Kochi / Ehime · Japan
UFO Line (Kamegamori)
Ino, Kochi (Kanpu) to Tsuchigoya, Kumakogen, Ehime
Ridge-top sky road along the Ishizuchi range, made famous by car commercials.
Nicknamed the UFO Line, this narrow town road runs the Ishizuchi ridge between roughly 1150 and 1700 m, connecting the Kanpu tunnel area in Kochi with Tsuchigoya in Ehime. It became famous after appearing in car commercials and feels like driving along the spine of the sky, with the Ishizuchi peaks ahead and the Shikoku ranges below. It is single track in long stretches with passing places and is closed in winter. Mind the blind one-lane sections, sheer unguarded drops, and frequent cloud.
On the road
The road runs from the Kanpu area of Ino in Kochi to Tsuchigoya in Ehime. Its official name is the Kamegamori town road, and it starts beside the entrance to the old Kanpuzan tunnel. It is paved but mostly single lane, with a great many curves. Parking spaces appear here and there along the ridge. The waiting bays are for passing, not parking, so don’t leave the car in one. Motorcycles and cyclists often come the other way, so hold a moderate speed.
Near Mt Kamegamori there is a mountain refuge hut and a toilet beside the site of the old Kamegamori hut. Further on, a monument by the road marks the source of the Yoshino River. At the far end, Tsuchigoya Terrace has a cafe, a shop and a dining room. It stands where the Ishizuchi Skyline ends, at the trailhead for Mt Ishizuchi, the highest peak in western Japan.
The road closes for winter, usually from late November until April, and the terrace and the Kamegamori toilet close for the season too. Akebono azaleas flower from late April to mid May, and the autumn colour comes around October. The road’s best-known screen role is a 2018 Toyota Corolla Sport advert.
UFO Line (Kamegamori) on the map14.1 mi · point to point
Navigate to the start: Apple Maps · Google Maps
Character
Corners
busiest around mile 1Elevation
under 4%4 to 8%over 8%1,249 to 1,701 mPoints of interest3 stops
- Mt. KamegamoriViewpoint7.6 mi in
- Mt. Iyo-FujiViewpoint3.5 mi in
- IwakurosanViewpoint13 mi in
Hazards
- Single-lane blind bends
- Unguarded drops
- Low cloud
- Closed in winter
Is UFO Line (Kamegamori) open? Typical season and live summit weather ›
Sources
“The skyline proves to be a great road. It is narrow and tortuous with long stretches where two vehicles cannot pass except in the passing places.”
Route traced from OpenStreetMap, with its stats measured from that line. How the roads are mapped
Routes for iPhone carries UFO Line (Kamegamori) offline, with live weather and a 7 day forecast.
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