Category: Nagano
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Cycling: Tenryu, Southeast Nagano
Every now and then I get a strong desire to head out to Chausuyama (茶臼山), Urugi (売木), and Tenryu (天龍) in southeast Nagano, bordering Aichi and Shizuoka prefectures. I never quite know what draws me out there but the isolation (relative to Japan) is a big factor. The area has the wonderful Tenryu River […]
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Cycling: Nagano Rindo Ride
Probably my favourite road in Japan these days. Deep in the Nagano mountains but within reach of Nagoya. While riding we came across a Japanese serow (kamoshika/カモシカ) in the forest. There’s something wonderful and magical about these forest dwellers, especially if you can make eye contact. Stay adventurous, stay keen, and keep exploring. Ridden with Zac […]
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Cycling & Hiking: Mt. Norikura – Bike and Hike to 3026m
Mt. Norikura (乗鞍) is considered a right of passage for many cyclists in Japan. It’s the highest road in the country and only bicycles, taxis, and official buses are allowed up. It’s sometimes called Japan’s version of Alpe d’ Huez with plenty of switchbacks, 1200m of elevation gain from the Norikura Heights car park, and […]
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Bike Packing: Matsumoto – Hafudake – Kusatsu
One of the benefits of living in central Japan is that most places are within a reasonable distance in relation to cycling and bike packing, and with the JR Chuo line (中央線) running from Tokyo (東京) to Nagoya (名古屋) around the Minami Alps it doesn’t take much time and effort to get out into the […]
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Cycling, Camping: Nomugi Pass & Mt. Norikura
It’s no secret among cyclists in Japan that Mt. Norikura (乗鞍岳) is the highest road passable by bicycle in the country. Some call it the Japanese Alpe d’Huez but I think comparing mountains is somewhat silly. All mountains differ, and all mountains have the potential to change character within minutes. Most road bike cyclists start […]
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Bike Packing: Kasugai – Gero – Matsumoto
The good thing about living in central Japan is that you are only a few hours away from the Japanese Alps. The bad thing is that these mountains make planning a bicycle route pretty difficult at times. The Minami Alps in particular are tricky to navigate from the Tokai area. This means that, for the […]