Bikepath Maps
Up until recently, there were no maps that listed detailed bikepath routes - the only one was the "WIND" book mentioned in the Resources section. However, the new Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport has created a beautiful section on their site that FINALLY gives detailed information on all of the long-distance bicycle routes in Japan! Point your browser to:
http://www.mlit.go.jp/road/road/bicycle/road/index.html
At the bottom of this page is a map of Japan with beige tabs for each region. Clicking on a tab brings up a more detailed map for that region, with specific routes; clicking on each route brings up another page for that route, with a more detailed map, a few tiny photos and even a link to download a PDF file of that page for better printing. The blue section at the bottom of the page also has arrows for going to the previous and next routes and to the top page for that region. Note that the left arrow that says "Top Page" in Japanese does NOT take you to the long-distance cycling route page but to a page higher up in the heirarchy. Use your back button or the link above to get back to the long-distance cycling route page.
Sorry, no English...
For other reference materials that you may find useful in route planning, see RESOURCES.
