Tohoku by Bicycle: From Nasu to Aomori — 12 Days

The tour begins in Nasu, Tochigi Prefecture, located at the northern edge of the Kanto region on the border with Tohoku. The town sits at the foot of the expansive Nasu mountain range and is home to the Imperial villa. Participants arrive at the tour hotel, complete bike rentals, and receive a briefing. Nasu is accessible by bullet train from Tokyo—70 minutes to Nasushiobara station, or 180 kilometers overland. The town is established as one of Japan's primary hot spring and resort areas, with Mt. Chausu as the main peak and surrounding Satoyama (classic rural landscape) featuring milk sheds and traditional farm structures. No cycling occurs on this day; this is an acclimatization and logistics day.

The first cycling stage traverses the Nasu Highlands with views of the Nasu mountain range, then enters Fukushima Prefecture on the tour's first substantial climb. The route passes beside a peaceful lake and follows forest roads along the edge of Lake Inawashiro. Riders arrive at Aizu Higashiyama Onsen, a hot spring resort set in a valley east of Aizu Wakamatsu. The town retains a nostalgic atmosphere from its history as a retreat for Aizu samurai during the Edo period. Overnight accommodation is at a traditional Japanese-style inn; breakfast and dinner are provided.

The day begins with a visit to Tsuruga Castle, the symbol of Aizu, before the route cycles past the base of Mt. Bandai and climbs into higher terrain. A scenic mountain pass offers panoramic views from an elevated ridge road. After a long descent, the route passes through fruit orchards before arriving at Iizaka Onsen, a traditional hot spring town with a long history. The town is home to one of Japan's oldest community bathhouses, still in use and preserved in its historic form from earlier eras, now serving as the symbol of the hot spring town. Overnight accommodation and meals (breakfast and dinner) are provided.

Stage 3 begins with departure from Iizaka Onsen, following winding mountain roads that gradually climb toward a panoramic pass marking entry into Yamagata Prefecture. The 60-kilometer route gains 900 meters of elevation—a substantial but manageable day that sets the rhythm for the stages ahead. The landscape transforms as you climb. Early sections wind through terrain that reveals the agricultural character of this region. The route passes through expansive soba fields, their neat rows stretching across hillsides, a reminder that this area has long supplied some of Japan's finest buckwheat noodles. These fields are not merely scenery; they represent generations of farming knowledge and a food tradition that remains central to local identity. One of the day's highlights is a stop at a traditional local food supplier—a working establishment, not a tourist attraction. These suppliers are often family operations that have occupied the same location for decades, producing dried goods, preserved vegetables, miso, or other staples using methods that have changed little in principle, though elegant by experience. The stop offers genuine encounter with how rural Japan sustains itself, and an opportunity to understand what grows in these mountains and how it becomes food. The panoramic pass itself rewards the climbing effort. From this vantage, the landscape opens into views across Yamagata Prefecture—mountains receding into distance, valleys cut by rivers, the patchwork of cultivated and wild land that characterizes Japan's interior. On clear days, visibility extends far enough to orient yourself within the larger geography of the region. The descent toward Kaminoyama Onsen follows the natural contours of the terrain. As elevation drops, the character of the settlement gradually emerges. Kaminoyama is both an onsen town and a castle town—two identities that have shaped its development over centuries. The onsen tradition dates to the discovery of hot springs in this location; the castle town identity reflects its former administrative importance during Japan's feudal period. What remains today is a place that feels distinctly nostalgic, with architecture and street patterns that preserve something of earlier eras without feeling frozen in time. The town's hot springs remain its defining feature. Unlike some onsen destinations that have modernized extensively, Kaminoyama retains a quieter character. The water emerges naturally from the ground at temperatures suitable for bathing, and the town's economy and daily rhythm still center on this resource. Visitors and residents alike move between accommodations and bathhouses with the ease of people accustomed to the ritual. Arrival at Kaminoyama marks completion of a day that, while shorter than some stages to follow, accomplishes significant climbing and covers considerable distance. The winding mountain roads require sustained attention; the elevation gain tests endurance. Yet the day also allows for observation—of agricultural landscape, of traditional food production, of the passage from one prefecture to another, and of how settlement patterns reflect both natural resources and historical circumstance. Overnight accommodation in Kaminoyama Onsen is arranged. Breakfast is provided. The evening offers time to rest after climbing, to soak in the onsen waters, and to experience the particular quiet that settles over such towns after the day's activity concludes. The combination of physical exertion and thermal bathing produces a specific kind of recovery that cycling tours can uniquely offer.

