JDM Car Culture Spots

Underground parking lot in Akihabara well known for itasha cars.

Tokyo Prefecture

Popular car meet spot in Hakone with an excellent view of Mt. Fuji.

Kanagawa Prefecture

Observation point parking lot at Mt. Tsukuba featured in Initial D comics. Note that parking lot is only open 0900-1600 daily.

Ibaraki Prefecture

1km circuit opened in 1987 southwest of Takamatsu City in Tokushima Prefecture. Only JAF-approved circuit in Shikoku island. Unique mountaintop circuit.

Tokushima Prefecture

Autobacs store specializing in Honda S2000s and Recaro seats.

Kanagawa Prefecture

700m mini circuit.

Aichi Prefecture

Drift/gymkhana/kart tarmac and gravel track northeast of Hokkaido.

Hokkaido Prefecture

Popular automotive lifestyle store in Tokyo. The adjacent parking lot often has interesting cars.

Tokyo Prefecture

Circuit northeast of Kumamoto City in Kyushu.

Oita Prefecture

1,100+710m circuit opened in 1983 in the hills northwest of Okayama City.

Okayama Prefecture

Bridgestone tire corporate museum

Tokyo Prefecture

2.8km circuit opened in 1996 northwest of Kobe in Hyogo Prefecture.

Hyogo Prefecture

Fiat 500 museum; e-mail reservation preferred

Aichi Prefecture

Museum featuring cars from the Circuit Wolf manga

Ibaraki Prefecture

EV kart circuit in Odaiba near central Tokyo. The venue also hosts car meets and auctions.

Tokyo Prefecture

Mainly European, US cars but also some Showa-era JDMs

Fukushima Prefecture

Bookstore near Shibuya which hosts monthly cars & coffees at their parking lot. Their automotive section is very comprehensive.

Tokyo Prefecture

An expressway rest stop in Yokohama City, arguably the most famous car meet spot in Japan. Note that car meets here are unsanctioned/ad-hoc. Due to overcrowding, the Parking Area is often closed at night Fri-Sun. It is advised to visit there on weekend mornings or afternoons. You cannot enter the Parking Area by foot. A car is required to go here.

Kanagawa Prefecture

Observation point along the Royu Driveway. Car and toll required to visit.

Hyogo Prefecture

Race circuit in Fukushima Prefecture known for its spring and summer Drift Matsuri events.

Fukushima Prefecture

Tokyo Metropolitan Fire Department museum with fire engines and helicopter

Tokyo Prefecture

Race car musuem adjacent to Fuji Speedway.

Shizuoka Prefecture

Premier race circuit in Japan located in Shizuoka Prefecture. Has pace-car led track experiences that do not require a circuit license to drive.

Shizuoka Prefecture

Most vehicles in operating condition

Hiroshima Prefecture

Private museum with vintage cars

Osaka Prefecture

A cafe and car spot operated by Drift King Tsuchiya Keiichi featuring his personal cars.

Saitama Prefecture

Road station north of Mt. Tsukuba that is a popular car meet spot on weekends.

Ibaraki Prefecture

The Gunma Cycle Sports Center or "Gunsai" is a bicycle racing track that doubles as a race circuit located in the mountains of Gunma Prefecture.

Gunma Prefecture

600m drift course (could not find official website)

Yamaguchi Prefecture

Very secluded parking area on the Shutoko Route 6 line. Can be accessed from both Route 6 inbound/outbound directions and Route 9 inbound direction. It is similar to Daikoku PA in that you can do a U-turn at the PA and return back to where you came from. Infamous in the past as a staging area for Shutoko racers but often closed at night now.

Tokyo Prefecture

Parking Area in east Osaka popular as an ad-hoc car meet spot; Osaka's version of Daikoku PA.

Osaka Prefecture

Hino trucks and busses

Tokyo Prefecture

Showa-era JDMs

Gifu Prefecture

Saitama Prefecture

Honda museum inside Mobility Resort Motegi

Tochigi Prefecture

1.1km circuit northwest of Tokyo in Saitama Prefecture.

