真冬に長距離を走りたい人向け、紀伊半島一周1,300kmツーリング[Kawasaki W800 Street]

真冬に長距離を走りたい人向け、紀伊半島一周1,300kmツーリング[Kawasaki W800 Street]

Yamate Street, Nishi-Shinjuku Gas Station. Went on a long touring for 2 nights and 3 days in the dead of winter. We’ll circumnavigate the Kii Peninsula over 3 days, covering 1,300km. The first day is a travel day, running to the western part of the Kii Peninsula.

Driving on the highway, making detours along the way. We will run to Minabe Town in Wakayama Prefecture. Since it’s a weekday, we’ll depart early in the morning to avoid traffic jams. Metropolitan Expressway Hatsudai Minami Interchange. From here, we travel about 400km on the highway. Tomei Expressway Atsugi Interchange. Dawn broke around 6:50 AM.

Shin-Tomei Expressway Gotemba Interchange. We pass through Gotemba, a challenging point for winter touring. Today was warm at 1.9БЛC with no ice. Shin-Tomei Expressway, Shizuoka City, Shizuoka Prefecture. The temperature rises quickly as the sun rises. It’s comfortable to drive when the temperature is above 10БЛC. Shin-Tomei Expressway Okazaki Parking Area.

300km from Tokyo, we reach Okazaki PA. We refuel before entering the Ise Bayshore Route. Fuel is expensive, so we refuel without wasting a drop. Ise Bayshore Expressway Twinkle Kisogawa Bridge. We entered the Ise Bayshore Route before noon. It’s a clear day, and the coastal scenery is visible. Higashi-Meihan Expressway Yokkaichi Junction.

From the Ise Bayshore Route to the Higashi-Meihan Expressway towards Kameyama. Higashi-Meihan Expressway Kameyama Toll Booth. 400km from Shinjuku, from here we drive on the Meihan National Highway. Meihan National Highway Nakase Interchange area. We were able to move faster than planned due to no traffic jams. Meihan National Highway Hari Terrace.

Having extra time, we exited the Meihan National Highway. We drove on general roads from the rest spot Hari Terrace, and aimed for Wakayama while driving through mountain roads. National Route 369, Nara City, Nara Prefecture, Toge Totsukawa Village. From Hari Terrace, we drove on the national road towards Yoshino.

It’s a road with a series of gentle curves, enjoyable to drive. National Route 370, Yoshino Town, Yoshino District, Nara Prefecture, Kubogaito. Entering National Route 370 leads to the riverside of Yoshino River. We drive through an old highway. The riverside town scenery is very beautiful.

Towns are formed along the river due to the mountainous area. There’s an entrance to a beautiful road along the national highway. Kinokawa Fruit Line. We enter a road running through the mountains, away from the national highway. The Kinokawa Fruit Line is a “wide-area farm road.”

It’s a road built parallel to the Kinokawa, through the mountainous farmlands. The pavement is beautiful, not what you’d expect from a farm road. However, it’s still a farm road, so we drive at a moderate speed. There were many bonfires from farm work on this day. We ride, enjoying the smell of the fires.

Enjoying the smell is a unique pleasure of motorcycle riding. The Kinokawa is on the right, constantly opening up the view. It’s a road where you can enjoy the scenery with a sense of openness. Viewing the city from the mountain roads, the Kinokawa is clearly visible. Being a farm road, it’s quite steep.

There were unharvested mandarins, making it a vivid path. After about 25km of pleasant driving, we return to the riverside road. Wakayama Prefectural Road 13, Kinokawa City, Wakayama Prefecture, Arami. As it’s getting dark, we head to the inn. Hanwa Expressway Wakayama Minami Smart IC. In Wakayama, the expressway stretches along the sea.

We hurry ahead to make it in time for dinner at the inn. Hanwa Expressway Gobo Interchange area. It got dark while we were moving on the expressway. It’s a beautiful sunset with almost no clouds. Hanwa Expressway Inami Interchange. The sunset was so beautiful that we exited the expressway.

Being able to make detours easily is a good point of motorcycle travel. National Route 42, Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture, Inami Town. While feeling the intense sunset, we look for a place to stop. We stopped by a convenience store with an observation deck. It was a soft, melting sunset.

The quietness that comes as the sun fully sets was comfortable. At twilight, we head to the hotel amidst the faint afterglow. It’s a moment that can be emotionally moving just by riding a motorcycle. The inn was a national guest house in Minabe Town. It’s a scenic inn built along the sea. Kishuji Minabe.

