SUPERLATIVE. REIMAGINED

Japan Alps RAID - as featured in the recent edition of Condé Nast Traveler.

The Japan Alps—Reimagined.

This is the trip that defined RAID in Japan. Our Tokyo to Kyoto classic. The ride that built a legacy. Now—refined, sharpened, and reborn for 2026. If you’ve ridden it before, prepare to be surprised. If you haven’t—this is the one.

We’ve taken the original and pushed it further. One more day. More options every stage: a Passhunter route for the rider who craves altitude and big days, and a Touring route for those who want flow, scenery, and tempo. Two distinct ways to ride, converge, and share the same RAID spirit.

We’re bringing back the beast: Mt. Norikura. This time from the wilder side—the Echo Line rising out of Gifu. It’s the highest paved road in Japan, a climb that demands every ounce of strength and rewards it with views that stop time.

We’ve added fresh routes, new restaurants, and two nights at the remarkable Hotel Wood in Takayama—a mountain town of narrow streets, old sake breweries, and timeless charm. Here, the Alps feel both remote and deeply alive.

This is travel not for distance’s sake, but for meaning. Japan rewards the rider who comes with intent. Every deserted forest road, every perfect ribbon of pavement, every hidden onsen whispers that you’ve chosen the right path.

Over ten years, RAID has distilled the very best of Japan into this journey. The result is a trip that balances challenge with culture, grit with grace.

We start in Tokyo’s chaos, ride into mountains that rival Europe’s finest, and finish in Kyoto—Japan’s city of cities. A place of shrines, gardens, and geisha shadows. The ride ends, but the memory—etched in every climb, every shared meal, every moment—endures.

This is not just the original RAID Japan Alps trip.
This is the classic—reborn.

“Japan is the most intoxicating place for me. The Japanese culture fascinates me: The food, the dress, the manners and the traditions. It’s the travel experience that has moved me the most.”
― Roman Coppola

D1 · ARRIVAL TOKYO

Upon on your arrival into Tokyo, you will make your way to the quiet and relaxed Shinagawa City district in Tokyo. Our conveniently located lodging for the night in Tokyo. Your hotel and dinner is included tonight. Shinagawa City is a vibrant and modern district in Tokyo known for its mix of traditional charm and contemporary conveniences. As a major transportation hub, Shinagawa Station connects travelers to the Shinkansen (bullet trains), local rail lines, and airports, making it an ideal gateway for exploring Japan.

The area boasts quiet residential neighborhoods, serene temples like Sengaku-ji (famous for the 47 Ronin), and scenic waterfront spaces. Upon your arrival the hotel, our team will assist with building your bikes and readying you for your early morning departure the following day.

O/N Tokyo Marriott Hotel

D2 · HIGASHI OME TO KOFU

65 mi / 6,100 Ft

We take our first train out of Tokyo in the morning, trading the city’s pulse for the quiet of the mountains. There, the RAID team will be waiting with your bikes, ready to roll.

Our opening stage dives straight into the heart of Higashi-Ōme—a wild region of deep gorges, raging rivers, and high mountain lakes. It’s the perfect introduction to the terrain and style of riding that will define the week ahead.

Lunch comes in the form of a steaming bowl of soba at a mountaintop café, fuel for the sweeping descent into the lush Kofu Valley. For those who want to push from day one, this is also your chance to elect the first of your Passhunter Routes—a climb to test the legs and set the tone for the week.

And before the day is done, your first onsen: Hottarakashi, an open-air bath perched high above the valley floor, where the reward is soaking tired legs while staring straight at Mt. Fuji in the distance.

O/N Fruits Park Fujiya Hotel

D3 · kISO-FUKUSHIMA TO TAKAYAMA

62 mi / 7,888 Ft

This morning, we board a two-hour train bound for Kiso-Fukushima, a mountain village steeped in history. Once a vital post along the Nakasendō—the “Road through the Central Mountains” of the Edo Period—this was where travelers moved between Kyoto and Tokyo, taking days to cross the rugged spine of Japan. Today, we trace their footsteps, riding through the high passes of the remote Kiso Mountains in the Hida region of Gifu Prefecture.

The stage is both inspiration and challenge—narrow roads, towering cedars, and gradients that remind you why the journey matters. Those choosing the Passhunter Route will sharpen their focus with two additional mountain passes, stacking elevation and testing endurance.

We finish in the remarkable town of Takayama, known for its 400-year tradition of sake brewing and one of Japan’s most beautifully preserved old towns. Tonight, you’ll settle into Hotel Wood—a contemporary wooden retreat built on the principles of Zen. Minimalist rooms, calm spaces, and an on-site onsen create the perfect balance of recovery and mindfulness after a day in the mountains.

