The Search for Japanese Single Track.

Riding on the Tokai Shizen Hodo 東海自然歩道 just south of Lake Motosuko. The Tokai trail starts in Takao in Tokyo and runs all the way to Osaka.

At the southern tip of the Minami Alps, the Fuji Five Lakes Area is a a veritable outdoors paradise. With 5 lakes to choose from, boating, wind surfing, fishing, and camping enthusiasts couldn't ask for better in Japan. For the last several months I have been busy breaking down the area into the best mountain bike rides. To this Colorado Native, the green Japanese mountains always call with possibilities of beautiful single track, and many times I have ventured out to unknown peaks in search of the best. However, most hiking trails around the Five Lakes conform to the mountains themselves making them somewhat unrideable. Steep and abrupt 10 minute stair climbs usually greet the climber at the top with an equally steep and unrideable descent on the other side, and the up and downs continue ad nauseum. Mountain Bikers live for the gradual, smooth, rolling trails. Getting off and carrying the bike is taken as a personal failure, and for the most part, this is what hiking trails in Japan require.

When you find a good trail, you know it immediately. It feels like the most amazing rollercoaster, only better because you didnt have to pay $50 bucks for the entrance fee, and there are usually no screaming kids. The air is clean, and the only sounds you hear are soft crush of the bikes tires on the trail as you lean into the curves, the birds, and the other riders with you whooping and hollering as they enjoy the trail.

Though not without its steep climbs and unrideable descents, the Tokai Shizen Hodo just South of Motosuko is a good place for anyone to start their ride in the Five Lakes region. Reaching all the way to Osaka, one must choose their own turn around point. But on a nice day one can travel from Motosuko to a small lake just in Shizuoka ken and ride back along the road, making for an enjoyable four hour ride. More info on the rolling trails here as I find them.