Someday, I went for solo touring to OKUTAMA. It was a late spring day and the landscape of a yellow green on a valley and mountains was impressive.
The river in the picture is AKIGAWA River and the mountains in OKUTAMA can be seen beyond the valley. The valley was beautiful and at the same time the landscape that the mountains overlap each other were impressive. I rode on the route 411 for OKUTAMA and I could see OGOCHI Dam in my left hand side.
From the route 411, the emergency channel of OGOCHI Dam was seen nearly. It was so large that the photo above does not express the scale of the dam. Once I rode beyond OGOCHI Dam, I reached the lake side of OKUTAMA Lake. I found the wild cherries blossom.
After I had been satisfied with the yellow green landscape and the wild cherries blossom, I returned home.
Someday, I went for solo touring to FUTTSU Cape and MYOGANE Cape, BOSO Peninsula, Chiba. It was a very windy day and due to the wind I could see Mt.FUJI from FUTTSU Cape clearly.
From FUTTSU Fishery Port, I could see Mt. FUJI. The port was almost full with fishery boats and pleasure boats. Probably they got a day off work due to the wind. A little beyond the fishery port, I arrived at the observatory on the edge of FUTTSU Cape.
From the observatory, DAIICHIKAIHO ( means ‘the 1st sea base’ ) could be seen with Mt.FUJI. The sea base is artificial island built in Meiji era (1868-1912) to defend Tokyo, the capital of Japan. The similar island is ODAIBA in Tokyo. They are ‘brother’ each other, in a sense. In years past, arms were equipped and deployed actually.
When I saw on the sea, I found a clear tideline. FUTTSU Cape divides TOKYO Bay into outside and inside. And this is the reason of the tideline promotion between ebb tide and full time. This environment grows delicious fishes around the cape. OGON-AJI ( golden Japanese jack mackerel ) is a special of in this area. ( Especially in KANAYA, is located near MYOGANE Cape. )
When I have arrived at MYOGAME Cape, Mt. FUJI is hidden by clouds but IZUOSHIMA ( IZU Big Island ) could be seen clearly. I took photo of NC750S parking in front of the rock field of MYOGANE Cape. This area is famous as a rock fishing site. The fishing black seabream is very popular in this area and I have tried several times. But I caught no fish… The problem may not be the point but may be my technique.
And one more photo. This is one of the best which has nostalgic atmosphere. I have enough time to head another site, but I return home to avoid the traffic jam which often occurs between Tokyo and Chiba.
A picturesque mountain stream you can not see without touching
I toured around Okutama, Tokyo with NC750S again. The first destination I headed for was Fall Hossawa but I found a lot of people to change the destination. I selected another place. There I enjoyed taking photos and walking in a small canyon. Once it becomes popular many people will visit. So I would like to hide the name of the place. The mountain stream there was transparent as the picture below shows. I had refreshed with the fresh air and the sight that have been created by the transparent water.
Feeling like a small adventure
There, the extremely transparent mountain stream have made the canyon in Okutama, Tokyo. You can enjoy the various sight which is consisted with small falls and abysses. Though the special equipment is not needed to walk on the canyon, there is a place where a support chain and a ladder are equipped. I enjoy the feeling like a small adventure.
Beyond the huge rocks
I found the picturesque sight. Here is the sacred place for residents around. I felt something sacred by the light illuminates between huge rocks. I was overwhelmed by the sight consisted with the small mountain stream and the huge rocks. The photo below was taken from the small open space beyond the rocks. The height of the left rock is 100 meters and 80 meters for the right rock.
Photos of the site
The mountain stream have been created the various sight ever. I felt thirsty a little and drank a mouthful water of the mountain stream. I was surprised by the freshness and drank more 3 mouthfuls. In inbound I had to use lavatory but this is a secret.
I rode to Okutama with NC750S 2 weeks in a row. I can reach Okutamashuyu Road if I turned to left at Tachibanabashi Crossing near the village office of Hinohara Village and I had not turned to right. So I turned to right and rode on Metro Road 205th. The road was closed due to the construction and I returned to Tachibanabashi to go through Okutamashuyu Road.
Plums ( ume ) bloomed fully in May. Usually May. is the season of cherry blossoms, but Spring comes later at the place whose above sea level is high.
Last week, I rode to the parking lot of the woods of people of Tokyo through Okutamashuyu Road. How much difference of the sight. In this time, the snow has almost melted and leaves on the slope where faces to north.
路面の雪は溶けていましたが木々には多くの雪が残っていました
先週の雪景色とは一変しています。
To tell the truth, I had got to the entrance of Irumashiroiwa Woods Road. The road is well maintained comparatively and reaches to Okutama district. But I did not try because it was the first time for me and it was solo-touring. If I was young I would try.
I usually go to Ogochi Dam via Okutamashuyu Road but I went to Otsuki this time. I felt a little tired and I looked for the place like a road station. I just found the Road Station Kosuge where has a restaurant and a souvenir shop. Hot Spring Kosuge and Forest Park Kosuge are next to the road park. This time I did not have enough time to stay and enjoy, I would try next time. I left for Otsuki.
