Chokai Blue Line — Sea-to-Sky VolcanoSkyline.
Distance
70 km
Duration
1 day
Climb
1,150 m
Chokai Blue Line — Sea-to-Sky Volcano Skyline.
The Chokai Blue Line is a 34.9km sea-to-sky mountain road that climbs from the Sea of Japan coast to 1,100m on the flank of Mt Chokai, the great 2,236m volcano known as Dewa Fuji. Straddling the Akita-Yamagata border, it rises from Basho's tidal islets at Kisakata through beech forest to a high observation deck where the Oga Peninsula, Awashima Island and the whole Shonai plain spread below. One of Tohoku's great touring roads.
Quick facts
SurfacePaved
Distance70 km
Days1
Total climb1,150 m
DifficultyModerate
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The route.
Kisakata, NikahoStart · Start on the Akita coast at Kisakata, whose tidal islets were immortalised by the poet Basho. Sea-level start — fuel up, there are no stations on the climb.
Chokai Blue Line ObservatoryScenic Point · A roughly 1,000m observation deck on the Yamagata side with the Sea of Japan, Awashima Island and the Shonai plain laid out far below. The signature panorama of the road.
Mt Chokai — Dewa Fuji ViewPhoto Spot · The 2,236m volcano of Mt Chokai, the second-highest peak in Tohoku, called Akita Fuji or Dewa Fuji for its symmetrical cone. It looms directly above the road's high point.
Hokodate 5th Station (1,100m)Mountain Pass · The high point of the Blue Line at 1,100m, the 5th-station trailhead and a large parking deck. Beech forest gives way to alpine views before the long descent.
Yuza, YamagataEnd · Descend the Yamagata side to Yuza on the Shonai plain. Spring water, soba, and the gateway back to the coast.
More routes in Japan
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