Tokyo · Okutama Lake and Forest Road Day
A 178 km loop from Tokyo west exit
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Why this ride
A clean westbound escape with water, forest shade and proper mountain rhythm. Out of Kokubunji and back again: 178 km, roughly 4 h in the saddle. It goes by way of Hanno, Okutama lake road and Akiruno. The climb of the day is Kazahari pass road. It tops out at 1,146 m.
Roadbook
- Tokyo west exit
start · 40 m
The reading of forty metres above sea level tells you the geography: the Musashino plateau, a broad terrace of the Tama River's old floodplain, flat as a table and covered in houses, farms and the long green ribbons of watercourses. Kokubunji, the nearest town, is a commuter hub on the Chuo Line, and the route out toward the west starts here, heading for the mountains that appear as a blue line on clear winter days.
What makes this plateau special is its water engineering. In 1653, the Tamagawa Aqueduct was dug to bring drinking water from the Tama River to Edo, about forty kilometres of open channel running along the ridge line, with minimal slope, and it fed the growing city for centuries. Much of it is now a footpath lined with cherry trees, and stretches near Kodaira and Mitaka are a lovely place to cycle. It was engineered by two brothers of the Tamagawa family, whose names are still remembered, and the surname became the canal's own.
As an exit from the city, the route is anything but wild. Roads are straight, the traffic lights are numerous and the speed limits are strictly enforced, so patience is more useful than a throttle. The reward starts further west, past Tachikawa and Ome, where the road tilts upward and the Chichibu-Tama-Kai mountains come into view. Early morning departures avoid the worst traffic, and Sunday dawns are particularly quiet.
Fuel is easy here, and many stations are self-service. Convenience stores sell hot coffee, rice balls and sandwiches. Spring, with the cherry blossoms along the aqueduct, is the most beautiful time to leave, and late autumn adds yellow ginkgo leaves on the pavements. Summer is hot and humid, so carry water and ride early. A few minutes by the old channel, listening to the passing bicycles, is a nice way to remember how much effort went into the city's water.
- Hanno fuel gate
fuel · 100 m
Hanno is where Saitama's flat suburbs run out and the green ridges begin, at about 100 metres above the sea, on the Iruma river at the mouth of the valley that leads up toward Okutama and Chichibu. It is a city of about eighty-six thousand people, so a fuel stop is easy, and it has a long history as a timber town. For centuries the cedar and cypress felled in the mountains upstream were floated or hauled down here to supply the building boom of Edo, and the old lumber trade gave the place much of its wealth.
Today Hanno is better known for something gentler. Moomin Valley Park, beside Lake Miyazawa, is a Finnish-inspired village with a theme dedicated to the beloved trolls of Tove Jansson, and it is a favourite family outing. The lake itself is a quiet reservoir surrounded by woods, with a path around its shore, and it is often the starting point for walking and cycling trips into the hills. Cherry blossom in early April and the autumn colours bring crowds.
The Hanno riding starts the moment you leave the town. Routes 299 and 70 climb into the valley through cedar forest and small hamlets, with tight bends, shade and occasional mossy patches, and it is known among riders as the gateway to the best roads west of Tokyo. The Shomaru and Tokigawa areas have cheerful, winding roads, and the Chichibu basin lies just over the hills. At weekends, the road is thick with bikes and cars, so a weekday or a very early start is a good idea.
Convenience stores and petrol stations are plentiful in town, but they become sparse as you climb, and some mountain stations close early in the evening, so fill up before you head into the hills. Many riders gather at a few popular stops near the foothills, particularly on Sunday mornings, and the atmosphere can be quite sociable.
Check your tyre pressures, warm up the engine gently and enjoy the long, shaded climb. After the grey suburbs, the green of the mountains feels like a reward.
- Okutama lake road
swim · 530 m
Lake Okutama is not a natural lake at all. It is the reservoir behind the Ogouchi dam, completed in 1957 to supply water to Tokyo, and it fills a deep, narrow valley in the mountains at the western end of the city's territory. Several hundred families had to leave their homes to make way for the water, and the drowned villages, together with the old roads, lie somewhere beneath the surface. The lake is still one of the main sources of drinking water for the capital, so it is kept clean, the shores are wooded, and there is little building around it.
The road follows the shoreline, climbing and dropping around the arms of the reservoir, with tunnels, bridges and narrow bends. The altitude is about 530 metres, and in the cedar-shaded sections the air feels damp and cool. Across the water, the slopes rise steeply into forest, with the ridges of the Okutama mountains behind. Mount Kumotori, the highest point in Tokyo at 2,017 metres, lies farther on, and much of the surrounding country is a national park. In autumn the maples and oaks turn red and gold, and the lake reflects the colours.