Saitama Prefecture

Daihatsu museum; no reservation needed for groups smaller than 10

Osaka Prefecture

Initial D exhibit, many Showa-era JDMs including 2000GT

Gunma Prefecture

Initial D Manhole Cover (2)

Gunma Prefecture

Initial D Manhole Cover (3)

Gunma Prefecture

Initial D Manhole Cover (4)

Gunma Prefecture

Initial D Manhole Cover (5)

Gunma Prefecture

Initial D Manhole Cover (6) next to a parking lot

Gunma Prefecture

Isuzu cars and trucks. Online reservation required

Kanagawa Prefecture

1945-1970s JDM car museum in a public park

Fukuoka Prefecture

Saitama Prefecture

668m kart circuit near Takamatsu Airport.

Kagawa Prefecture

Historically significant aircraft display; only open 10am to 4pm every day in AUGUST (closed the rest of the year)

Yamanashi Prefecture

Kart circuit in Yomitan village.

Okinawa Prefecture

1,560m circuit on the outskirts of Fukushima City.

Fukushima Prefecture

Small museum run by Toyota dealership in Nara

Nara Prefecture

Mazda museum inside Mazda HQ grounds. Online reservation required

Hiroshima Prefecture

Popular drift circuit near Osaka which hosts D1 Lights competitions.

Nara Prefecture

Popular weekend car-spotting location within walking distance of Shibuya.

Tokyo Prefecture

Drift pad in Chiba Prefecture, about 90 minutes from Tokyo by car. The circuit offers instructor-led drift experiences using rental Mazda Roadsters.

Chiba Prefecture

Kanagawa Prefecture

Mitsubishi museum inside Mitsubishi Okazaki factory. Online reservation required

Aichi Prefecture

Race circuit about 60km from Tokyo. Often hosts grip/drift track days on Sundays.

Chiba Prefecture

FIA Grade 2 circuit and oval track northeast of Tokyo.

Tochigi Prefecture

MOONEYES cafe, garage and merchandise store.

Kanagawa Prefecture

1200m circuit opened in 2003 originally as a kart track. They offer several track rental cars.

Aichi Prefecture

A drift pad near Yomitan, Okinawa, which opened in 2021 as part of a vision to grow Okinawa into a leading motorsports location in Asia.

Okinawa Prefecture

One of the largest collections in Japan

Ishikawa Prefecture

1,200m circuit opened in 1999 in northern Aomori Prefecture.

Aomori Prefecture

1,000m circuit in Suzuka City together with Suzuka Circuit and Suzuka Twin Circuit.

Mie Prefecture

2,007m circuit opened in 1971.

Okayama Prefecture

Mainly European, US cars

Tochigi Prefecture

2,000m seaside circuit in Niigata Prefecture.

Niigata Prefecture

Circuit north of Utsunomiya City. Note that Nikko Circuit prohibits spectators unless the organizer allows them. Make sure to check with event organizers whether spectating is allowed.

Tochigi Prefecture

Nismo car museum at their HQ.

Kanagawa Prefecture

Nissan event space with car display.

Tokyo Prefecture

Nissan engine museum (28 engines on display)

Kanagawa Prefecture

Car display section at Nissan Global HQ. Also offers test drives.

Kanagawa Prefecture

Nissan collection. Online reservation required; extremely difficult to get reservations

Kanagawa Prefecture

Kart circuit south of Fukuoka/Hakata City.

Saga Prefecture

Very small but busy parking area on the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway Wangan Line. Although classified as a car spotting location, there will probably not be many interesting cars here due to the congestion.

Tokyo Prefecture

Very small but busy parking area on the Tokyo Metropolitan Expressway Wangan Line. Although classified as a car spotting location, there will probably not be many interesting cars here due to the congestion.

Tokyo Prefecture

3.7km circuit opened in 1990 northeast of Okayama City.

Okayama Prefecture

A ski resort parking lot which turns into a drift pad/car meet event venue from April to November.

Shiga Prefecture

912m kart/bike circuit northeast of Nagasaki Airport.

Nagasaki Prefecture

1,050m circuit offering AE86, RX-7 drift or grip taxis.

Toyama Prefecture

Tokyo Metropolitan Police Agency museum with police cars/motorcycles (Newly moved to this location as of April 24, 2026).

