July 2023. I decided to ride Gunma and Nagano together — a greedy two-day route with the destinations lined up: Kenashi Pass, the Venus Line, Ueda Castle. A trip heavy on both distance and sights. On the XSR900, I first headed for Gunma.
Kenashi Pass — the prefectural border of "Gunma"
A place spoken of online half as a legend, under the meme name "Gunma." That is Kenashi Pass (Kenashi-tōge): a pass at 1,823 meters, on the border between Tsumagoi in Gunma and Takayama in Nagano. At the border stand posts marked "Gunma Prefecture" and "Nagano Prefecture," and the road beyond is closed off — "Danger ahead: no entry except authorized persons." Less a dead end than something like the edge of the world.
The road up to the pass is bumpy, with some unpaved stretches. The XSR900 managed it well enough, but depending on a bike's clearance and tires, it is worth caution.
Climb to the top, and the view opens all at once — an utterly open ridgeline with nothing to block it. The wind is strong, and trees barely grow. The name "Kenashi" — "bare," "hairless" — probably comes from exactly that.
And on the slope below the pass, something strange stands in a row: rusted steel towers. These are the remains of the aerial ropeway (sakudō) of a sulfur mine that was once here — the Ogushi Mine. They were the pylons of a cable line that carried ore and supplies.
The Ogushi Mine began operating in 1929, and at its peak in the late 1950s a mining town of more than 2,000 people stood here. It was said to be the second-largest sulfur mine in Japan. In 1937, a large landslide struck, and 245 people lost their lives. In 1971, the mine closed. Now only the ropeway towers and the bare slope remain. On a high place with no one there, only the outline of human activity still stands — that, I think, is the source of the strange air Kenashi Pass carries.
The Venus Line
Leaving Kenashi Pass, I dropped down the Nagano side toward the Venus Line. It is a road that crosses the highlands from Kirigamine to Utsukushigahara, running at 1,400–1,900 meters. The Venus Line in summer is a standard route — but the standard is standard for a reason.
No traffic lights, clear sightlines, mostly gentle curves, and ridgelines stretching far away. There is no need to go fast, yet just riding it is a pleasure. In mist it turns dreamlike; on a clear day, the Southern Alps and Mount Fuji come into view. This day, it was clear.
Ueda Castle
Down off the highlands, to Ueda Castle. It is a castle known as the seat of the Sanada clan. Having turned back the great armies of the Tokugawa twice, it is called "the impregnable castle." Today its stone walls and three turrets remain, kept as Ueda Castle Park.
I walked a loop of the castle-ruin park. Looking out over the old castle town from atop the stone walls, I felt I half-understood why a castle was placed in this terrain. Not overdone as a tourist site, with locals simply out for an ordinary walk — that unforced feeling was good.
A Gunma–Nagano summer
Kenashi Pass had long been on my "places I want to go someday" list. Standing there for real, it was — the roughness of the road and the desolate towers included — certainly a place worth going once. To that, add the highlands of the Venus Line and the quiet hours at Ueda Castle. Two days across Gunma and Nagano was a greedy itinerary; but for all that greed, it made a summer of good riding.
Before you go
- Kenashi Pass: passable roughly late May to mid-November (closed in winter). The access road is bumpy with some unpaved stretches — caution for low-clearance vehicles. The road beyond the pass (the Gunma side) is closed to entry.
- The Venus Line: a highland road linking Kirigamine and Utsukushigahara. Pleasant in summer, though mist is common at this altitude.
- Ueda Castle Park: the castle ruins of Ueda Castle. Park admission is free. Within walking distance of Ueda Station (JR).