Japan’s cycling races unfold across a remarkable island landscape, where volcanic mountains, dense forests, dramatic coastlines and modern cities create some of Asia’s most distinctive racing environments. From the wooded circuits of the Japan Cup in Utsunomiya to the demanding coastal and mountain roads of the Tour de Okinawa, professional cycling reveals a country whose geography changes dramatically between its northern and southern regions.
Around the Peloton explores cycling races in Japan through the history, culture and natural landscapes encountered along their routes. Discover ancient Shinto shrines, Buddhist temples, historic castle towns, traditional villages and communities shaped by centuries of regional identity. Beyond the competition, these journeys reveal the legacy of Japan’s feudal past, its transformation into a modern industrial nation and the distinctive traditions of its islands, connecting the roads of contemporary cycling with the deeper stories of the places they cross.
8 November 2026 | UCI Asia Tour 1.2 | Men’s Champion Road Race | 200 km Okinawa is an island where a cycling race can travel through several different histories without ever leaving the same stretch of coastline. Its northern…
The Japan Cup occupies an unusual place on the professional cycling calendar. By the middle of October, the great European stage races are long finished and most of the autumn classics have already disappeared into history for another year, yet…
