After a two-week break we were back on flights to Tokyo, this time via Hong Kong with Cathay Pacific. Iain started from Manchester and me from Heathrow before converging on the Nikko Hotel in Narita Airport. This time we have a Nissan X-Trail rental, our wonderful Toyota Hilux having longstanding duties at a different motor sporting event. We were sad not to have Naomi with us this time round, but she is back home in the U.S. and this time Jamie El Banna will be looking after us. We picked him up near Fuji where we spent the night, battling with jetlag on this occasion.

Day 16

Delighted to see the sunrise we had a swift, early, breakfast and were on the road before seven o’clock. From the Speedway hotel, where the rally will stay, we headed due south towards the Izu Peninsula. We found a morning coffee halt, nestling in a lemon grove on the shores of Suruga Bay, with an unimpeded view of Mount Fuji in the background. A really special spot for sustenance before the days challenges begin. For the next 20 kilometres we went from fishing village to fishing village, all nestling in bright blue bays, surrounded by impressive rock formations. And then it was time for our first regularity, and what a start to the day.

Eight kilometres of narrow twisty, asphalt with numerous little bridges over rocky streams will be a challenge even at the low speeds we have chosen. Larger, flowing, roads saw us stop frequently to take in the ever more spectacular views, topped literally by the Izu Skyline Vista point at almost 800 metres above sea level. The day’s second regularity had a few interesting twists and turns and may use up quite a few of Jim Smith’s “Yes” and “No” boards! Soon we were back at sea level for a welcome fuel stop before the morning’s final timed section which again had more than enough interest to keep our competitors on their toes – no tricks but the road books must be carefully followed. It seemed impossible, but the scenery got even more spectacular as we headed southeast to Cape Irozaki, the most southerly point of the Peninsula where we will take lunch before a short trek to the lighthouse and the Cape itself.

Our hotel was less than an hour away as we now headed northeast. As I write the waves are crashing on the sands below the hotel’s bedrooms, all of which face the sea, and we three are looking forward to a deserved dinner before a good night’s sleep, safe in the knowledge we have discovered a splendid day’s rallying.

Day 17

Sunrise was at 05:45 this morning with the sky starting to get orange hues 25 minutes or so earlier, and we were all on our respective balconies to photograph and, more importantly, observe it. Leaving at our usual seven o’clock we followed the coast north to the fishing town of Ito where there is a colourful quay with cafés, all of which open at 09:00, fine for the rally but not for us. Jamie said the place reminded him of Menton which suggested to Iain and me that he may never have actually been to France.

Only five minutes away the day’s first regularity is seven kilometres of entertaining twists and turns. From there we were straight on to the Izu Skyline Road, one of the country’s finest, whose course we followed for 25 kilometres with frequent stops to admire Mount Fuji, imposing on our left, and the deep blue Pacific Ocean on our right. All too soon we descended, via the event’s shortest regularity, to the main road that by-passes the cities of Mishima and Fuji. An early lunch was taken at the well-stocked Fujikawa Road Station where people were milling around and taking photographs of the odd combination of a Starbucks and Fuji. The afternoon began trickier with many of the roads we wanted to use closed due to recent landslides.

However, we were delighted to find that the “main” road that by-passes these was incredibly scenic and a delight to drive. We were now in tea country and found a lovely visitors centre, set in immaculate grounds, that offers tastings of the local brew. A delightful place. A little later than normal we arrived at our night halt hotel, perched on the edge of Lake Inohana. Lots of fun on the menu tomorrow.

Day 19

Rally competitors will have the opportunity to have a gentle walk to the temple area as this day will not start until noon. We however had a few appointments so were on the road by 10:00. Less than an hour out of town we were driving through beautiful tea plantations again. We will stop on a working estate to sample the products and eat a light lunch, green tea flavoured ice cream optional!

A few kilometres thereafter we happened upon an amazing road through an enchanting forest, totally unlike anything seen before on this trip, and we will make sure the timing is relaxed to allow everyone to enjoy the spectacle. A short piece of old road was then found to host a regularity with a difference. We think you will enjoy it. A more classic regularity section followed before we climbed up to a rather good motorcycle course where we hoped to run a test. The owner seems to think that anything with more than two wheels is evil, but we are in the course of doing our best to persuade him to host us. From there it was a fairly simple run to Kyoto, where our five-star hotel is within walking distance of many of the world-famous temples, shrines and top-class restaurants. There will be plenty to do on the rest day.

Day 21

Competitors will have a rest day in Kyoto, but we continued north towards the Sea of Japan coast and Miyazu. First stop was the beautiful circuit at Biwako Sports Land where the lady in charge is happy for us to do what we want with the immaculate facility. We decided that there are twists and turns enough that the usual two laps will be great with no need to resort to cones or “stop-astrides”. Twenty kilometres north the day’s first regularity has signs warning of recent sightings of a bear in the area. The section ran through a beautiful forest with a rocky stream for company most of the way.

Shortly thereafter we remarked that the countryside had started to resemble Canada with different architecture. Kayabukino-Sato is an interesting village with distinctive thatched roof houses in its narrow streets as well as some excellent food outlets. We decided to allow the rally 40 minutes or so to discover the village at each participant’s own pace. As we approached Miyazu we traversed a wide but twisty asphalt forest road with some great views over Miyazu Bay and our last sight of the Sea of Japan before the finish in Fukuoka in a week’s time. We have plenty planned to make the final seven days as memorable as those that have preceded.

