Japan, Kanto
Hakone, the Izu Skyline and the Irohazaka hairpins are the classic weekend escapes.
First instinct from Tokyo: head south west to Hakone.
Scored roads in range
5
Nearest great road
47 mi
Best rated nearby
9.4 / 10
Shortest full loop
4 hr 8 min
Checked by the Drivers Atlas desk
Scored and written by the Drivers Atlas editorial desk, drawing on driven routes across the UK and Europe, mapping data and member road reports. Every road in the library carries a driving and scenery score set by the same method. How we score roads.
Last reviewed 20 May 2026
60 to 150 km from the centre
Far enough to feel like a proper trip, close enough to be home for dinner.
Roughly 6 hr 28 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
73 mi away · Nikko
Forty eight lettered hairpins climb to Lake Chuzenji, one way in each direction.
16 km · 9.9 mi · Atlas rating 9.3 / 10
47 mi away · Kanagawa
The toll road every Japanese car magazine uses, fast sweepers with Fuji ahead.
14 km · 8.7 mi · Atlas rating 9.2 / 10
88 mi away · Nagano
A high grassland ridge road with volcano views and long open curves.
76 km · 47.2 mi · Atlas rating 9.1 / 10
150 to 400 km from the centre
Leave early, take the long way back and make a day of it.
Roughly 7 hr 16 min of driving if you string the lot together and come back the way you came.
123 mi away · Northern Alps
Japan's highest paved road climbs above 2700 metres on the Norikura volcano.
14 km · 8.7 mi · Atlas rating 9.4 / 10
144 mi away · Fukushima
A volcanic moonscape crossing with sulphur vents beside the tarmac.
29 km · 18 mi · Atlas rating 9.2 / 10
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