Karuizawa Ride - Day 2: Hairpins, Fancy Bread, and Bird Bombs
As any seasoned rider knows, the best adventures often begin before the sun peeks over the horizon. Our second day on the road was no exception, with alarms set for an ungodly 4:20 AM to catch the sunrise from our mountaintop campsite. The spectacular view of dawn breaking over the mountain ranges was well worth the early wake-up call, providing a moment of zen before the day's ride.
View the sunrise from my Instagram
With camp quickly broken down, we set our sights on the old route 18 Usui Touge pass. The journey there was a visual feast, with vistas reminiscent of European farmlands and New England suburbs. The lush forests and well-spaced buildings of the Karuizawa area offer a unique aesthetic that's a refreshing change from Japan's often densely packed urban landscapes.
En route, we passed the Usui Pass Railway Heritage Park, a tantalizing glimpse of Japan's rail history that begs for a return visit when time allows. But the real star of the morning was yet to come.
Old Usui Touge
As we hit the old Usui Touge pass, the road transformed into a rider's paradise. For 10 glorious kilometers, left, right, hairpin, sweeper - rinse and repeat. It was like the road engineers had a competition to see who could make the twistiest road without making riders lose their breakfast. By the end, any lingering sleepiness had been shaken off the cliff, and I was more awake than a kid on Christmas morning.
For those familiar with the legendary Tail of the Dragon in the US, this stretch of tarmac offers a worthy Japanese counterpart. Word to the wise: hit this stretch early unless you fancy playing "follow the leader" behind traffic.
After our morning road tango, we treated ourselves to breakfast at a fancy Karuizawa bakery. Nothing says "I've earned this" quite like paying 1,600 yen for a liver paste pastry, honey-glazed walnut stick bread, and a lemon-ginger soda. The atmosphere? Pure 90s country club chic. I half expected to see people in polo shirts discussing their golf handicaps.
Onioshidashi Park: Volcanic Zen and Frog-Shaped Rocks
Our next destination was Onioshidashi Park, accessed via route 146 out of Karuizawa. This road offers a short but sweet stretch of sweepers, eventually splitting into a tolled and non-tolled option. We took the toll road, a 300 yen investment for... well, absolutely nothing exciting. Pro tip: save your yen and take the non-tolled route. Sometimes, the road less traveled (or less paid for) is indeed the better choice.
Onioshidashi Park is a geological wonderland, with free guided tours that turn rocks into riveting conversation pieces. Did you know that before trees can grow on lava rocks, generations of mold have to live, die, and decompose to create soil? It's like a microcosm of life, death, and rebirth, all played out on a volcanic stage. And for the young (or young at heart), there are rocks shaped like frogs, dogs, cartoon characters, and even Godzilla. I'll admit it - I was thoroughly entertained.
Returning to our motorcycles at the parking lot, once again, my trusty Yamaha FJR fell victim to the world's most accurate avian bombing squad. Two days, two direct hits, while Nodoka's Honda remained spotless. At this point, I'm considering changing my bike's color to white and calling it camouflage. Seriously, what did I do to offend the local bird mafia?
Lunch at Osobar and an Unplanned Retreat
Lunch beckoned us back to Karuizawa, where we stopped at the cleverly named Osobar - an o-soba noodle restaurant designed like a bar. It's these little gems that make motorcycle touring in Japan a true delight for both the palate and the sense of humor.
Our original plan included a jaunt up to Nagano to ride the Venus Line, but Mother Nature had other ideas. Apparently, she didn't get the memo about our perfectly planned trip. So, like true bikers (and definitely not because we were scared of a little rain), we decided to make a strategic retreat homeward.
The ride back was a high-speed blur of expressways, with a quick detour down the scenic Shosenkyo Line. We pulled into our driveway just as the first raindrops fell.
Closing Thoughts
As I lay in bed the next morning, listening to the gentle pitter-patter of rain, I couldn't help but smile. This, my friends, is what motorcycle touring in Japan is all about. World-class twisties, surprise geological wonders, culinary adventures, and the constant threat of aerial bombardment from the local wildlife.
So, to all you two-wheeled adventurers out there, I say this: Come to Japan, ride these roads, eat the fancy bread, dodge the bird poop, and create your own stories.
