日本夏2026年 - Day 1 Tokyo to Hakone

May 30, 2026
Day 1 Tokyo to Hakone - 108 Km
Start  7:12 AM
Finish 5:18 PM
Total Duration 10:06
Moving Time 5:54
Stopped Time 4:12
Ascent 630m
Descent 576m
Tour Total 250 Km

Saison didn’t open until seven, so I got a slightly later start than planned. The sun was already intense, and I pulled on arm sleeves for protection. I’d woken in the middle of the night, still not fully adjusted to the time change.

Heading west out of Tokyo, I crossed a broad bridge over the Tama River under a cloudless sky. In the distance, Mount Fuji hovered faint but unmistakable on the horizon. The route zigzagged through a mix of wide boulevards and narrow neighborhood streets before bringing me across the Tsurumi River, where I picked up a levee path and rode south.

I passed through Yokohama and detoured to visit my Brooklyn neighbors, Naomi and Masahiko, who were staying at their home just east of the city center. Naomi prepared a wonderful meal and mentioned that a large typhoon was on its way. A quick look at the forecast confirmed it—things could get rough in the coming days.

From there, I followed a beautiful cycling road along the Sakaigawa River toward Kamakura. The Great Buddha was, as expected, packed with tourists, though I was able to park my bike right at the entrance. I paid a bit extra to step inside the statue, where you can see how the massive bronze structure was assembled from within.

Soon after, I found myself riding along the Pacific coast. The ocean shimmered turquoise, dotted with kite surfers, while people strolled along the beach. Traffic along the road was heavy and relentless, but the view ahead made up for it—Mount Fuji stood clearly in the distance, its summit still dusted with snow.
I continued on to Enoshima Island, just as crowded as Naomi had warned. A long bridge carried me out to the island, where a steep, winding path led past several important shrines. Tourists packed the walkways, snacking and browsing souvenirs.

I stopped at a local burger spot for a cheeseburger, fries, and a Coke, then got back on the bike, eager to rack up more kilometers along the Pacific Coast Cycling Road. In Chigasaki, I passed a lively beach festival before pushing inland.

That evening, I arrived in Hakone, where I met up with Diego, an old friend from New York, along with his girlfriend Akiko. We spent the night sharing sashimi, broiled salmon, salad, and plenty of beer—a perfect end to a long, sun-soaked day.

My Brooklyn neighbors have a place in Yokohama

Kamakura Buddah



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Introduction

Image
Greetings, friends! Summer is here—which means it’s time for another bike tour… back to Japan. I actually rode around Okinawa and Amami this past January—904 km over 10 days—but the effort didn't seem blog worthy. This tour will focus on parts of Honshu, Shikoku, and Kyushu that I haven’t yet explored. Along the way, I’ll meet up with friends and even team up with a cycling partner for a stretch across Shikoku. The journey begins with an ambitious goal: attempting to ride up Mount Fuji via the Fujinomiya Line, the most difficult road bike climb in Japan. From there, I’ll follow the Pacific Coast route all the way to Wakayama. In Shikoku, I’m trading coastlines for climbs, focusing on the rugged mountainous interior. Then it’s back to Honshu, heading west to Hiroshima and Yamaguchi Prefecture, before crossing over to Kyushu and making my way to Fukuoka. From there, I plan to loop around Kyushu’s western coast. The bike is tuned, the bags are (almost) packed—and I’m ready to roll. Th...
Read more

Other Tour Logs

• Unicycle NYC Bridge Tour • Florida Keys Overseas Heritage Trail Unicycle Tour • St. Petersburg Bridge Tour  • Rusty Crank Coast 2 Coast Bicycle Tour • RC Trans Northern Tier Bicycle Tour • To the Bottom of the World • COVID CROSS • Southern Tier Part 1 • Southern Tier Part 2 • Southern Tier Part 3 • Western Express 2021 • TransMexico • TransMexico 2 • The Great Divide (NOBO) • Silk Road Mountain Race • 日本夏2024年 • 日本夏2025年 • Baja Divide • Chainweel Diaries Interview
Read more

日本夏2026年 - Tokyo Bigger Loop

Image
May 29, 2026 Tokyo Bigger Loop - 88 Km Start 7:24 AM Finish 2:31 PM Total Duration 7:09 Moving Time 5:21 Stopped Time 1:48 Ascent 560m Descent 573m Tour Total  142 Km Details at: https://ridewithgps.com/trips/386637790 I slept well in my hotel room in Tokyo and woke early, the city already humming. My first stop was Saison—cappuccino and a pan au chocolat—before rolling out into the heat. The night before, I’d mapped a wide loop to conserve phone battery and push into neighborhoods I hadn’t yet seen. Heading toward the harbor, I passed through Shinagawa and the shrine where I’d welcomed the New Year back in January. From there, the route slipped into a cluster of sleek, sterile office towers before opening onto the waterfront, where artificial islands stitched together by elevated expressways form a kind of concrete archipelago. I traced the shoreline as best I could. In Ginza, I rode past the Kabukiza Theatre and Tsukiji Hongwan-ji Temple, then crossed the sweeping Tatsumisakura B...
Read more