A seven-day tour on renowned German BMW and Italian Ducati motorbikes held along the 1,300km-long Dragon Route
The Route runs northward, traversing central Japan from the Pacific Ocean cutting through to the Noto Peninsula, which juts out into the Sea of Japan like the head of a mystical rising dragon. This tour was organised by The Dragon Route Promotion Council to promote “Dragon Route by Motorbike” as part of their activities to attract domestic and international travellers to this new large-scale tourist route.
Starting from Nagoya, the tour travels via gorgeous Nagoya Castle and Gujo Hachiman in Gifu Prefecture where the atmosphere is full of elegance, traverses stone-paved pathways, weaves along pleasant winding autumn-rich roads, and visits the Motorcar Museum of Japan in Komatsu to enjoy the deep culture and history of Japan’s manufacturing.
The roar of motorbikes give way to silence at Kanazawa’s fine Kenroku-en Japanese Garden. The highlight of the tour is the Chirihama Beach in the dragon-head Noto Peninsula, stretching 8 km along the Sea of Japan. It is one of the rare places in the world where riders can go off-road along the water’s edge and enjoy the sunset beauty with an immense sense of freedom. At Keta Shrine, visitors pray for the safety of their trip and receive power by offering a tama-kushi, a traditional ritual. Tadaya, a superb traditional inn, welcomes visitors with the warmest hospitality as they ride along the 300 km route overlooking the sea to Wakura Onsen, a 1,200-year-old hot spring.
The tour includes visits to a soy sauce, miso, and sake brewery, and a forging workshop at the Cutler Sanshu & Seki Hamono Museum, and finally concludes after a miraculous ride around the scenic mountain village of Shirakawa-go, a World Heritage Site. The journey along the Dragon Route is packed with untouched nature and cultural heritage. The wind, smells, and sunlight that only motorbikers can experience, and encounters with the local people as they pass by, make the trip even more colourful and moving.
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