Cycling continues along the border between mountains and farmland through the center of Yamagata, where the terrain reflects typical Japanese rural landscape. The route climbs deep mountain roads toward Hijiori Onsen, a small hot spring town set in a volcanic caldera at the foot of Mt. Gassan. Hijiori is known for 'Toji'—extended hot spring stays designed for therapeutic recuperation. The town itself is small and compact, with a narrow main street where an early-morning farmers' market operates. Overnight accommodation and meals (breakfast and dinner) are provided.

A long downhill section from Hijiori Onsen follows the Mogami River valley toward the Sea of Japan. Mt. Chokai comes into view as the landscape opens. The route passes a mossy waterfall and shrine. Riders then transition to farmland roads as the Sea of Japan approaches, arriving at Chokai Onsen, a seaside hot spring town with views of Mt. Chokai. Overnight accommodation and meals (breakfast and dinner) are provided.

Described as the flattest day of the tour, the route cycles north alongside the Sea of Japan into Akita Prefecture. After leaving the coastline, riders enter a region known for rice cultivation, moving through countryside filled with rice paddies on a largely flat course. Kakunodate, the day's destination, is a former castle town famous for well-preserved samurai houses and districts. The town is often called the Little Kyoto of Michinoku, reflecting its elegant and elegant character. Overnight accommodation is provided; breakfast is included.

The day begins with a rest until midday, allowing time to walk through Kakunodate's samurai quarters and visit preserved samurai houses. An optional workshop in traditional cherry bark art is available. Cycling begins in the afternoon, heading toward Lake Tazawa. The destination is Nyuto Onsen-kyo, a hot springs village comprising seven separate inns scattered across the western foothills of Mt. Nyuto in Towada Hachimantai National Park. Each of the seven inns has its own spring source and open-air bath. The village is isolated and secluded from urban areas, with individual inns separated from one another, creating a sense of remoteness from the wider world. Overnight accommodation and meals (breakfast and dinner) are provided.

Riders descend from Nyuto Onsen, cross a major mountain pass alongside a large dam lake filled with blue water, then descend again toward Yuze Onsen, a small riverside hot spring town. Overnight accommodation and meals (breakfast and dinner) are provided.

The route crosses a small countryside town, then climbs to reach Lake Towada. The route follows the lake's edge into Aomori Prefecture and then descends into Oirase Gorge, a scenic mountain stream valley running 14 kilometers between Nenokuchi on Lake Towada's shore and Yakeyama at the foot of Mt. Hakkoda. The Oirase River flows through the gorge parallel to the road, descending through rapids and waterfalls. The valley is lined with virgin forest containing white cedar, Japanese beech, and maple trees. Overnight accommodation and meals (breakfast and dinner) are provided.

The final cycling stage involves climbing to Hakkoda Mountain beneath the green canopy of large beech trees. From the summit, a panoramic view opens across Mt. Iwaki and Aomori City below. A long descending section follows, descending northward to Aomori City, the northernmost major city on Japan's main island. The route ends at Aomori City. Overnight accommodation and meals (breakfast and dinner) are provided.

Breakfast is provided at the hotel in Aomori City. Participants check out and the tour concludes. Those wishing to extend their stay or continue onward from Aomori may do so independently.