Fukikoshi Yama cycling climb profile
Fukikoshi Yama is a compact but serious Category 1 climb in JP: 8.2 km from 153 m to 920 m, with 767 m of net elevation gain. The defining number is the 9.33% average gradient. Over this distance, that is not a climb where the difficulty comes from one isolated wall. It means the road is consistently working against you, and any easing in the slope is likely paid back by steeper ground elsewhere.
The listed maximum gradient of 17.42% is the second key detail. A climb averaging 9.33% and touching 17.42% asks for two different efforts at once: a controlled threshold-style ride for the full climb, and enough torque reserve to get over the steepest ramps without spiking too far above sustainable power.
How the gradient feels
With only the full-climb profile available, the safest way to read Fukikoshi Yama is as a climb with a hard baseline rather than a gentle approach followed by a finale. From the bottom, the average gradient already tells you the opening should be treated with caution. If you ride the first section on feel, the slope can make tempo feel deceptively manageable until the accumulated load starts to bite.
The middle of the climb is where pacing matters most. At 8.2 km, this is long enough that repeated accelerations will compound, but short enough that riders often convince themselves they can force the pace early. That is usually the trap on a climb this steep. The better approach is to ride just under your sustainable climbing effort, keep cadence from collapsing, and save the real over-threshold work for the steepest pitches.
Near the top, the altitude itself is not the story. The summit is 920 m, so the challenge is primarily gradient and accumulated fatigue, not high-altitude limitation. If the road tilts toward the listed maximum late in the climb, the rider who has protected cadence and avoided early power spikes will have a clear advantage.
Pacing and gearing notes
For pacing, anchor the climb around your /glossary/ftp rather than chasing speed. On a 9.33% average grade, speed will fluctuate heavily with small changes in slope, while power and breathing give cleaner feedback. If you do not know your current number, use an estimate before targeting the climb: /tools/ftp-estimator.
Gearing should be chosen for the 17.42% maximum, not the average. A setup that feels fine at 9.33% may become a grind on the steepest ramps, especially after several kilometres of climbing. The practical goal is simple: keep a gear low enough that you can stay seated through most of the climb, respond to the steep sections without stalling, and avoid turning the final third into a strength workout you did not intend to do.
Fukikoshi Yama rewards restraint. Ride the first half like the average gradient is already dangerous, manage the ramps without panic, and the final kilometres become a test of control rather than damage limitation.