleaner than in the city. The ride out from the suburbs takes an hour or more on a busy day, and the reward is a different world.
Before the road reaches the lake, it passes the foot of Mount Mitake, where a Shinto shrine with a history of more than a thousand years stands among ancient cedars on the summit, reached by a cable car. Pilgrims have climbed here for centuries, and the shrine keeps a tradition of mountain priests and a guardian wolf, a legacy of the belief that wolves protected crops. Farther up the valley, the Nippara limestone cave is Tokyo's largest, a dark, cold cavern that is open to visitors and a surprising thing to find within the city limits.
The village of Okutama lies at the end of the railway, and its station is a small, cheerful place where hikers gather. From here the road continues past the lake and climbs toward the mountain passes and on to Yamanashi, with the valley narrowing until the slopes seem to close overhead. The road is well surfaced but narrow in places, with tunnels, blind corners and occasional rockfalls, so take care. On weekends, groups of cyclists and motorcyclists share the road, and traffic can be heavy in autumn, when the leaves attract visitors.
Fuel stations are few here, and the sensible move is to fill up in Ome or Itsukaichi before leaving the plain. There are small shops and a handful of restaurants in Okutama, serving soba, trout and local wasabi, but opening hours are short and they close by late afternoon. Wasabi grows in the cold streams of the mountains, and the fresh root is mild and aromatic. Wildlife is plentiful, and deer and monkeys often appear at the roadside, so ride with care. Mist often fills the valley in the morning, and the clear, cool air in autumn is a delight.
- Chichibu forest bend core
scenic
Chichibu sits in a high basin ringed by mountains, a town of fifty-eight thousand people that feels more like a market town in the Alps than a place two hours from Tokyo. The ground here is limestone, and to the south the bulk of Mount Buko has been quarried for cement for a century, a vast scar on the hillside that is visible from miles away. The industry made the town prosperous, and it also sits beside a river, the Arakawa, that begins in the mountains above and flows down toward the capital.
The great event of the year is the Chichibu night festival, held on 2 and 3 December, when huge, lantern-hung floats are hauled through the streets by crowds of locals, with fireworks bursting overhead in the cold air. It has taken place for more than three hundred years and is recognised by UNESCO as part of the intangible heritage of humanity. If you happen to be here on those days, it is a thrilling sight, though the town is jammed and accommodation is hard to find.
Chichibu is also a place of pilgrimage. A circuit of thirty-four Kannon temples, established in the sixteenth century, winds through the valleys, and walkers, in the traditional white clothes, still follow it, ringing bells and chanting. A short way up the Arakawa lies Mitsumine Shrine, perched high on a ridge in an old cedar forest, where wolves are venerated as messengers of the gods. It is a long, winding ride, but the setting is magnificent, and the air smells of resin and incense.
The forest roads around Chichibu are winding and shaded, with sharp bends, short tunnels and many blind corners, and the surface can be damp and covered in leaves and pine needles. Take it slowly, particularly after rain. Moss grows on the walls, and light filters through the branches in thin shafts. Traffic is light on weekdays and heavier at weekends, when cyclists and sightseers arrive. The town has fuel stations and supermarkets, and the nearest big place is Yorii, seventeen kilometres east. In winter, ice forms on shaded roads and can stay all day, so check the forecast, and carry a warm layer as the temperature can fall quickly after sunset.
- Nagatoro river stop
photo
Nagatoro is a small town on the Arakawa River, at the point where the water leaves the Chichibu mountains and cuts through a long stretch of flat, banded rock. The riverbed here is made of crystalline schist, a pale green stone laid down in broad stepped terraces, known as Iwadatami, or rock tatami, because it looks like a floor of giant mats. Geologists have studied the formation for well over a century, and it is among the most celebrated rock exposures in Japan.
The best way to see it is by water. Open wooden boats, steered by boatmen with long poles, carry passengers through the rapids in a trip that lasts about half an hour, and it is a fun and slightly wet experience in summer. In winter the boats run with covers and heaters. A footbridge and a path along the bank give good views, and the autumn colours of the surrounding hills are lovely. The town has a number of shops selling shaved ice, noodles and souvenirs, and the main street has an old-fashioned atmosphere.
At about 140 metres above sea level, the town sits in a gentle valley, and the roads leading out of it climb into the hills in all directions. They are mostly narrow and winding, with some tight bends and occasional rough patches, and they are popular with riders on weekends. Traffic can build up in the town at peak times, especially on sunny Sundays, so early morning is the best time. Near the river you will find parking for motorcycles at several spots.
The nearest large town is Yorii, about seven kilometres away, with petrol and supermarkets, and there are petrol stations in Nagatoro itself. A bowl of soba or a plate of the local miso potato dumplings makes an easy lunch. Shaved ice with syrup, made from natural ice, is also a local speciality in summer.
Walk down to the rocks, take off your gloves and watch the water. It is a lovely, quiet place to stop.
- Back to Hachioji
finish
Back at Hachioji. That is the ride.