I didn't announce this ride because it was a late decision yesterday and besides, most people who would cycle this far in a day would want to go a lot faster than I am able to 
Kuroyamasantaki is an old favourite of mine. I've been going back there for almost two decades and it has never lost its magic for me. These three water falls in a quiet mountain valley near Ogose in Saitama are not very touristy. There are no tour buses, no big hotels and only a few souvenir shops run by local grandmas and grandpas.
The whole place feels like from a different era, forgotten in time. There are some altars near the falls, where you often see burning candles and offerings of fruit or other food. Sometimes Buddhist ceremonies are performed, with chanting and drums.
Any way, I left home at 07:25, wearing my winter gear again because the forecast wasn't too promising. When I reached the Arakawa near R17 just over an hour later, the bike path was not available because the Itabashi City Marathon was starting there. Fortunately they were heading downstream, so after pushing my bike for a while I could ride again.
At Japanese marathons some people always run in funny costumes:
At the Arakawa:
Tea fields and old store house:
Old farmhouse:
Japanese garden:
Local restaurant:
Local shrine:
I arrived at Kuroyamasantaki (82 km from Setagaya) a little after noon. I followed Pete's route (Yamabushi) from his Greenline rides up to Sakado, then navigated on my own. I walked around, took pictures and bought food at the souvenir stalls, then headed back and arrived back in Setagaya at 18:00, with a total of 166.9 km according to Strava.
Kuroyamasantaki is an old favourite of mine. I've been going back there for almost two decades and it has never lost its magic for me. These three water falls in a quiet mountain valley near Ogose in Saitama are not very touristy. There are no tour buses, no big hotels and only a few souvenir shops run by local grandmas and grandpas.
The whole place feels like from a different era, forgotten in time. There are some altars near the falls, where you often see burning candles and offerings of fruit or other food. Sometimes Buddhist ceremonies are performed, with chanting and drums.
Any way, I left home at 07:25, wearing my winter gear again because the forecast wasn't too promising. When I reached the Arakawa near R17 just over an hour later, the bike path was not available because the Itabashi City Marathon was starting there. Fortunately they were heading downstream, so after pushing my bike for a while I could ride again.
At Japanese marathons some people always run in funny costumes:
At the Arakawa:
Tea fields and old store house:
Old farmhouse:
Japanese garden:
Local restaurant:
Local shrine:
I arrived at Kuroyamasantaki (82 km from Setagaya) a little after noon. I followed Pete's route (Yamabushi) from his Greenline rides up to Sakado, then navigated on my own. I walked around, took pictures and bought food at the souvenir stalls, then headed back and arrived back in Setagaya at 18:00, with a total of 166.9 km according to Strava.