The facility is old but well-maintained. The room faced the sea, and we enjoyed the view. It was a calming Japanese-style inn. The dinner using local ingredients was delicious. We spent a leisurely evening looking at the sea. Kishuji Minabe. It’s the second day of the Kii Peninsula tour.

The second day is a course circumnavigating the Kii Peninsula. We pass through Cape Shionomisaki, at the southernmost point of the Kii Peninsula, and run about 300km to Shima along the coast. We tour the coastal tourist spots around the peninsula. National Route 42, Tanabe City, Wakayama Prefecture, Inanari Town.

First, we head to Senjojiki, a scenic spot of the Kii Peninsula in Shirahama. Wakayama Prefectural Road 34, Shirahama Town, Nishimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture. Shirahama is famous as a hot spring town. It’s similar to hot spring towns like Atami or Ito in the Kanto area.

Hotels and hot spring inns line up, and you can also enjoy swimming in the sea. It feels like a classic seaside hot spring town. After passing through the hot spring town of Shirahama, there’s a road leading to the sea. It’s a place where you can see unique geological formations. Senjojiki, Shirahama.

Right in front of the parking lot, flat rocks spread out. The view is worthy of being called “Senjojiki.” You can walk on the terraced rock beds. Perhaps due to good currents, it was a spot with many fishermen. Walking on the rocks, you can closely observe the powerful strata.

It’s a terrain uplifted from the seabed, consisting of sand and mud. Up close, you can see the layers of strata overlapping each other. It was a place where you could feel the dynamism of the Earth. Leaving Senjojiki, we head to the next tourist spot. About 1km from Senjojiki, there’s an interesting cave.

It’s a cave eroded by the waves of the sea. Sandanbeki, Sandanbeki Cave, Shirahama. Passing through a souvenir shop, we head towards the sea. Reaching the coast, you can see beautiful cliffs. This place is part of a national park. This area is made of columnar joints formed from lava.

There are fishermen here too, it seems like a good spot for fishing. There’s an underground sea cave in Sandanbeki that you can tour. You go down by elevator to enter the inside of the cave. It’s a cave eroded by seawater. The rock contains metals, and various patterns are visible.

It was a place where you could easily see a sea erosion cave. There were even temples set up inside the cave. There were lanterns, making it a somewhat mysterious place. Leaving Shirahama, we head to our next destination. Wakayama Prefectural Road 34, Shirahama Town, Nishimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture.

Next, we ride to Cape Shionomisaki, the southernmost point of Honshu. I love this place because of the beautiful road along the sea. National Route 42, Kushimoto Town, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture. The national road is built right next to the sea, offering good views. Traffic is less, making it an easy road to drive.

We leisurely cruise along the terrain. Continuing to drive, the tip of the cape becomes visible. Wakayama Prefectural Road 41, Kushimoto Town, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture. To reach the tip of the cape, we leave the national road for a prefectural road. The tip of the cape has a promenade.

Bikes are allowed to pass, so we enter from the side. After riding the promenade for a while, we arrive at the lighthouse. Cape Shionomisaki Lighthouse. Paying an entrance fee allows you to climb the lighthouse. You climb up a narrow and steep staircase. Finally, you climb a ladder-like staircase to the top.

You can overlook the peninsula we just drove through. The area around Cape Shionomisaki is spread with rocky terrain. We descend the steep staircase (ladder) to also tour outside the lighthouse. The dazzling white lighthouse stands out against the blue sky. It’s a place where you can view the majestic Pacific Ocean.

There are fishermen here too, fishing at incredible spots. We ended up staying longer at Cape Shionomisaki Lighthouse than expected. We head to the next place. There are several tourist spots near Cape Shionomisaki. We stop by an interesting rock along the national road.

About 10km from Cape Shionomisaki, we arrive at a tourist spot famous for its strange rocks. Hashigui-iwa. A roadside station is set up, making it an easy tourist spot to visit. It’s a series of mysterious rocks standing in a row. The terrain was formed as the mudstone around the lava was eroded first.

At this time, the tide was barely out, allowing for a bit of exploration. When the tide is out, you can walk over to the rocks. We were able to see beautiful scenery. Before we knew it, the sun began to set.

