The Boxster heads to Mount Hakkoda

After a short break, as I approached Hachinohe city, I skirted the city and headed north. Then, I turned west on Route 394 aiming for the Mount Hakkoda range.

On the Google map below, it looks like I’m on Route 102, but probably due to construction, I couldn’t plot Route 394, so I left it as is. In reality, I was on Route 394.

As the altitude rose, the air became crisp and cool, filling the Boxster’s cabin with refreshing chill. Snow from recent plowing was visible here and there along the roadside.

By the time I reached the Sukayu public parking area, there were unfortunately many tourist cars, so I couldn’t fully enjoy Route 394. Still, the scenery and road were superb. I enjoyed the atmosphere and views as I descended toward the Sea of Japan side.

Heading south with Mount Chokai in sight

I had to head home the next day, but the navigation showed it would take over 13 hours.

I had planned to stay around Hirosaki city, but since the distance was longer than expected, I decided to head further south. I quickly searched for an available hotel on my smartphone.

In the end, I booked a hotel in Sakata city and decided to spend the night there.

There were some sections where I couldn’t use the highway due to accidents, but the general roads here flowed well, so it wasn’t too stressful. As I headed south, a large mountain came into view — Mount Chokai. I have fond memories of driving the Chokai Blue Line on a previous Tohoku tour.

This time, it was impossible to drive it due to time constraints, so I simply admired its majestic silhouette from afar while driving down a country road at dusk.

By the time I arrived at the hotel, it was completely dark. The trip meter showed I had driven 663.6 km in one day. That’s a lot of driving (laughs). I was exhausted and went to bed early.

Final day: Departure toward Kansai

The next morning, I left a bit later. The front bumper was covered with a shocking amount of bug splatter. After driving so hard and long, it’s inevitable. Since I was just heading home, I didn’t clean it and headed onto the highway.

With the soft top closed, I cruised mostly in the passing lane, cooling down while recalling the fantastic roads I’d driven over the past few days as I headed south on the Hokuriku Expressway.

After passing Kanazawa, heavy rain hit again, forcing me to slow down further. By the time I entered the Meishin Expressway, the weather cleared, and I could see a sunset in the distant sky.

The total distance covered this trip was 3,117 km. For this trip, I stayed exclusively at Route Inn hotels. Their consistent quality is amazing. They’re affordable, and no matter where you stay, there are no disappointments. Being able to spend every night with the same quality is a blessing and takes away unnecessary stress.

The parking lots are also spacious, making them highly recommended for this kind of focused touring.

But above all, the roads in Tohoku were incredible. Every road was rewarding to drive, large-scale, well-maintained, and best of all, had very little traffic. There are still countless roads in Tohoku I want to explore. The roads I drove this time were only a small fraction, but I definitely want to come back again.

Next time, I’d like to take it a bit slower and include some sightseeing along the way.

Route Map for This Trip