Amagi Pass

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Amagi Pass

My first experiences riding the Izu Peninsula were my rides along the coasts. It wasn’t until later on that I began to discover the beautiful rides in the interior of Izu. First, I discovered the Nishi Izu Skyline Road on the northwest corner of Izu. It is one my favorite rides of all time. Please check out the page describing that after you’ve finished with this one.

This day I began my ride at Shuzenji Station, the very last station on the Izuhakone Railway-Sunzu Line which runs between Mishima and Shuzenji. Shuzenji is a charming little onsen (hot spring) town built along the Kano River at a place where 3 other rivers empty into it. I rode south out of town on Highway 349 for about 10 km and turned onto Highway 414 which would take me to Kawazu. 349 runs parallel to 414 running on the opposite side of the river. It’s smaller and more relaxing than 414.

Not long after this intersection the grades become slightly steeper as you enter more mountainous terrain. At about 15 km (from Shuzenji Station) I came across the parking lot to Joren Falls, one of the sites I wanted to see. A paved walkway and stairs deliver you down to the falls. Izu is famous for waterfalls and I knew that if I stopped at each one, I would have a hard time making progress. Joren, however was one that I wanted to see. It’s listed among the top 100 waterfalls in Japan and provides a nice reward for the short walk down to the falls.

After Joren Falls the road enters some beautiful stretches of forest in what is called Namesawa Gorge. It’s a lovely with gentle curves and bubbling little streams coming down from the slopes. There was a wasabi farm on the hillside irrigated by streams running back and forth through the terraced wasabi beds. This area is famous for wasabi as it has many springs of pure water needed to grow it. (Wasabi is similar to horse radish or mustard (only better) and is used with sushi and many other things)

At about 20 km you come to the turn off to the old Amagi Road which climbs up to the famous Amagi Tunnel (elevation 728m). The road quickly turns into gravel and was rather rough in places that were rutted by the rain. I gained a renewed appreciation for my Continental Gator Hardshell tires. The old Amagi road and tunnel have a lot of history behind them. Before the tunnel was constructed one had to cross over Amagi Pass which was very steep and dangerous. They constructed the tunnel in 1905 and, at 445 meters long, it stands as the longest existing stone road tunnel in Japan.

Kawabata’s Nobel Prize winning short story “Izu no Odoriko” (Dancing Girl of Izu) describes the trip along this route. Matsumoto’s novel Amagi Goe is also about the pass. After my ride I did a deep dive into it and read Kawabata’s short story and watched a 1963 movie based on it that I found on YouTube. In the end I gained a lot more than fitness from my ride over Amagi pass.

The road was much steeper coming down the other side toward Kawazu. As I picked up speed, I wanted to be sure not to miss the turn off for Kawazu Seven Falls (Nana Daru). It comes just after descending down through the spiral Kawazu Nanadaru Loop Bridge. I have wanted to visit the Kawazu Seven Falls for a long time. They are a series of seven waterfalls in a gorge along the Kawazu River. It’s a fairly big tourist attraction so they have paved walkways and wooden stairs built along the river making it easy to walk to them.

After I had my fill of waterfalls I got back on the road for my final descent into Kawazu. After buying some fresh wasabi at a roadside stand to take home as a souvenir I rode the last few kilometers along the Kawazu River on a trail running under the famous cherry trees that blossom in the winter.

I thank God for giving me another good ride. Izu is a special place and I hope to do more exploring here in the future. Thank you for taking time to read this and letting me share my experience with you.