We still have about 180km to go to our inn in Shima, so we hurry. National Route 42, Kushimoto Town, Higashimuro District, Wakayama Prefecture, Ikushi. The Kii Peninsula is larger than it appears on the map. Just moving along the coastline takes time. The coastal national road continues with views of the sea,

Offering a varied and enjoyable ride. There’s quite a bit of traffic since it’s a living road, but it’s not so crowded that it’s uncomfortable to move. Nachikatsuura Shingu Road. There are also dedicated car roads as bypasses of the national road. Using the free dedicated roads allows for quick movement.

The dedicated car road also offers good views and enjoyable driving. We head north up the Kii Peninsula. National Route 42, Mihama Town, Minamimuro District, Mie Prefecture, Adawa. National Route 42 is a long national road that circles the Kii Peninsula. Continuously driving can be tiring, so we look for places to rest.

We stopped by to rest at a place with strange rocks by the roadside. Shishiiwa. The rock visible in front is Shishiiwa. The strangely eroded rock looks like a lion’s head. This lion rock seems to be part of the World Heritage sites of Kumano.

It’s an ideal place to stop for a break since it’s easily accessible. National Route 260, Kitamuro District, Mie Prefecture, Higashinagashima. About 3 hours and 100km from Cape Shionomisaki, we’ve arrived. Finally leaving National Route 42 for National Route 260. National Route 260 leads towards the Shima area.

The traffic is light, so it’s a pleasant drive. National Route 260, Watarai District, Mie Prefecture, Higashimiya. It got dark as we entered Ise. Dark roads feel safer when local cars are driving on them. We finally arrived at today’s inn just past 6 PM. Hirooka Inn. The second day’s inn was a private guesthouse.

There are no keys for the rooms, giving it a home-like atmosphere. The charm of a guesthouse is the meal using local ingredients. We enjoyed the night with Ise local beer. Hirooka Inn. It’s the third day of touring, the day we return to Tokyo. Today, we tour the Shima Peninsula’s tourist spots,

Eating oysters and looking at pearls as part of our sightseeing. In the evening, we’ll take a ferry back to Shinjuku. The third day is mainly for sightseeing. Shima City, Mie Prefecture, Ago Town. The Shima Peninsula is famous for its ria coastlines. There are many capes, bays, and inlets, offering beautiful scenery.

There are many observatories on the peninsula. This time, we visited an observatory overlooking Ago Bay. Kirigaki Observatory. The observatory was equipped with a wooden deck. You can overlook the intricately indented inlets. It’s a sea where aquaculture of pearls and oysters is thriving. It was a calm bay blessed with the sea and forest.

Leaving the observatory, we head to our next destination. We head towards the famous Pearl Road on the Shima Peninsula. Mie Prefectural Road 128, Pearl Road. Pearl Road is a tourist road connecting Shima and Toba. Yatoyama Bridge. The road continues with stunning views. The bridge over Yatoyama Bay is particularly pleasant.

Pearl Road not only offers great views, but the road itself is also wonderful, making it a “fun road to drive.” It has curves with a pleasant radius for motorcycles. The road is well-lit, making it ideal for winter touring. Pearl Road is also a place to enjoy “meals.”

Oyster huts are lined up, becoming popular spots. There are several types of oyster huts. There are seafood restaurants that serve dishes like oyster fry, and specialist stores for raw and grilled oysters. This time, we visited a specialist store. Eijimaru Oyster Direct Sales Store. First, secure a seat and buy a meal ticket.

Fresh raw oysters, tasting the concentrated flavor of the sea. For steamed oysters, we ask the grill area to cook them. The rising steam looks delicious just by watching. The flavor was even more concentrated, and it was extremely delicious. Oysters are 150 yen each, you can eat until you’re satisfied.

It was great being able to eat such delicious oysters. We are heading to the next destination. Aso-no-Ura Great Bridge. Shima is also famous for pearl farming. We will head to the “Pearl Museum” near Toba Port. The Pearl Road continues to Toba.

It takes about 15 minutes to get to Toba from the oyster shack. National Route 167, Toba City, Mie Prefecture. We’ve arrived in the town of Toba. Parked the motorcycle at Toba Aquarium’s bicycle parking. Toba Aquarium bicycle parking. The Pearl Museum is next to the aquarium. We will visit the museum first.

Buying a ticket and entering the museum. Mikimoto Pearl Island Pearl Museum. The entire island is a museum, and you cross over by a bridge. It’s a museum where you can learn the history of pearl cultivation. You can see how pearl oysters create pearls. Juvenile pearl oysters, these oysters are selected for cultivation.

