General Cycling Discussion - Hill Climb Races in Japan

Anyone planning on doing the big hill climb races in Japan this season? We've got:

Kusatsu 4/17/2004
Ouchi 5/22/2004
Tsugaike 6/12/2004
Utsukushigahara 6/26/2004
Chokai 7/31/2004
Norikura 8/28/2004

I've signed up for Kusatsu and Utsukushigahara so far and plan to do Norikura if I can get in (they may hold a lottery for entries this year.)

Anyone planning on doing the big hill climb races in Japan this season? We've got:

Kusatsu 4/17/2004
Ouchi 5/22/2004
Tsugaike 6/12/2004
Utsukushigahara 6/26/2004
Chokai 7/31/2004
Norikura 8/28/2004

I've signed up for Kusatsu and Utsukushigahara so far and plan to do Norikura if I can get in (they may hold a lottery for entries this year.)

hey pucci those sound like fun! i've never done any of the organized climbs; just personal climbs like usuitouge to karuizawa, nagano to nojiri-ko, etc. where do you get your info for those climbs?

hey pucci those sound like fun! i've never done any of the organized climbs; just personal climbs like usuitouge to karuizawa, nagano to nojiri-ko, etc. where do you get your info for those climbs?

Hey RJ, those are some nice climbs you've done!

The hill-climb races really are a treat. The biggest one, Norikura, has 3,000 riders. The start is in groups of about 200, so there is no traffic jam, but looking back from the hairpins and seeing a 10km long snake of riders behind you is a sight.

I'm assuming you can read Japanese, since English info is nonexistent. Here are some URL's:

Kusatsu 4/17/2004
http://www.kusatsu-onsen.ne.jp/txt/index_event9.html
Ouchi 5/22/2004
www.aizukougen.jp/youkou.pdf
Tsugaike 6/12/2004
http://www.vill.otari.nagano.jp/kanko/ivent/
Utsukushigahara 6/26/2004
http://www.j-cycling.org/uthukushigahara2004/index.html
Chokai 7/31/2004
http://www.town.yashima.akita.jp/roadrace/roadrace.index.htm
Norikura 8/28/2004
http://www.j-cycling.org/

The best single source for info is the yearly race/event calendar that comes with the April issue of Cycle Sports.

Keep posting your rides and eventually our schedules may mesh. If you decide to do any of the races let me know.

Here's a new link I found with HC race info in Japanese and English.

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/bicycle/race/

Here's a new link I found with HC race info in Japanese and English.

http://www.ne.jp/asahi/bicycle/race/

pucci- xlnt site! thanks. the myoko kougen climb looks like a lot of fun. i just did myoko last fall so the pics are really なつかしい。　would like to do that in May if a strained knee recovers in time. it's killing me to not be able to ride these days. hope to hook up with you at one of these if the knee recovers soon. later.

- ralph

pucci- xlnt site! thanks. the myoko kougen climb looks like a lot of fun. i just did myoko last fall so the pics are really なつかしい。　would like to do that in May if a strained knee recovers in time. it's killing me to not be able to ride these days. hope to hook up with you at one of these if the knee recovers soon. later.

- ralph

Hey rj, how’s the knee doing?

I just bowed out of the annual Itoigawa Fast Run http://toito.hp.infoseek.co.jp/ . Our club does it every year, but I finally faced the fact that it's just too hard on the knees (and sucking diesel fumes for the first 230kms is just no fun.) That leaves me with no race for May, so I was thinking of doing the Toki no Michi Hill Climb in Aizu on May 22nd and 23rd. www.aizukougen.jp/youkou.pdf All of my buddies will be riding to Itoigawa (or working) that weekend, so I’m looking for riding partners. Anyone interested?

The race itself is a 600m. climb over 13.5kms. That’s half the rise of the big HC races and hardy justifies the travel time, but it’s the approach that I am really looking forward to. From Nasushiobara 那須塩原station we can go over the shoulder of Ojikadake 男鹿岳 and then follow a river valley to the race site for a tough and scenic 70km ride. (I figure an easy pace to save our legs for the race the next day.) After the race there are a choice of three ways to get back to the railway:

Back the way we came
35 km. straight over Kasshi Pass 甲子峠 to Shirakawa 白河
A longer but less mountainous route past Lake Hatori 羽鳥湖 to Shirakawa 白河

The race is really just an excuse for a weekend of great riding. Give me a shout if this sounds fun.

Hey rj, how’s the knee doing?



Hey pucci,

Thanks for asking. Not sure yet. Did a 30k light hills workout last Saturday thinking it was fine already, then at about 20k figured out it wasn't totally healed yet. Haven't done anything all week trying to rest it for tomorrow's Shinrin Koen Ride. Praying it holds up for the 90k.

Thanks for the PM. Great sounding ride at Aizu! Never been there but sure sounds good. Will have to check it out on the map. All my ride plans right now are contingent on this knee healing. A friend who's a surgeon keeps shaking his head and telling me to rest it. if Shinrin Koen goes well, I'm planning on testing it again at Myoko Kougen over Golden Week. Will have to put on the "hill cassette" for that one. If that goes well, will seriously consider Aizu.

Thanks for all the info! Good riding in this nice weather! - Ralph

Wow, that was great weather on Saturday. How was the sakura ride and how was your knee, RJ?

I talked to the organizers of the Aizu race and they said that since this is the first time they are doing it they expect to have room for late entries. The official deadline is May 7, but my worry is that the 800 spots will fill up before that. There was a two page ad for the event in this month's Cycle Sports, which will likely attract a crowd.

Here are some pics from the first HC race of the season. Fantastic weather and a great ride!

japan must make a neat ride... nice scenery.