Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time, I went on a touring trip to Mugikusa Pass from central Tokyo on a Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide. Mugikusa Pass is a mountain pass located in Sakuho Town, Minamisaku District, Nagano Prefecture, at an altitude of 1,910 meters, and is a place where you can enjoy wonderful scenery that has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Trails. This time I would like to tell you about its charm.
What is Mugikusa Pass?
Mugikusa Pass is a pass on the south side of Mt. Yatsugatake, and you can see Mt. Tateshina and the Yatsugatake Mountain Range to the north, and mountains such as Mt. Asama and Hachimantai to the south. The name Mugikusa Pass comes from the fact that wheat was cultivated here in the past. Mugigusa Pass offers beautiful scenery in all seasons, but especially from spring to summer, it is full of fresh greenery and flowers, and in autumn, the leaves turn red. In winter, you can enjoy snowy scenery and winter sports such as skiing and snowshoeing.
Route to Mugikusa Pass
For this tour, we took the Shuto Expressway from central Tokyo, entered the Chuo Expressway, got off at the Suwa Minami Interchange, and headed to Mugikusa Pass via National Route 299. It was a distance of about 300 km and took about 5 hours including breaks. The Chuo Expressway has low tolls and is an easy road to drive on, but you may get stuck in traffic jams along the way, so we recommend checking traffic information in advance. National Route 299 is a beautiful route called the Fairy Tale Road, and there is also a toll road called Yatsugatake Echo Line, but please note that this road may be closed depending on the time of day or day of the week.
Highlights of Mugikusa Pass
When you arrive at Mugigusa Pass, the first thing that catches your eye is the vast natural scenery. In the summer, you can ride a motorcycle through the green trees in the green land where the blue sky and white clouds shine.
Shirakoma Pond near the pass is a mysterious lake, and many people took the sound with them.
In the fall, it is covered in autumn leaves, creating a spectacular view, and in the winter, it is closed to traffic.
Mugikusa Pass motorcycle parking lot
Mugikusa Pass has a parking lot exclusively for motorcycles. It is free of charge. However, it can be crowded on weekends and holidays, so we recommend arriving early.
Summary
This time, I went on a touring trip to Mugikusa Pass from central Tokyo on a Harley-Davidson FLSB Sport Glide. Mugikusa Pass is a place where you can enjoy wonderful scenery and has been selected as one of Japan’s 100 Famous Roads, showing beautiful scenery in each season. Especially from spring to summer, the area is full of fresh greenery and flowers, and in autumn, the leaves turn red. In winter, you can enjoy snowy scenery and winter sports such as skiing and snowshoeing. Mugikusa Pass also has a parking lot for motorcycles, so you can also visit by motorcycle. Although it is approximately 300km from Tokyo, you can travel comfortably by using the Chuo Expressway or Fairy Tale Road. Please try touring to Mugikusa Pass on a Harley.