Tokyo Prefecture

Museum focused on Skylines up to R34

Nagano Prefecture

Sports car themed café in Shibukawa City, Gunma Prefecture. Well-known for Initial D-themed puddings and various merchandise. Their parking lot is a small carspotting location.

Gunma Prefecture

Chiba Prefecture

Chiba Prefecture

Mainly European, US cars but also some Showa-era JDMs

Oita Prefecture

Car-themed cafe in Miura Peninsula in a renovated 100-year old storehouse that is a popular car meet spot.

Kanagawa Prefecture

Small parking area at the foot of the Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo. Famed for its use as a staging area for C1 racers but now often closed at night on weekends.

Tokyo Prefecture

Shibukawa City official gift shop with Initial D goods. Look for the Initial D manhole cover (1) nearby the shop.

Gunma Prefecture

Significant sports car display, Back to the Future DMC-12

Kochi Prefecture

A kart/gymkhana/drift pad next to Shinchitose Airport near Sapporo.

Hokkaido Prefecture

2.4km circuit opened in 2009 southeast of Tokyo in Chiba Prefecture.

Chiba Prefecture

1,030m kart circuit.

Oita Prefecture

1,430m circuit opened in 1990.

Oita Prefecture

1.5km circuit opened in 2007 southeast of Nagoya in Aichi Prefecture.

Aichi Prefecture

Tokyo Prefecture

950m kart/drift course northeast of Hiroshima City.

Hiroshima Prefecture

3.7km circuit opened in 1975 southwest of Sendai in the Tohuku region.

Miyagi Prefecture

Hilly 1km circuit north of Kofu City. Closed mid-Jan to mid-Feb.

Yamanashi Prefecture

Subaru STI gallery

Tokyo Prefecture

Subaru cars; Cannot visit museum only; part of factory tour. Online reservation required

Gunma Prefecture

Supercar themed cafe in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture with a supercar displayed in the store. The vehicle on display changes periodically.

Tochigi Prefecture

Premier race circuit in Japan located in Mie Prefecture.

Mie Prefecture

1,750m circuit opened in 2005.

Mie Prefecture

Suzuki cars and motorcycles. Phone, online reservation required

Shizuoka Prefecture

1,533m circuit opened in 2005.

Fukui Prefecture

A lesser known and smaller Parking Area which often has exotic cars parked there. The nighttime scenery from the PA is beautiful and notable too. You cannot enter the Parking Area by foot. A car is needed to go there.

Tokyo Prefecture

An exclusive private circuit southeast of Tokyo. Note that the circuit is not open to the public except for events such as Bososai.

Chiba Prefecture

5.1km circuit opened in 1993 south of Obihiro in Hokkaido.

Hokkaido Prefecture

Tom's Racing showroom in Odaiba, Tokyo.

Tokyo Prefecture

Chiba Prefecture

Toyota museum

Aichi Prefecture

Toyota museum focused on industry

Aichi Prefecture

Toyota history museum (not many cars); no reservation needed for groups smaller than 10

Aichi Prefecture

Cars from 1911-2002

Aomori Prefecture

Race circuit in Ibaraki Prefecture famed for its time attack races. The tripe stew (motsunikomi) served at the restaurant is a crowd favorite.

Ibaraki Prefecture

A circuit north of Tokyo in Tochigi Prefecture with a tarmac and gravel track. Note that location is in a very rural location. Vending machines are available but food may not be nearby unless organizers bring food trucks.

Tochigi Prefecture

A parking area situated on an artificial island in Tokyo Bay that can be reached by driving through the 9.5km Tokyo Bay Aqua Line underwater tunnel. A popular car spotting location at night.

Chiba Prefecture

Rolls Royce and Bentley

Saitama Prefecture

Yamaha motorcycles, Toyota 2000GT, LFA; no reservation needed for groups smaller than 10

Shizuoka Prefecture

Circuit opened in 2015.

Okinawa Prefecture

Mt. Haruna (Akina) parking area featured in Initial D comics. Look for the manhole cover at the edge of the parking area.

Gunma Prefecture

Expressway parking area on Yoshima Island along the Seto Ohashi bridge which often has Daikoku PA-style ad-hoc car meets.

Kagawa Prefecture

1,000m circuit opened in 1996.

Gifu Prefecture