Riding in North Kansai

As autumn comes to a close, the time for a motorcycle ride is now, before colder weather makes it impossible. The last place on my list, the Sixteen Motorcycle Roads, is the Mikata Rainbow Line, which goes around the Mikata Five Lakes (Mikata Goko) in western Fukui. It's possible to do this as a day trip from Kyoto, but because Mt. Ibuki is in the vicinity, and Mt. Ibuki is on the list of 100 Famous Japanese Mountains, I opt instead for a twenty-four hour rental.

On Saturday morning I take the train to Kyoto and rent the bike. Then I ride to Mt. Ibuki, but just as the weather forecast predicts, Mt. Ibuki is hiding in a downpour. Well, I expected the rain and have the right gear, so I carefully ride to the parking lot, walk the final twenty minutes to the summit, and have a mug of hot chocolate. The sun peaks through a gap in the clouds for half a minute and decides not to linger. Neither do I. So I ride on, down the mountain and then northwest for two hours to a hotel for the night.

The next morning, the weather has taken a sunny turn, and at eight o'clock I head for the Mikata Rainbow Line. It's a few minutes from the hotel, and because the tourist facilities don't open until nine, the road is empty. At this early hour the only people around are locals and riders like myself, and it's an enjoyable ride up and down the hill and curves around the lakes. Then I head south, following Route 367 for a few hours. The road stays in a river valley, and by mid-morning there are hundreds of cars and motorcycles out enjoying the fine autumn weather. This scenic highway is a welcome change from Saturday's expressway riding. The final hour of the morning is a quick jaunt east, across Lake Biwa, and then a bit of lakeside driving south, down to the rental shop. Then I hop the train and head home.