Hello, this is _hiroyuki.ta. This time, I drove Harley’s FLSB Sports Glide on the Okutama Tour Road in Tokyo. The Okutama Shuyu Road is a 19.7 km scenic road that connects Okutama Town, Nishitama District, Tokyo and Hinohara Village, and is a popular route for driving and touring. Surrounded by the steep mountains of Chichibu-Tama Kai National Park, you can enjoy the magnificent natural beauty of Lake Okutama, views of the city center in the distance, and a landscape that changes with the seasons. There are also facilities on the tour route where you can experience nature, and in recent years it has become increasingly popular as a bicycle course. This time, I would like to head to the Okutama loop road from Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture via the Ken-o Expressway, and tell you about its charms.
The Okutama Tourist Road opened in April 1973 as Tokyo’s first toll road, and became a toll-free road in 1990. The approximately 20km stretch from Santo Bridge to Kuzuryu Bridge is called the Okutama Tour Road. This area is also called “Tokyo’s hidden region” and is home to rich nature and historic buildings. For example, Lake Okutama is a valuable water source for Tokyo, with a total water storage capacity of 180 million tons. In addition, the Mitobashi Bridge is a Nielsenrose Bridge, which has a unique structure and has been designated as a registered tangible cultural property of the country. Furthermore, along the Okutama tour road, there are specialty products such as Okutama yamame and Okutama wasabi. Okutama Yamame is a natural sweetfish raised in clear streams, and can be enjoyed grilled with salt or in tempura. Okutama wasabi is a variety with a strong spiciness and aroma, and can be enjoyed with wasabi pickles and wasabi soy sauce.
Route to Okutama tour road
It takes about 2 hours to reach Okutama Shuyu Road from Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture using the Ken-O Expressway. The Ken-O Expressway is an expressway that connects the central part of the Tokyo metropolitan area in a circular manner, connecting with the Kanetsu Expressway and the Chuo Expressway. When driving on the Ken-O Expressway, exit at the Ome Interchange and enter the Ome Kaido (National Route 411). Ome Kaido passes through Ome City and enters Okutama Town. There are old townscapes and hot spring facilities along Ome Kaido. Once you enter Okutama Town, take Route 205 and head towards Mitobashi Bridge, which is the entrance to the Okutama Tour Road. Please be aware that Route 205 is closed at night and due to rain or snowfall.
The Okutama Tourist Road runs along the ridge as it ascends from the Hinohara Gate side, then descends after passing the highest point at Kazabari Pass. Kazahari Pass is approximately 900m above sea level, and from here you can enjoy a wonderful view of Lake Okutama and the mountains. There is also a free parking lot called Kazahari Pass Observation Deck at Kazahari Pass. From here, you can see not only Lake Okutama but also Mt. Fuji and the Tokyo Sky Tree. There are also toilets and vending machines at Kazahari Pass Observation Deck. After descending from Kazabari Pass, you will arrive at Tsukiyomi Daiichi Parking Lot. This is the place with the best view on the Okutama tour road, overlooking Lake Okutama. There are also toilets and vending machines at Tsukiyomi Daiichi Parking Lot. If you go further down from Tsukiyomi Daiichi Parking Lot, you will arrive at Tomin no Mori. Tomin no Mori is a natural park maintained by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government, and includes camping grounds, barbecue areas, and hiking trails. Tomin no Mori also has restrooms and vending machines. When you leave Tomin no Mori, you will reach Kuzuryu Bridge. Kuzuryu Bridge is the end of the Okutama Tour Road, from which you enter National Route 139. National Route 139 is also known as the Koshu Highway and heads towards Kofu.
Motorcycle parking lot on Okutama tour road
There are six motorcycle parking lots on the Okutama Tour Road. Information on each parking lot is as follows.
Mitsubashi Parking Lot: This is a free parking lot located at the entrance of the Okutama Tour Road. There is space for bikes.
Kazahari Pass Observation Deck: A free parking lot located at the highest point on the Okutama tour road. There is space for bikes.
Tsukiyomi Daiichi Parking Lot: This is a free parking lot located at the location with the best view on the Okutama tour road. There is space for bikes.
Tsukiyomi No. 2 Parking Lot: This is a free parking lot located a little downhill from Tsukiyomi No. 1 Parking Lot. There is space for bikes.
Tomin no Mori parking lot: Motorcycle parking is free in the Tomin no Mori area. There is space for bikes.
summary
This time, I drove Harley’s FLSB Sports Glide on the Okutama Tour Road in Tokyo. The Okutama Shuyu Road is a 19.7 km scenic road that connects Okutama Town, Nishitama District, Tokyo and Hinohara Village, and is a popular route for driving and touring. Surrounded by the steep mountains of Chichibu-Tama Kai National Park, you can enjoy the magnificent natural beauty of Lake Okutama, views of the city center in the distance, and a landscape that changes with the seasons. There are also facilities on the tour route where you can experience nature, and in recent years it has become increasingly popular as a bicycle course. We headed from Ageo City, Saitama Prefecture via the Ken-O Expressway to the Okutama Tour Road and told you about its charms. The Okutama Tour Road has plenty of motorcycle parking, making it the perfect course for enjoying Harleys. Please try riding a Harley on the Okutama tour road once.
At the end of the article, we will add the words translated into English for Okutama Tour Road. Okutama Lake Loop Road