Matsuki – Sushi in Its Purest Form

Dinner tonight at Matsuki, where sushi is stripped back to what matters—simple, hearty, and proper. Generous cuts, clean flavors, no flash—just the kind of honest sushi that satisfies after a long day in the mountains.

O/N Woods Hotel-Takayama

D4 · TAKAYAMA

62 mi / 7,888 Ft

Today is all about choice. Some may elect to linger in Takayama, a town of timeless streets and bridges where espresso culture thrives and the morning market along the Miyagawa River comes alive with local color. Museums such as the Takayama Festival Museum, the Fujii Folk Museum, and the historic Takayama Jinya open windows into centuries of craft and tradition, while the town’s sake breweries invite you in for a quiet tasting.

For others—the Passhunters—the call of the mountains is impossible to ignore. A 100-mile loop over Mt. Norikura, the highest paved road in Japan, promises a day of mythic proportion: long climbs, thin air, and a true century that tests the legs and rewards with staggering alpine views.

This is a day that defines RAID. Slow down and absorb, or push deep into the high roads. Two paths, one spirit. Different rhythms, the same finish line—stories shared over dinner and a cold beer at the end of the day.

Dining at Neighbird (ネイバード)

Tonight we gather at Neighbird, a yakitori and natural wine bar that feels both stylish and deeply local. Specializing in charcoal-grilled chicken skewers and small-production wines, Neighbird blends simplicity with intention. Its name—drawn from “neighbor” and “bird”—captures the spirit: a neighborhood bird house where travelers and locals sit side by side. This isn’t tourist spectacle, but elevated everyday dining—honest food, thoughtfully paired, shared without barriers.

O/N Woods Hotel-Takayama

D5 · TAKAYAMA TO SHIRAKAWA-GO

80 mi / 8,600 Ft

For the Passhunters, yesterday will have left a mark. So this morning we dial it back—an easy start with a visit to Hiroki at Falò Coffee, who’ll open early just for us. It’s the kind of pause that matters: one last espresso pulled with care, a chance to breathe, relax, and soak in Takayama’s slow rhythm before the road calls again.

From here, today offers two distinct lines. The Touring Stage stretches longer in distance, flowing along carless roads that trace rivers and valleys, carving a smoother line around the steep peaks. The Passhunter Stage drives higher and harder—steeper passes, sharper gradients, and a technical descent that drops riders deep into Shirakawa.

Both routes converge mid-morning for lunch before splitting again. From there, Passhunters head into the big mountains, cresting one last serious climb before descending into Shirakawa-go (白川郷), the UNESCO World Heritage village of gasshō-zukuri farmhouses standing firm against centuries of snow. The Touring riders take a cleaner line around the massif, finishing in Hirase, before a short van transfer brings them into Shirakawa-go as well—black sesame ice cream included.

Tonight we arrive at one of RAID’s most cherished lodgings—our home in the mountains for over a decade. The inn often opens its doors to us alone, transforming the stay into something deeply personal. One guest once said it felt like “sleeping in a Samurai’s home,” and the description has stuck—tatami floors, futon bedding, and an atmosphere heavy with history and tradition.

Hospitality here is not a service but a spirit. Meals are crafted from seasonal ingredients pulled straight from the surrounding valleys, each dish a reflection of the region. After dinner, a soak in the steaming onsen washes away the road and settles the body for rest.

It’s not luxury in the modern sense. It’s something rarer: a place where time slows, where the past lingers in the beams and tatami, and where you feel less like a guest and more like a trusted friend welcomed back.

O/N Oshirakawa-no-yu-Hirase Onsen

D6 · HIRASE TO KAGA

94 mi / 9,206 Ft

This morning we cut the fat—forty minutes by van to skip the tunnels—and then it’s all bikes, all mountains. We ride together through the first stretch, the roads twisting and climbing until lunch, then another 15 miles before the day splits and the choices sharpen.

The Touring Stage holds its line steady: long valleys, forest corridors, flowing roads that roll with the land. It’s not a free pass—there’s climbing here, bite in the gradients—but it’s a route that lets you settle in, spin, and soak up the scale of the peaks around you.

The Passhunter Stage is a different story. Brad finally traced a secret road that curled into the high mountains like it had been waiting for us all along. At the summit, his words were spare but certain: “This is it — the most unique climb of the journey, the one riders will remember long after the tour is done.” Think narrow lanes, gradients that bite and don’t let go, and a climb that drags you deep into the red before tipping you into one of the wildest, most remote descents you’ll ever ride. It’s steep, raw, and relentless—a proper RAID road, the kind you can’t believe exists until you’re on it.

By late afternoon, both lines funnel toward Kaga, a hot spring town built for recovery. The reward is immediate: steam rising from the onsen, muscles unwinding, a meal that feels earned. And then, because this is RAID, the night keeps rolling—karaoke in a backstreet bar where the sake flows, the songs get louder, and the day finds its final crescendo.

