I just finished my summer semester here in Tokyo and has some freetime so I thought I'd hop in my car and head out for some sightseeing farther north. Originally, I just planned to go to Nikko (a famous historical site) in Tochigi prefacture. Well, next to Nikko there happens to be one of the most famous touge's in Japan, Irohazaka. I went through Irohazaka, and afterwards one thing led to another and now I've been driving through Gunma for the past 3 days (still going too) going to each of the touges from Initial D (Irohazaka, Akagi, Akina (Haruna), Usui, and Myogi).

I'm making a big picture archive of the real courses along with a video driving through them including detailed istructions and maps of where they are and how to get there if everyone ever wants to venture out to see them for themselves. But, in the meantime I thought I'd show you all some quick pics of some of the highlights. Let me know what you think!



This is one of the Irohazaka hairpins with the drop. This is the Emperors' home course with the Evos from the show. Also, if you remember (assuming you've seen the show), Takumi raced against an SW20 that was jumping these exact curves. As you can see, the drop closer to the apex is quite steep.



Here is my gf walking back to the car staring at an FD running the downhill approaching one of the hairpins. She has future hopes of owning an FD and that has given me much happiness.



Another hairpin at Irohazaka



And another,



Me in front of my car at Irohazaka



W T F



Last Irohazaka pic preview



Top parking area of Akagi touge. The Redsuns team from the show met here in the show and this is where the starting point for the touge is. In the picture you can see a sexy white FD and a GTR. They're from Yokohama too and are with that white evo5. They were also huge fans of Initial D and were there taking pics.



I'm really excited to be at Akagi, as you can see. The sign behind me says Akagi Mtn. Energy research building (or something like that).



These guys even brought the clothes the emperor characters wore in the show to make a joke picture. Note the towel on the head and the monstor "sticker" on his hood.



Part of Akagi's course



more Akagi...next, Akina



Here is my car parked at the top of Akina with the watertower from the show in the background. This is where the Speedstars team from the show hung out and where various scenes took place. There used to be a building behind my car which you can see in the show but it was tore down. They were going to tear down the tower too but they decided to leave it up for Initial D fans who came for sight seeing.



Opposite view. That is the start point for Akina's downhill course. Those two guardrails you can see in the show many times. Also, in the show they call it Akina, but in real life it's name is Haruna. Haru in japanese is spring and Aki is fall. While the Haru in Haruna is a different kanji, the Aki in Akina in the show is the kanji for fall. I'm guessing he(author) changed it based on that thinking.



Some of you may be against "vandalism" but this was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I wasnt gonna miss it. I took a marker to a small part of the inside of the guardrail and wrote my car club's name on it with the date. Under it my gf wrote "beikoku daihyou" which means America's Chosen. In japanese its kinda a street racer way of excaliming your team or club is strong. (http://www.freemodedriftclub.com/) I didn't feel too bad anyway, on the other guardrail a few japanese teams had written their club name.



Another shot of the meeting spot at the top.



Parked on a viewing point on one of Akina's longer hairpins. This actual turn can be seen being drifted on in the real life movie made by china.



Here is the famous Akina 5 hairpins from that viewpoint. This shot was also used in the beginning of the initial d movie made by china.



One of the 5 hairpin turns



These Japanese traffic mirrors would be really awesome in California.



At the top of the mountain they have Haruna (Akina) lake. This specific spot is a popular spot in the show where Takumi hangs out or meets/talks to various characters. This shot is especially cool because...



it's matched to this exact manga page. Behind where I'm standing, there was a sourvenir shop that was selling small boxes of carmels in the shape of an AE86 with a manga open to that page.

Anyway thats a short preview of what I'm working on at the moment. I'm still working on more pages for the GTR history manga translation I posted up earlier

I know I must seem like a real nerd for going to the effort to find and see these places from an anime. But, hey, don't lie, you like Initial D too.

..I may be a fanboy

If you're a fanboy, you are the ultimate fanboy.

I will admit that I'm jealous. I don't like Intial D *that* much, as I don't really watch it. However, I will say I've played the video games pretty extensively. And to be able to drive a Skyline through those roads, even though I've seen you joke/complain about it not being a GT-R or anything, but just being an American fan of Japanese culture you are living a dream.

Keep at it man, you have a lot of support and envy back here from the States.

Oh I forgot to mention. I'm in a business hotel in east Nagano near the border of Gunma and Nagano now. I'm next to the Usui touge. Tomorrow morning I'll finish up Usui and Myogi then go home.

