Nasu-Plateau(C-12⭐️⭐️⭐️)’22.5.29
This route(C-12) is in Area-C “Kanto" . See Area-C Map / See Japan Map
Sight & Entertainment ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Food & Drinks ⭐⭐⭐
Easiness ⭐
Road Condition ⭐⭐
Safety ⭐⭐
Starting at Fukuroda station at 9:15AM, I rode along Kuji river toward north. I heard north Kuji area was very beautiful place but I turned to left soon toward Ootawara in this time. 1st point was ex-Kamioka primary school which had been used for modern Japanese movies many times(Pic.1).Then started loose hillclimbing along a creek and paddy fields which are typical Japanese rural sight(pic.2).
When you pass the mountain area, there is Ootawara city which is now famous for Ootawara beef. Japan has many famous Wa-Gyu(Japanese beef) like Kobe Gyu, Matsuzaka Gyu, Yonezawa Gyu, and Ootawara came to be one of them. But I couldn 't find any other restaurant than Gyu-Cho-Honten(pic.3&4) to eat that precious beef. It costs you over 5k yen to eat a steak but I ate a hamburger set about 3k yen. Please try if you are a fan of Wa-Gyu. After lunch, I started toward Nasu plateau at noon.
First 10km was relatively easy but once you turned to left toward hilltop, the slope continues forever!! So you had better take a rest at nice restaurants around pic.4 like Soba(buckwheat) noodle restaurants, fashionable cafes. The last 10km toward top was too harsh for my riding plan. The higher I reach, the steeper it becomes. And what is worse for bikers is many cars pass by on narrow roads on the weekend since Nasu is famous for hot spring resort hotels like Hakone, which made me very tired. Especially in hot spring hotel area, the slope was the steepest, so I took a rest at free hot spring only for foot(pic.5). But I strongly recommend you to stay one night in this area.
My final destination today was Yahatazaki pass from which I should have seen a carpet of Azalea in this end of May, but I could see a few trees with flowers(pic.6). . If you have time, pls walk inside the park to enjoy full blossomed Azalea.
Then started at 15:00 toward Shin-Shirakawa station. Once you cross the pass, the slope became continuous downhill which made me scared to break the speed. There are bad road conditions in some places. Pls be careful in downhill. Now I crossed the border btw Tochigi prefecture and Fukushima pref. . Next I’ll start from Shin-Shirakawa station to further north area.
<Transportation info>
Ueno AM5:11 Joban-line to Mito AM6:58 → Mito AM7:28 Suigun-line to Fukuroda AM8:49 TTL¥3080
Shin-Shirakawa PM4:52 Shinkansen(Yamabiko- bullet train) to Ueno PM6:16 ¥6260
<Other recommendable spots near my route＞
1)Fukurota falls (ref. C-10) 2)Nasu safari park 3) Many other resort hotels with hot springs
＜Connection routes>
C-10: Fukuroda water fall to Mito