This is a long way from the city centre. Itsukaichi and Ome, the nearest large towns, are seventeen kilometres away, and the road to the lake climbs steadily up the valley of the Tama river. Fill your tank before you start, as pumps are scarce in the mountains. Food is available in the small village of Okutama, where there are a few simple restaurants serving soba, grilled river fish and local vegetables, and a handful of inns. There are also vending machines at most parking areas, which is typical in Japan.
Riding here is a pleasure on a weekday and a slow crawl on a fine weekend, when motorcyclists, cyclists and day-trippers all head for the hills. The bends are tight and the road narrow, with limited visibility and some falling rocks after heavy rain, so go carefully. Wildlife is part of the setting: deer, monkeys and wild boar live in the forests, and bears are present, although rarely seen. The best time is early in the morning, when mist hangs over the water and the road is empty, or in late autumn, when the leaves are at their peak.
- Kazahari pass road
pass · 1146 m
Kazahari is a high saddle on the border between Tokyo and Yamanashi, at around 1,150 metres, and the road over it is one of the quietest and prettiest in the Kanto mountains. It climbs from the Okutama lake country through dark cedar forest and then through deciduous woods that glow in autumn, with occasional views through gaps in the trees. The pass is narrow, with a limited number of corners where two vehicles can pass, and the surface is patchy, so a relaxed pace is the sensible choice.
The country around here is steep, forested and thinly populated. Villages are small, many houses stand empty, and the population has declined for decades as young people move to the city. Agriculture has been replaced by forestry, and the slopes are covered in planted cedar and cypress, with some old beech and oak woodland on the upper ridges. Springs run beside the road, and in places the mountains are covered in moss.
Otsuki, the nearest town of any size, lies fourteen kilometres away and has about thirty-one thousand people, with fuel, shops and restaurants. Uenohara and Itsukaichi are the other options, but they are further. A vending machine or a small shop may offer a drink, but do not count on a meal. A packed lunch is a good idea.
Weather changes quickly at this height. Fog is common, and in winter, snow and ice can close the road for days, so check conditions before setting out. In summer, the forest is cool and shady, a welcome relief from the heat of the plain, and thunderstorms can build in the afternoon. Falling branches and small rockfalls are not unusual after rain. Traffic is light, and in places you may not see another vehicle for half an hour. For riders who like quiet roads and forest scenery, it is an excellent route, though it demands attention and is not suited to hurry.
- Akiruno food stop
food · 180 m
Akiruno is a young name on an old place. The city was created in the 1990s by merging Itsukaichi and Hikawa, two towns at the western edge of Tokyo, and the name comes from the Aki river, which runs through a pretty valley of wooded slopes and clear water. At about 180 metres, it is where the mountains of Okutama begin to fall away toward the flat Kanto plain, and it marks the point where Tokyo's suburbs give way to forest. The transition is abrupt: one moment you are among shops and houses, and the next the road is lined with cedar.
The Aki valley, known locally as Akigawa Keikoku, is the main attraction. In summer, families gather on the gravel banks for barbecues and paddling, and the river runs cold and green over rounded stones. Small restaurants along the road serve grilled sweetfish, called ayu, and mountain vegetables, and in winter the stews are warming. Itsukaichi, the old market town, was once a trading post between the mountain villages and the plain, and a few old buildings remain.
North of here, Fussa, just three kilometres away with over sixty thousand people, has several things worth knowing. It is home to a famous sake brewery, Ishikawa, which stands beside the Tama river and is open for visits and tastings. There is also a large American air base, Yokota, whose fences run beside the roads in town. Fussa has fuel stations, supermarkets and plenty of places to eat, so it is a sensible place to refuel before heading into the hills.
For riders, Akiruno is a gateway and a rest stop. Route 411, the Ome Kaido, runs west to Okutama, while smaller roads climb into the Hinohara area and over passes to Yamanashi. The riding is best on weekday mornings, when traffic is light, and the heavy weekend crowds of cyclists, hikers and sightseers are absent. Be careful on the narrow valley roads, especially in damp weather, when moss and leaves make the surface slick. Summer afternoons can bring sudden thunderstorms, and autumn colours peak in mid-November. Eat early, because many small restaurants close by mid-afternoon.
- Back to Tokyo west exit
finish · 40 m
The route ends here after 178 km.