Day 22

Japan has tremendous convenience stores, situated at almost every junction it seems. There are a number of brands, but the favourite of the recce team is Lawson. Here you can buy phone chargers, stationery, snacks, beer, wine, socks, boxer shorts, excellent pot noodle and a thousand other things. What we didn’t expect to find on leaving Miyazu was an entire section dedicated to Tamiya radio-controlled model car kits and accessories. For men of a certain age, with an interest in cars, these have played a part in our lives. Further investigation shows there is a Tamiya Museum. We’re on the case.

Back down to earth we decided Day 21’s final regularity was so good we would do it in reverse to start the day. We then found another wonderful forest before a Time Control at a cedar tree paper centre with a decent shop, a nice café, and a temple. What more could you want? At the following test venue, Central Circuit, an old friend and colleague, Yoshio Ikemachi appeared. An experienced Dakar competitor on two wheels and four, he took us for a few silky-smooth laps in the circuit’s safety car, before leading us to his favourite section of gravel road in the area where we will run the day’s final regularity. The end of day control will be at the majestic Himeji Castle where those who wish to do so may linger before taking the highway to Kurashiki where the wonderful old town contains many delights. After a free day for the recce crew tomorrow, our next major island, Shikoku, beckons.

Day 23

It poured with rain on our recce rest day, but of course the sky was blue as we left Kurashiki the next morning. The Seto Ohashi Bridge is one of the world’s largest combined road and rail bridges and is made up of six individual bridges. The whole thing is incredibly spectacular, and we will have a Passage Control on one of the linking islands. Once on Shikoku Island, Japan’s fourth largest, things immediately seemed much more rural and the pace of life quieter. Our first stop was the Asan Circuit, a wonderful time-warp place only accessible by narrow, minor roads. How the flatbed transporters in the paddock accessed the place is a mystery to us.

On our way to our first planned regularity of the day a side road caught our attention, and we ventured in. It started brilliantly and then rapidly declined to the point where Jamie and I were walking in front to ensure Iain wouldn’t end up unable to move in either direction. With a huge sigh of relief, we finally reached civilisation and rapidly ditched the idea. We spent most of the remainder of the day in the thickly forested area around the Iya Valley where spectacular vistas and twisty, demanding roads will vie for crews’ attention. Along the way Scarecrow Village was a very strange, almost eerie place. We shall let you discover it yourself. Tired but happy with our day’s work we descended to the coast and our overnight hotel in Kochi.

Day 24

Who knew that submersible bridges were a thing? Our first regularity section of the day was bookended by such structures, and they certainly grabbed our attention. They are designed to take local traffic across rivers outside their flood seasons and are devoid of parapets. We three loved them. The roads got a bit faster and wider as we headed north, but Shikoku still had a bit of a backwater atmosphere to it. Road Stations are a thing in Japan. They tend to sell local produce and crafts, come with immaculate bathrooms, often have cafes, and to our surprise have vending machines that will supply you with a warm coffee if the ambient temperature is low enough to warrant it. Only in Japan!

The Kurushima Kaikyō Bridge on which we returned to Honshu is probably even more spectacular than that on which we had travelled the previous morning. It led us to the highway, and on to Hiroshima where we were aware that Nihon Hidankyo, a grassroots movement of atomic bomb survivors from Hiroshima and Nagasaki, won the Nobel Peace Prize only ten days ago. Rally competitors will have a day to contemplate that and explore the city on the event’s final rest day. Meanwhile the recce crew continued to Kyushu, our final Island of Japan.

Day 27

Jamie had researched a couple of circuits that we visited first thing. One was a wonderful, old-school, kind of place where the pits backed directly onto a main road layby! We decided it was just our kind of place and made a reservation with the kindly owner. As the rally draws to a close, we decided a couple of fun regularities would be in order, particularly as Kyushu throws up a maze of roads from time to time. Accurate navigation will be more important than strict timekeeping on the pair of sections either side of a great road station serving world class burgers. We decided to finish the day’s timing after the final regularity to allow competitors to spend as much time as they wish visiting the volcanically active Mount Aso.

We were blessed with terrific weather as we drove towards the summit and its crater, via a health check post where we had to declare we did not suffer from heart disease or any respiratory condition. We parked at the summit and started the short climb to the viewpoint when sirens began to sound, and we were urged to urgently evacuate the area. Our throats and noses started to sting as the crowd rushed to their cars. There was little of the Japanese sense of order as dozens of cars raced to clear the area. We were relieved, and somewhat exhilarated, when we arrived at our hotel at the mountain’s base.

Day 28

A pair of race circuits started off our final day before a simple regularity as we said goodbye to the event’s competition elements. There’s a final nod to Japanese cuisine as we arranged a simple noodle or curry lunch before a fairly easy run into Fukuoka. Our finish hotel dominates the coast with spectacular views in every direction. It has been a hell of an adventure getting to know Japan from north to south, from high-tech cities to simple rural villages. For days on end we didn’t see a single other westerner, and then we were in Kyoto and Hiroshima, both firmly on the tourist trail. Favourites? I loved the remoteness of the first week in Hokkaido, the back streets of Kurashiki, and the stunning bridge passages onto and off the island of Shikoku. As I write this the sun is setting in Fukuoka and I will remember forever a wonderful 28 days exploring this great country.