The route described here ends almost at the very tip of Honshu. To vary things a bit, you can do a number of things:

- From the ferry to the Shimokita peninsula, go along the north end of the peninsula instead of the south, past the lighthouse at Shiriya-zaki, and then down and into the crater. This is doable because the ferry leaves so early in the morning, but you may be hard-pressed to get all the way around and into Osorezan and then out again and to the nearest train station in a single day. Note that there IS a different path leading into Osorezan; it's called the Asunaro-Line and can be accessed via a road that goes inland at Ohata-cho on the eastern side - but on the map it looks like it might be only suitable for mountain bikes. There is also a rindo (forest road, generally meaning unpaved) that goes straight THROUGH the northern end of the peninsula and meets up with this same Asunaro Line going into Osorezan. This might be a nice option for mountain bikers; there is a hot springs and the autumn leaves are supposed to be lovely. Note that, this far north, autumn comes quite early! The photo above shows the rugged coast just south of Shiriya-zaki.