The night before the Chubu Coast to Coast Twistybutt in October, I got a current comparison between the over half-century-old Tomei and the noticeably newer Shin-Tomei on a 220km run west to Iwata. It brought home how much better the newer, gently meandering Shin-Tomei is and how good it would be if the whole way from Kanto west were that smooth and free-flowing. Also started thinking about when they both came to be, why I couldn’t ride the whole Kanagawa to Shizuoka leg yet and when it would be completed. Short answer, 2027.
(more…)Category: ROAD NEWS
Dodging Tolls
Toll-road companies in the NEXCO groups are intensifying their efforts to deter and crack down on toll-dodgers. These measures include installing countermeasure cameras, actively encouraging reporting incidents to the police, and cooperating with investigations. They are also using press releases to announce arrests and publicize successful legal actions against violators.
(more…)Gold Licence
How long does it take to get a gold licence? 5+ years
What are the conditions for getting a gold licence? No penalties or accidents for 5 years.
Those are the basics of being rewarded with a gold banded licence card for a faultless driving record in Japan. Is it that simple?
(more…)Mount Fuji’s 5th Station Roads Reopening Soon
For riders across the Kanto plain and beyond, the wait is almost over! Mark your calendars for 6pm September 10th, as the gates to Fuji’s hill climbs and some of the areas highest accessible roads will swing open once again.
(more…)252 Must Do, Reopened!
Route 252, a vital artery between Fukushima and Niigata, is a great ride. This lightly-trafficked road stretches about 120 km from Aizu to Ounuma, or vice versa. At around 60km shorter yet 20+ minutes longer than the shortest expressway route, according to google, it’s the epitome of the longer funner twistier way.
Still No Go for Iconic Saitama to Yamanashi Twisty Route
In short: Rt.140, a vital link between Saitama and Yamanashi isn’t yet open to bikes due to a rock fall. And what is the West Kanto Connecting Road?
If you’ve tried to ride Rt.140 from Saitama to Yamanashi since July 11, you’ll know that you can’t get through. You can get around 50km in from Yamanashi and 20km in from Chichibu. You may have also noticed that there’s a tunnel there open to cars, trucks and moped-class motorbikes that is far from finished. So what’s going on there? A fair bit more than just tunnel bypass…
(more…)Izu Skyline changes afoot
The Izu Skyline isn’t just a road, it’s a 40.6 km ribbon of asphalt that carves a breathtaking path along the eastern spine of the Izu Peninsula. This is where riders and drivers come to experience freedom on winding roads, with magnificent, sweeping views of Mount Fuji on one side and the deep blue of Sagami Bay on the other. It’s an undulating, scenic ripper of a road that has drawn enthusiasts since its opening in the early 1960s.
However, on October 1st, after nearly 50 years, the Shizuoka Prefectural Road Public Corporation is implementing some key revisions aimed at ensuring this iconic route remains a safe and unforgettable experience for many more years.
Filling your tank in Japan
With the government looking set to abolish the current Provisional Gasoline Tax of 25.1 yen/ litre, it’s a good time to delve into the breakdown of what we actually pay to fill our tanks and where it goes.
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