There’s nothing like taking a wrong turn and finding yourself in a less than inspiring situation. Cycling on a fume-filled thoroughfare or in a whole lot of nothing because you don’t know the area so well is the worst way to spend an afternoon. Jitensha Sanpo, authored by Takashi Niwa and Tadashi Nakamura, is the antidote to this problem.
The series, from Yama To Keikoku Publishing山と渓谷社, has books covering Tokyo and surrounding prefectures, . I picked up the Saitama埼玉 Chiba千葉 edition a few months ago and have enjoyed the rides they recommend. This particular book has 30 rides, 15 for Saitama and 15 for Chiba.
Rides are rated by five categories each on a scale of one to five, one meaning the shortest or fewest and five meaning the longest or most. The categories include distance, time, hills, car traffic, and interesting points. Each route is mapped out with start/goal points and a red line that traces the route. The maps are easy to follow and are complimented with written directions as well. Tricky sections have separate magnified maps and detailed explanations are given. Thumbnail pictures of difficult transit locations as well as points of interest are included as a way to confirm you are on the right path. An elevation chart is also given for each ride.
In the near future I will be posting rides I have done based on Jitensha Sanpo on this page, so that those of you who don’t read Japanese can benefit as well.
Many dimensions of Maihama
