Bicycle touring Kanto was not the highest on my list of places I wanted to ride. This region is dominated by Tokyo and it’s suburbs, which means lots of street lights and dense urban areas. However, by sticking towards the mountains I was able to have an incredible trip through the Kanto region!
Day 54 – Nikko, Tochigi
After crossing a mountain pass into Tochigi Prefecture, I quickly entered Nikko National Park which is one of my favorite places in all of Japan. The weather was absolutely perfect, clear skies and around 62°F / 17°C. While riding through the mountains I noticed a lot of people with fancy cameras waiting for a train to come over this bridge, so I joined them. It was some kind of special diesel train that comes just once a day, and everyone packed up after it passed.
Campsites in the national park are expensive, around 2,600 yen. Instead I found a last minute deal at a nice onsen resort for 4,400 yen. I’ve been staying in too many hotels but I couldn’t refuse for that price!
Day 55 – Nikko, Tochigi
Nikko National Park is divided into two main areas. Nikko, and Okunikko. Okunikko is the back section way up in the mountains and was my destination for the day. This would be my highest mountain pass of the trip, and I planned to camp close to the summit. This picture was taken along the Irohazaka, a winding road of 48 switchbacks going up the mountain (24 up and 24 down). After struggling up the mountain all day I arrived late at camp to find out that it was closed due to bears in the area! I was forced to backtrack 10 km down the mountain and stay in a hotel on Lake Chuzenji.
Day 56 – Nikko, Tochigi
I left my hotel early in the morning to backtrack up the mountain to where I should have left off the night before. From there it was a steep climb up towards Konsei Toge Pass at 1,843 m. After a short bit of climbing, I passed a whole family of Japanese Macaques crossing the street. They are pretty common up in these mountains. Anyways, as I continued climbing the views of Mt Nantai kept getting better until I reached the top of the mountain. From there I descended a full 1,400 m into Gunma Prefecture, recording the fastest 40 km on my bicycle I’ve ever ridden thanks to the steep slopes.
Day 57 – Kusatsu, Gunma
While camping the night before I looked into different routes into Nagano Prefecture. The place that interested me the most was Kusatsu, an onsen town up in the mountains at 1,200 m elevation. One last day of hot weather was forecasted to come through, so getting to high altitude would allow me to avoid high temperatures and also relax in the famous hot springs of Kusatsu! After a long journey up the mountain, I arrived at the pension I was staying at and relaxed in my private onsen before bed.
Day 58 – Kusatsu, Gunma
It was time for a rest day, and I couldn’t have asked for a better place than Kusatsu Onsen. Relaxing in onsen is just what my legs needed after climbing so many mountains in the previous few days. This is the center of Kusatsu known as Yubatake. Here is where the hot spring water is sourced. Around it are all kinds of souvenir shops, cafes, and baths.
Day 59 – Kusatsu, Gunma
After a nice relaxing rest in Kusatsu, it was time to climb! In order to get into Nagano Prefecture, I would have to go up and over the highest point on a national road in Japan at 2,172 m elevation! The weather was almost perfect with mostly clear skies. Unfortunately the only clouds were all on the Mt Fuji side so I wasn’t able to see it. The climb was epic and had breathtaking views the entire way up. What goes up must come down, and on the way down I smashed my record for fastest 40 km!
