Model Course #2 — Tanzawa & Miyagase Mountain Pass Tour (Local Favorite Hidden Gem)

🏍️ Start — RIDE TOURISM (Shonan)

Your day begins at RIDE TOURISM in Shonan. We’ll get you set up on a Standard Class (250cc) bike — perfectly suited to the tight, technical corners ahead — and brief you on the route. From here, head out along the coast before turning inland toward the mountains.

🌊 Stop 1 — Route 134 (Coastal Warm-Up)

While not an official stop on the tour, the route follows the coastal Route 134 on the way to the mountains — a relaxed warm-up before the twisty roads ahead. If you have a little extra time, two spots in Chigasaki are worth a quick look: the “Southern C” monument, a local landmark beloved by Shonan residents, and Roadside Station Chigasaki, a small market with local produce and snacks.

🌼 Stop 2 — Nanohana-dai Observatory

Partway up the climb known as Omote-Yabitsu (the ocean-side approach to Yabitsu Pass), this observatory is the best rest stop on the mountain — large parking area, great views on clear days, and occasionally a food truck or two. The summit itself gets crowded and doesn’t offer much of a view, so this is where locals actually stop to relax and take in the scenery.

⛰️ Stop 3 — Yabitsu Summit

This is the iconic Yabitsu Summit — no introduction needed for riders in the Kanto area. The climb from the ocean side is called Omote-Yabitsu; from here toward Miyagase, the descent becomes Ura-Yabitsu. An information center here is open on weekends only, and the vending machine at the summit sells a drink locally nicknamed “Yabitsu Cola” — a small rite of passage for visiting riders.

🛣️ Stop 4 — Ura-Yabitsu (The Descent to Miyagase)

The road from Yabitsu Summit down to Miyagase is known as Ura-Yabitsu — tighter, more technical corners than the climb up, winding through forest with barely a straight section to be found. The Miyagase-side portion includes a stretch nicknamed “Q-chan Road,” a name that goes back to its reputation among street racers in the 1990s.

There aren’t many official stops along this section, but keep an eye out for a small natural spring water spot — a popular, free souvenir for locals. If you fill a bottle, just remember to boil the water before drinking.

🍱 Stop 5 — Miyagase Lakeside Park (Lunch Stop)

Miyagase Lakeside Park is the perfect place for lunch — a spacious area with local restaurants and food stalls overlooking the reservoir. Take a break, enjoy some local street food, and soak in the laid-back atmosphere after the technical descent from Yabitsu.

🅿️ Stop 6 — Toriihara Fureai Center

Just a short distance from Miyagase Lakeside Park, the Toriihara Fureai Center is a popular rest stop among local riders, with free motorcycle parking. A quiet, convenient place to stretch your legs before the final stretch back toward Shonan.

🥖 Stop 7 — Ogino Pan Factory Shop

One of the must-visit stops on this entire tour. Ogino Pan is an enormously popular bakery — so popular, in fact, that it supplies bread for local school lunches — with a factory shop open to the public. Conveniently, it sits right on the way back, making it a classic final stop before returning to Shonan.

The two items everyone comes for: Age-pan (deep-fried sugar bread — a nostalgic Japanese favorite) and the Tanzawa Anpan, a local specialty filled with sweet bean paste. Both make excellent souvenirs to bring home.

🏞️ Stop 8 — Miyagase Dam

The Miyagase Dam is the largest dam in the greater Tokyo area, and the scale of it is genuinely impressive up close. Earlier in 2026, a severe drought caused water levels to drop so low that the remains of the old Miyagase village — roads, guardrails, and other structures — resurfaced for the first time in roughly 40 years, briefly becoming a local sensation.

🥫 Stop 9 — Retro Vending Machine Corner (Optional)

A short detour off the main route, this spot is a small cluster of retro vending machines — many of them still operational, dispensing rare drinks and snacks you won’t find anywhere else in Japan anymore. Even if you’re not thirsty, it’s worth a look just for the nostalgia. If you have a bit of extra time, grab one or two items — it’s a uniquely fun little stop.

🏁 Final Stretch — Back to Shonan

From the Miyagase area, the route winds back through farmland and quiet local roads toward the coast and RIDE TOURISM in Shonan. By the end of the day, you’ll have ridden roughly 120 km of almost continuous mountain corners — Omote-Yabitsu, Ura-Yabitsu, the Miyagase reservoir area, and back — without touching a single highway. This is the ride that shows you why people who live here never get tired of riding.