Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time, I toured by motorcycle from central Tokyo to Kinsei Road in Gunma Prefecture. I would like to introduce what kind of road Kinsei Road is, how to get there, and what kind of scenery and special products there are. My favorite car is a Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide.
Kinsei Road is the general name for National Route 120 that connects Minakami Town, Tone District, Gunma Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture, and is a road that has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Roads. The approximately 20km section centered around the Kinsei Tunnel is called the Kinsei Road, and you can drive through a plateau area at an altitude of over 1,000m. Kinsei Road shows off the beauty of each season, with fresh greenery in the spring, coolness in the summer, red leaves in the fall, and snowy scenery in the winter. There are also hot springs, campgrounds, ski resorts, and other facilities along Kinsei Road.
Route to Kinsei Road
I rode my bike from central Tokyo to Kinsei Road. The route is shown below.
Enter the Shuto Expressway Central Loop Line/C1 from Kamei Bridge, Kobikicho Street, and Ginza.
At Kosuge JCT, proceed towards Tohoku Expressway/Higashi-Ikebukuro/Shuto Expressway Kawaguchi Line/Shuto Expressway No. 5 Ikebukuro Line/Omiya/Angyo
Go straight at Kohoku JCT and continue onto the Shuto Expressway Kawaguchi Line/S1
Enter the Tohoku Expressway using the right lane
Enter Tohoku Jukan Expressway/Tohoku Expressway using the right lane
Take the Utsunomiya IC exit towards Nikko
Enter Nikko Utsunomiya Road using the left lane
Turn diagonally to the left at Kiyotaki IC and head toward Kiyotaki Bypass/National Route 120/National Route 122
Go straight on National Route 120
Turn left at Futarabashi-mae (intersection) and continue on National Route 120.
Arrive at Kinsei Tunnel
This route takes approximately 260km and approximately 4.5 hours to travel. I ran while taking breaks along the way, but I was still pretty tired, so I’d like to make sure to plan for breaks and refueling when I go out. However, as soon as I entered the Kinseido Road, I was greeted with a spectacular view that wiped away all my fatigue.
There are many attractions along the Kinsei Road. The following three things particularly impressed me.
Kinsei Tunnel Kinsei Tunnel is a tunnel that can be said to be the symbol of Kinsei Road. With a total length of approximately 755 meters, it is said to be the third highest tunnel in Japan and the longest national highway tunnel. The inside of the tunnel is dark, cold, and damp, but on the other hand, it creates a mysterious atmosphere. The name comes from the fact that Kinshinsha was enshrined here.
Kinsei Road Motorcycle Parking Lot
There is no dedicated parking lot for motorcycles on Kinsei Road, but you can use the general parking lot. The parking lot I used is as follows.
Kinsei Tunnel Entrance Parking Lot This is the parking lot at the entrance of Kinsei Tunnel. You can use it for free.
summary
This time, I was writing an article about touring by motorcycle from central Tokyo to Kinsei Road. We introduced what kind of road Kinsei Road is, how to get there, and what kind of scenery and special products there are. Kinsei Road is a wonderful road where you can experience the beauty of each season and the freshness of the highlands. There is no dedicated parking lot for motorcycles on Kinsei Road, but you can use the public parking lot for free.
At the end of the article, we will add the English translation of “Kinsei Road”.
