Cross Honshu

From Narita international airport towards the Sea of Japan

Shorter course

If you will not spend much time at Shinshu (Nagano) area and avid many hills...

Narita- (R17)- Takasaki- Karuizawa(R18)- Komoro- Nagano-(R406)- Hakuba- (R148)- Itoigawa (The Sea of Japan)

From Narita to Takasaki you cannot avoid traffic jams. Look for side roads until you can get there. Karuizawa, hight land resort place, is about 1.000m height so keep pedaling up (there is a old side road, choose this one). Between Karuizawa and Nagano there are some lovely pure ONSENS!! And almost gentle down hill.

Between Nagano to Hakuba. Togakushi is famous for its old and historical Shrines and very beautiful scenes.

Hakuba to Itoigawa. This road is just for short cut because of many tunnels and tracks.

Across Japan Alps

---R18- Karuizawa- R142- Suwa lake - (R20-R19) - Matsumoto - R158 - Kamikochi - R158 - Takayama - R41 - R360 - Shirakawa - R304 - Sea of Japan

From Karuizawa, choose "Nakasen-do" which is a old Samurai road to Kyoto. Off course now on road.
Go over the Wada Pass you can reach Beautiful Suwa lake.
Suwa is the famous for its plenty of Onsens and plenty of space for tent for free near the lake.

Kamikochi is a entrance of Japan Alps. Very scenic place and public camping grounds are available.
To get there you have to climb a very steep tunnel called "Kama tunnel".
If you are interested in staying a night there I recommend to take a bus before the Kama tunnel instead of your bike .

"Nature Photo Gallery" has beautiful Kamikochi pictures.

Takayama is a city but you can find Japanese old craft and old houses. Shirakawa is reserved village for original styled house. A roof is made of straw and it looks like someone praying with his hands pressed together.

uploaded:18, 02, 2006