Date

2022-12-08, Thursday

Distance

44.25 km biked (3316.19 km in total)

For anyone into such Japanese role-playing games as Nobunaga's Ambition, visiting the site of the Battle of Sekigahara is probably a dream come true (though in this case, it was more my friend’s dream than mine). Fought between Tokugawa Ieyasu's Eastern Army and Ishida Mitsunari's Western Army, this battle is widely considered the end of the chaotic Sengoku period and the beginning of the Tokugawa shogunate, which would rule Japan for over 250 years.

Sure, we were not riding warhorses like the samurai of 1600, yet riding our 'iron steeds' through this historic mountain pass felt like a decent substitute. Just imagining that we were crossing the very ground where some 160,000 soldiers once clashed in a chaotic battle was enough to get our adrenaline going — maybe even a bit too much.

The weather couldn’t have been more fitting: overcast skies, drifting mountain mist — the whole Sekigahara Valley had an atmosphere soaked with drama. It felt as though the ghosts of the samurai were still whispering through the winds. Sekigahara is nestled in a bottleneck between Kansai and Chubu regions, and its terrain — broad plains framed by low hills and mountains — makes it a natural battlefield, ideal for a confrontation of such magnitude.

At the time of our visit, modern Sekigahara is — thankfully — a peaceful rural town. The historical site is surprisingly neat and tidy. In truth, the site of the actual final clash is marked by little more than a modest signboard, which didn’t exactly convey the scale or emotion of what happened here. Still, shops nearby gave it some flair by flying flags bearing the crests of the feudal clans.

We stopped by the Sekigahara Town History & Folklore Museum, which turned out to be more crowded than expected — mostly older visitors, perhaps reliving long-passed NHK taiga dramas. I couldn't help but wonder: has the Sengoku period fallen out of favour with younger generations? Or was it never really popular to begin with? I spent a good amount of time looking through the merchandise to pick a few to carry with me on the road.

Unfortunately, the Sengoku Road was closed for maintenance, so we had to take National Route 21 to get through the area. Honestly, after training through the mountainous climbs of Hakone, the gentle rise of Sekigahara Pass didn’t feel particularly daunting — just a gentle incline on an otherwise pleasant ride toward Lake Biwa.

Cycling through Sekigahara may not offer the terror of charging into a battle, but it delivers something richer: the feeling of riding through history. You can almost hear the clash of swords and the cry of banners fluttering overhead — until you are passed by a local in a kei car, reminding you it’s 2025. Still, for a brief moment, time folds in on itself. And I will take that kind of time-travel any day.