Best "drivers" Roads In Japan

[m3gtr]

Came back from Shimoda with the missus today and took the Izu skyline back towards Odawara.

Dont know if any of you have driven this but as my wife correctly quipped, "It's like a huge 25 kilometre roller-coaster!"

The blacktop was supersmooth, the roads undulate and pitch on and off camber, corners range from tight to flowing, are surrounded by rich hills and greenery and it only cost 350 yen to get on - it had only 2 cars going in my direction that were dispatched quickly and the rest of the way was glorious driving heaven.

Seriously.

Mari was busy observing the scenery and the speed from time to time ( nag ) while i focussed on the road, so there's something for everyone. Half way up there's a lookout where you get a wicked view of the Izu peninsula and Mt Fuji when the weather is clear and then a stop off in Onsen town.

Ive never had so much fun "alone" on a road as i did today.

The best part of all....

There are NO cameras the whole way!

I swear Japan is built partly for those of us who really love driving with leniency in mind.

What about the rest of you 外人？ What roads have made a serious impact ( other than a physical one ) on you during your travels?

[GTR-N1]

North of Tokyo up to Nikko, there's a series of about 40-50 hairpins that you can see from the top of the mountainside all the way from the top to the lake below.

There's no armco - just blocks of concrete that the bumper bars of tourist busses bash into on the apexes.

SCARY!! But in a Skyline, it's just magic going up and down the ILOHA SLOPES.

Terry

[m3gtr]

North of Tokyo up to Nikko, there's a series of about 40-50 hairpins that you can see from the top of the mountainside all the way from the top to the lake below.

There's no armco - just blocks of concrete that the bumper bars of tourist busses bash into on the apexes.

SCARY!! But in a Skyline, it's just magic going up and down the ILOHA SLOPES.

Terry

Thats not iro hazaka is it??

Ive been dying to drive those myself if it is. I was there once and shot some video from the passenger seat but swore to return once i had a car.

Its only one way in each direction right? One uphill and one downhill?

If it is you can see drift marks on the road and yes on the barriers - i dont think its limited to tourist busses only, lol

[m3gtr]

As an aside, the Wangan in its main stretch from Shinjuku across Yokohama bay is awesome.

As long as you know where the cameras are ( and in Japan they tell you - how amazing is that...none of this "camera in a wheelie bin" shit ) you are free to go as fast as your car can take you.

The other that springs to mind is the highway ring that surrounds greater Tokyo.

Ive had amazing times on these roads.

It really did feel like a game at times, in that the machine i was playing, was grip, pitch and yaw sensitive too, lol//.,/.

That and the small fact i could actually die.

I'm really starting to warm to the Fonz in many areas not least of all in the way I communicate to it and it to I, but it....well...it has ...drawbacks a Euro definitely does not have...

[akeenan]

wtf are u talking about? .....

[m3gtr]

lol, yeah, sif you would know.

Akeenan, all i really wanted to know was what you thought were your best memories of Japans roads...

so...i say this to myself as well when i say that we should keep it on post...

So...fire away!

[GTR-N1]

Thats not iro hazaka is it??

Ive been dying to drive those myself if it is. I was there once and shot some video from the passenger seat but swore to return once i had a car.

Its only one way in each direction right? One uphill and one downhill?

If it is you can see drift marks on the road and yes on the barriers - i dont think its limited to tourist busses only, lol

Hiya,

I'm glad you answered because you're right. The tourist guide gave us the Anglicised name and I couldn't find the place on Wiki or Google.

Now you've given me a lead I'll do a search OR can you post up pics? Yes it's the same place. I'm a little unsure, but I think that the pic that JSAI has on his website of the rear end of the Z-Tune & its bodykit is the pic of the lake at the base!

When I went there many yrs ago, Drifting never even existed! LOL

This place has to be in the top 50 driving/drifting roads in the world along with Stelvio etc

Cheers,

Tez

[GTR-N1]

IROHAZAKA with 78 APEXES, MANY OF THEM HAIRPINS is the DRIVE OF YOUR LIFE!!!!

I remember it well. Even after 30 years, it has left an imprint in my mind - and I only had a Datsun 240K (in Oz) back then.

Just had a look at it on You Tube ie 'Irohazaka Downhill - Real'

Also had a look at 'Akina Downhill - Real' which is probably suited more towards Skylines than an EVO which is what I'd really like to drive up & down those One Way roads at IROHAZAKA. Akina had 62 apexes, many of them sweepers.

Cheers,

Tez

[dkslong]

Came back from Shimoda with the missus today and took the Izu skyline back towards Odawara.

Dont know if any of you have driven this but as my wife correctly quipped, "It's like a huge 25 kilometre roller-coaster!"

The blacktop was supersmooth, the roads undulate and pitch on and off camber, corners range from tight to flowing, are surrounded by rich hills and greenery and it only cost 350 yen to get on - it had only 2 cars going in my direction that were dispatched quickly and the rest of the way was glorious driving heaven.

Seriously.

Mari was busy observing the scenery and the speed from time to time ( nag ) while i focussed on the road, so there's something for everyone. Half way up there's a lookout where you get a wicked view of the Izu peninsula and Mt Fuji when the weather is clear and then a stop off in Onsen town.

Ive never had so much fun "alone" on a road as i did today.

The best part of all....

There are NO cameras the whole way!

I swear Japan is built partly for those of us who really love driving with leniency in mind.

What about the rest of you 外人？ What roads have made a serious impact ( other than a physical one ) on you during your travels?

Hmm i would have to there are 3 roads. Well on my way to hakone driving up the mountain to get to my drift spot and close to my house in kanagawa we have the mountains miyagase where I grip at.Soo many twist and turns and people do runs in the day time.OOO and one more driving road to dai koku futo using the express.Use the yokohama bypass and you can HAUL ASSSSSSS all the way there.

[Dan_J]

google earth baby

[dreamaaa]

ashiya okuiike driving up the top of that mountain is a short but nice drive.

also couple of rokko/kobe mountains to drive up. roughly 1-3am ive seen a couple of drifters go up/down.... pretty risky with no roads closed!

i want to head back to japan.......

[CARSICK]

Irohazaka gives me headspins