Awesome.

Hope To Visit On Day.Roads Look Crazy!

Ive wanted to see and drive those passes since I was 14 years old. I was turned on to Initial D very early. Its something that stuck to me, as much as I hate all the drifting fanboi's and the hype, I cannot help but love D.

Keep the pictures coming man, they look freakin sweet.

Nice shots you lucky bastard.

dude, whoever owns the cressida in your car club has some crazy shxt going on with his wheels...

is envy a mortal sin ???

hope to go in the future....

FlatBlackIan wrote:Ive wanted to see and drive those passes since I was 14 years old. I was turned on to Initial D very early. Its something that stuck to me, as much as I hate all the drifting fanboi's and the hype, I cannot help but love D.

Keep the pictures coming man, they look freakin sweet.

hahaha what the hell is that?

Oh one last thing before I go to bed...



Fujiwara Tofu shop actually exists. Actually, from talking to them, this is the shop they used in the real life movie china made. Also, this shop is what the author of inital d based the shop in the manga from. From what I heard there, the original owner of the shop's name was Fujiwara and it was a tofu shop a long time ago. The sign was added just recently for the movie to make it look like the manga. The real sign was different. It's in the town at the base of mt.akina. The town is called Shibukawa and the shop is about 10 minutes from the touge entrance. In the parking spot the 86 is supposed to be in, there is now parked some stupid toyota ipsteam or something.

Anyway, parked my car in front of the shop and snapped a pic.

Last pics is the best

Cool post

Thanks for sharing the pics

that is really cool actually. those roads look like a blast to drive. the full report will be sweet. keep us posted.

FlatBlackIan wrote:I was turned on to Initial D very early. Its something that stuck to me, as much as I hate all the drifting fanboi's and the hype, I cannot help but love D.

+1

It's a very important manga for the whole car culture, Shuichi Shigeno just "gets it". I would love to have visited those spots while I was in Japan, but no time:( Maybe some day.

i wanna read shakotan boogie, but its not really scanned/translated anywhere on the net yet...

Me likes the hot chick. Did you get her number for me? Thx

Nice drifting points.

Soravia wrote:Me likes the hot chick. Did you get her number for me? Thx

Thats his GF, fool. He even says it like right there.

I went to that same mountain, and saw basically the same things you just posted when I was in Japan, but jesus dude, I'm so jealous. I didn't take any pics or anything. You crazy badas.s mofo, this made me smile so hard at work

awesome shots... thanks for sharing with us!

Dattebayo wrote:
Thats his GF, fool. He even says it like right there.

I'm just being jealous. The car, the chick, the location. Waaa!

*yaawwwnn* Alright, just woke up, time to head back to Usui. I drove through it last night during a thunder storm, it seriously has 200 corners. It takes FOREVER to drive through at normal speeds. Also, they built a new bypass that does the same thing but isn't a windy touge so almost noone is on it. Really creeepy.

Good stuff; keep it up.

your photos are amazingid love to take a trip to those places and get pics like that

you r my hero

awesome bro! Thanks for the pics.

Wow man thats awesome.

that looks stupid fun.

sidenote...is your GF Japanese?

she gots hella hips for a JDM girl...

I think she's Fillipino or Vietnamese.

SienSil80 wrote:*yaawwwnn* Alright, just woke up, time to head back to Usui. I drove through it last night during a thunder storm, it seriously has 200 corners. It takes FOREVER to drive through at normal speeds. Also, they built a new bypass that does the same thing but isn't a windy touge so almost noone is on it. Really creeepy.

I kid you not, I am currently attempting to talk my wife into emptying the savings account to pay for plane tickets, a rental car, and a hotel, somewhere in Gunma. Its probably for the best that she is winning the argument.

I cant be blamed if I show up on your doorstep soaking wet with a bag full of cloths, a camera and a huge grin on my face.

I said it before, and Ill say it again, awesome pictures, I am now officially living vicariously through you.

Dump your wife and spend your life saving on Drifting in Guma. She's gonna try to take all of it on the divorce anyway. That's how women try to make money these days. Back in the old days they just poison you, now they make you live in hell.

Soravia wrote:Dump your wife and spend your life saving on Drifting in Guma. She's gonna try to take all of it on the divorce anyway. That's how women try to make money these days. Back in the old days they just poison you, now they make you live in hell.

You make a good point, but not even the dirtiest Japanese hookers will do to me what she will.