There are scientific explanations, and it’s quite educational. It seems that half of the pearl oysters die, and less than 30% become products. You can actually touch the pearls. This is the first time I’ve seen so many pearls. The museum also has a gem exhibition, which is enjoyable.

Pearl accessories from various eras are displayed. Natural pearls were rare and only accessible to royalty. It seems that pearls became a common gemstone due to the success of cultivation. There were also demonstrations by ama divers at the Pearl Museum. A small boat appears in front of the museum on the sea.

It’s surprising to see them dive into the cold sea one after another. It gets a bit worrying seeing them stay submerged for a long time. Since the entire island is a museum, you can also take a walk. It was a good tourist spot where you could learn more than the price of admission.

Next, we’ll spend time at the aquarium until the ferry departure time. Toba Aquarium. Toba Aquarium is a large-scale aquarium. The aquarium has no set route, allowing you to look around freely. Despite the crowd, it’s easy to see around because there’s no set route. A wide variety of fish are kept here.

The shark tank was impressive, the lighting was incredible! Cute skinks, there are also reptiles, it’s a wide-ranging exhibition. Feeding sea mammals, just watching is soothing. The exhibits are well-designed, allowing you to observe animals up close. It’s the perfect place to wait for the ferry. Time flies by quickly here.

Ise Bay Ferry Toba Port. As the departure time approaches, we head to the boarding area. We will cross to Aichi Prefecture on the ferry, one before the last one. We spend the time before departure organizing our luggage. The ship arrived 20 minutes before departure. It’s a busy 15 minutes for disembarking and boarding.

Ise Bay Ferry Boarding. Boarding begins from the bike. Ise Bay Ferry Toba Port Departure. Arrived at Irako Port after about an hour’s voyage. Ise Bay Ferry Irako Port. From here, we ride to Hamamatsu and return via the Tomei Expressway. Hamana Bridge. From Irako, heading to Hamamatsu via Lake Hamana. Tomei Expressway Hamamatsu Interchange.

From Hamamatsu, we ride non-stop to Shinjuku. Tomei Expressway Nihonzaka Tunnel Junction. Smoothly rode from Nihonzaka to Gotemba. Near the Tomei Expressway Oi-Matsuda Interchange. Encountered a traffic jam around Yamakita, past Gotemba. Had to resign to the traffic jam in the 22 o’clock hour. Tomei Expressway Atsugi Interchange.

The traffic jam cleared by the time we were at Atsugi. Metropolitan Expressway Yoga Toll Booth. Finally entered the Metropolitan Expressway, not much longer now. Metropolitan Expressway Ohashi Junction. From the elevated Route 3 to the underground Circular Route 2 tunnel. Metropolitan Expressway Hatsudai South Interchange.

Rush up the hill from Circular Route 2 and emerge onto the surface. There’s a sense of relief at the highway exit after a long journey. Yamate Street Hatsudai Intersection. Fill up with gasoline before heading home. Finally returned to the starting point. Yamate Street Nishi-Shinjuku Gas Station.

Managed to ride a distance far too great for midwinter. Hope this serves as a reference for winter biking. Thank you for watching till the end.

google maps：https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1wJn3HnxEN1wF9rL4flR7uZGJ4D226Wg&usp=sharing
W800のエンジンオーバーホールが終わったので、慣らしを兼ねて真冬のロングツーリングにでかけました。1,300kmを走ってもエンジンオイルがほぼ減らなくなり問題なく修理が完了です。これまで排気音でたまに鳴っていた破裂音も無くなり、エンジンメカノイズもスムーズになりました。

タイムチャート
00:00 1日目のコース紹介
00:36 新宿から針テラスへ
02:53 紀ノ川フルーツライン
05:00 夕陽を眺めて宿へ
07:15 2日目のコース紹介
07:45 南紀白浜 千畳敷へ
09:30 南紀白浜 三段壁・三段壁洞窟
10:42 潮岬へ
13:08 橋杭岩
13:52 国道を走って宿へ
16:54 3日目のコース紹介
17:24 桐垣展望台へ
18:25 パールロードと牡蠣小屋
20:30 ミキモト真珠島 真珠博物館へ
23:16 鳥羽水族館
24:11 伊勢湾フェリー
25:13 伊良湖から新宿までの帰路
27:04 費用や燃費の紹介