Bouquet is a French-inspired restaurant in Kaga, created by a husband-and-wife team. Each evening, they welcome just one private party for an intimate, reservation-only omakase experience, combining exquisite cuisine with a deeply personal touch.

Hoshino Resorts KAI Kaga

A stay at KAI Kaga feels like stepping into the living craft traditions of Ishikawa. This refined hot spring ryokan blends the elegance of contemporary design with the textures of Kutani porcelain, Kaga Yuzen silks, and local woodwork. Every detail nods to the region’s artistry, while the onsen baths—both indoor and open-air—draw from the ancient healing waters of Yamashiro Onsen.

Rooms open to quiet gardens or tatami interiors designed for stillness. After the ride, you soak, reset, and slip into a rhythm that is uniquely Japanese: slow, deliberate, restorative. It’s not just an inn, but an immersion into Kaga’s spirit, where tradition and comfort meet under one roof.

O/N Hoshino Resorts Kai Kaga

D7 · KAGA TO WAKASA

98 mi / 4,500 Ft

From riders before you, this could be the day they talk about long after the trip ends. Quiet roads and a ribbon of coastal riding—Japan’s own Great Ocean Road—pull us south. We pause at the Yushima Bridge, crossing to a shrine-topped island, then trace 60 rolling miles along the Sea of Japan, where a swim in the surf is always an option. The finale is a bird-laden path circling Lake Suigetsuko, guiding us to Hotel Suigekka, a secluded spa inn where baths and saunas gaze out over the lake. It’s as close to perfect as a day on the bike can get.

But it doesn’t end there. Tonight we hold the rare privilege of dining at Unagiya Moemon, a lakeside retreat opening its doors just for us. Sleek and modern yet rooted in tradition, it serves unagi as art—rich, smoky, unforgettable. The setting, the craft, the exclusivity—it all converges into a night that lingers.

In Japan, unagi (freshwater eel) is more than a dish. It’s tradition, ritual, and fuel for the soul. Its story stretches back over a thousand years, celebrated in poetry and perfected in the kitchens of Edo. Grilled slowly over charcoal, brushed with tare until lacquered and smoky, unagi became a food of stamina—eaten in the height of summer to restore strength when the heat pressed down.

To share it together, in a place that opens only for us, is to touch a lineage of flavor and folklore that Japan still holds close.

O/N Hotel Suigekka

D8 · WAKASA tO kYOTO

77.6 mi / 8,828 Ft

Our last ride is a fitting finale: a journey that begins at the sea and ends in the cultural heart of Japan. We roll out along quiet coastal lanes, tracing the Wakasa islands and fishing villages, before cutting inland through the sleepy town of Obama. From here, the mountains rise. The first pass is a lonely, one-lane ribbon that punches hard and drops just as steep—its technical descent a reminder to stay sharp, and perhaps to watch for bear in the shadows of the forest.

We spill into the Yura Valley, following the river upstream to a family-run soba house tucked deep in the hills. Simple, hand-cut noodles served in a place where sweetfish are still fished as they have been for centuries — it’s the kind of lunch that leaves a mark.

From here, the road tilts skyward again. Together we spin out of the valley, but soon the Passhunters peel away, chasing an extra loop through the backroads: steep pinches, forest-lined paths, and a lakeside detour along Amawaka before the last testing climbs. The Touring route stays direct, savoring the rhythm of the ascent before cresting into wide views across the Yamashiro Basin.

The descent delivers us into Kyoto — a city that needs no introduction. Bamboo groves, shrine gates, and the centuries-old geisha district frame our arrival, a reminder that every RAID has its pilgrimage’s end.

Yaoichi × Comme Chinois Savory

Our final night in Kyoto deserves something extraordinary. Yaoichi × Comme Chinois Savory is just that — a modern rooftop restaurant that rises above the city, overlooking its own working farm. Born from a collaboration between Kyoto’s celebrated Yaoichi market and the culinary craft of Comme Chinois, Savory blends French technique with global influences, all anchored by the finest local ingredients.

Here, vegetables take center stage alongside refined proteins, each plate composed with balance, elegance, and a touch of adventure. The space itself feels both sleek and warm, a glass-lined retreat that opens to the rooftop gardens and Kyoto’s skyline. For our group, the restaurant opens its doors exclusively, turning dinner into something more than a meal — a private celebration of flavor, place, and the journey we’ve just shared.

O/N Kyoto Tokyu Hotel or The Chapter Kyoto, a Tribute Portfolio Hotel

D9 · kYOTO TRANSFER DAY

You have the option to leave from Osaka-Kyoto if that suits you.

We will support you in transferring to a different hotel in Kyoto. If you are departing, we can also help you arrange the limousine bus service to Osaka International Airport (KIX). It's a quick, convenient, and optimal choice for reaching the airport and ensuring a safe journey home.