ヤマメの看板が印象的。
右側の三角屋根の建物が小菅の湯の建物です
Tokyo2020の看板が心持ち煤けて見える…
I rode to Saruhashi. After Saruhashi I rode on Route 20 through Sagamiko, Takaosan and Hachioji. I took Route 16 to Okutama Street and went to Ooe Street through Shin-Okutama Street. I bought toilet rolls at a store on the inbound. Due to COVID-19, toilet rolls are sold out at a shop near from home. The restaurant serves only take-out menus. May the usual days return!
Because it was so warm that I have lesser anxiety about a frozen road, I went the solo touring to Ogochi dam and Okutamako lake.
Colors on the mountains had been lost after the leafs fell. On the other hand, you can enjoy ‘animal watching’ in this season. There are many dears and Japanese macaques, but it is difficult to find them in then leaf-full season. You can see a little space in the right side of the father tower, there were…
I think they can be seen even in the leaf full season because they are so near. But I imagine that in the leaf full season they can feed themselves around the top of the mountain and they seldom get near.
The sacrifice in the building Okutamako lake and Ogochi dam is that 87 people were killed by the accident and 1000 families were forced to move. We thank them that they had built the stable water supply of Tokyo and the beautiful sight.
Impression of NC750S today I miss took the way for Okutamako lake. I would take Okutamashuyu road for the outbound but took metro road 5 and route 411 to Okutamako. For inbound, I took Okutamashuyu road. The pleasure full winding roads continued and I do not have to feel fear aboud frozen road too much, but I reminded the safety riding with moderate speed. I rode with remembering and wandering that is the trigger of a cornering the timing after the deceleration is finished to release the brake and the center of weight return on rear tire? I am not so young that I can ride only with reflexes. I found the reason why NC750S has the cornering characteristic that the front does not cut in the corner. This is because that the total length of NC750S (2215mm) is longer than CB1300(2200mm). NC750S has a low center of weight and long length, it looks like a cruiser. It is natural in a sense.
I spent my holidays for skiing and fishing wakasagi smelts using the car and shinkansen, but today I rode NC750S for one day touring. After wandering the destination, I decided to go Ito through metro route 311→Tomei exp. way→Odawara-Atsugi exp. way→route 135 to take photos of camellia in the camellia garden of Komuroyama park. In this season, the various events like the plum festival in Atami and the Kawazu cherry festival in Kawaze are held and I was caught in the traffic jam at the Odawara side exit of Ishibashi IC of Odawara-Atsugi exp. way to Seisho bypass. I change the route to national way before Ishibashi IC to avoid the jam. I enjoyed the sight of the full-blown Kawazu cherry on the both side of the road from Atami to Ajiro, Kawana and Futo. I changed my mind that the destination should be Jogasaki Beach.
Jogasaki Beach is a rugged rocky beach and is not suitable for swimming. The sign shown in picture below is built at Igaigane parking lot. From here, you have to walk through the road in the forest about 10min to reach the beach line. When you reach the beach line, your sight spreads rapidly and in the front of you, you can see Izuoshima island.
In this season you can see Tarokaja and Yabutsubaki ( both of them are the kind of camellia ) bloom fully. At Izu peninsula, you can enjoy seeing plums, (Kawazu) cherry and camellia blooming at the same time in this season.
The Impressions of NC750S Today I had some anxiety when I started the engine for the first time in three weeks, but it started normally. It was usual that the idling rpm is a little high until the catalyst of the exhaust get warm. Is the reason why the time of the higher rpm due to the cool temperature? I found that I did not turn on the grip heater after riding a little and feeling chill in my hands. I think it is more convenient if the grip heater should recover the status before the engine stops. From Tokyo to Jogasaki is about 150km in one way and I can go and return without the fuel supply. This is a convenient point due to the good fuel consumption rate. Manazuru read, route 135 and prefecture road 740 are can be selected to go through from Yugawara to Manazuru. I selected route 135 for the outbound way and prefecture road 740 for in bound way. You can enjoy pleasure winding road on prefecture road 740. I also enjoyed the time I had no car and motorcycle in front and rear of me with the theme that I do not prevent the natural motion of front tire. The averaged fuel consumption rate was 31km/l.
This site introduce beautiful and interesting seasons in Japan with photos and exquisite sentences… But the author is not a native English writer, so sometimes write something strange.
The icon of this site means ‘blue ‘ spring ( in Japanese「青」春 ), ‘ vermilion’ summer ( in Japanese「朱」夏 ), ‘white’ fall ( in Japanese )「白」秋, ‘black’ winter ( in Japanese )「玄」冬, and a letter ‘J’ is placed on right side.
I ride motorcycle to take photos, so I report the impression of the riding motorcycle. Especially impression of my partner ‘Honda NC750S’ will be often reported.