Ajigasawa Town has many roads with beautiful sunsets and roads with beautiful greenery. A particularly recommended route starts at the Mitsunobu Ko no Yakata (Lord Mitsunobu Museum), on the ruins of the Tanesato Castle where the former Tsugaru Clan originated, and travels along Akaishi River to Kurokuma Waterfall.

If you keep an eye on the Shirakami peaks while running along the mountain stream, you can spot wildlife such as small birds and deer, and in spring it's also possible to see dogtooth violets along the way. You never seem to get fatigued when listening to the sound of the water, no matter how much you run. You continue running, watching in fascination as enormous trees appear one after another, and when you finally arrive at the end point the magnificent Kurokuma Waterfall awaits. It is quite simply a road that allows you to run along it like a river’s flow.

On clear days, Mount Fuji is visible from the lakeside. My high school was located at the top of the mountain, so every day I had to climb a long, steep hill from the nearest station. I wouldn't say it was an easy course to run, but during morning training we sometimes left the school grounds to run a lap around Odawara Castle. At that time, I wasn't yet running full marathons, but the Kanagawa Prefecture High School Ekiden Championship (long distance relay) took place around Lake Tanzawa in Yamakita Town and I would run the leg around the lake.

Following the Ekiden Championship, each year the Tanzawako Marathon was held in November. So for me, once the Ekiden Championship was complete, it was time for me to begin preparations for the Tanzawako Marathon. Every year I would run through the mountain surrounding the lake as the leaves of the trees started to turn in Autumn.

On clear days, Mount Fuji is visible from the lakeside. It takes about 90 minutes from Tokyo by car, so I don't run this course regularly, but there are accommodations and a hot spring nearby so it's always a worthwhile trip once you've made the decision to leave the city. There are few traffic lights around the course and not much to slow you down, so it's a great place for a run.

Mount Zao is known for its emerald green, mysterious crater lake named Okama, and hard rime on trees, known by locals as Ice Monsters.

Zao Bodaira Highlands are a part of Mount Zao and are situated 1,000 meters (3,281 ft) above sea level, which provides a cool climate for running in summer. One of the best places to run in the highlands is the natural grass cross-country course within the Zao Bodaira Athlete Village. This 3-kilometer (1.9-mile) course has a good number of hills, so it’s not an easy course to run, but it gives you a good cardio workout and is a great place to build leg strength. The adjacent all-weather sports ground and other facilities make this place even better. I'm able to combine various types of training, so camp training in summer here is an absolute must for my team. I recommend this spot for anyone from amateurs to top level athletes.