RtG Japan Daily Dispatch - day00 - Flipbook - Page 25
18 September to
16 October 2025
Day 12 Nikko to Karuizawa (233km)
30 September 2025
We enjoyed a cultural shift and a change of pace today, to allow an early morning visit to the impressive
Nikko Toshogu Shrine. Tokugawa Ieyasu, who played a pivotal role in unifying Japan, was laid to rest
here. A year after his death, in 1605, he was elevated to divinity, and the intricacies of the temple
complex reflect his importance to Japanese culture.
Photos: gerardbrown.co.uk
Gerd Buehler and Janine Franssen, 1979 Mercedes-Benz 450 SLC
As well as a huge helping of culture, there were three
Regularities, a Passage Control and three Time Controls to
get through and, on the way, two of Japan’s famous Musical
Roads. These are variations of the rumble strip, designed
to warn sleepy drivers when they’re veering off the road. A
series of grooves is set in the road surface and produces a
tune to bring the driver’s attention back to the job in hand.
We began the day with a tour of the lake and a brakebusting descent from the splendour of the Chuzenji
Kanaya. Having visited the shrine, the rally day proper
began from the car park of another Lawson convenience
store. The crews were sent straight into the Hosoo Pass
Regularity where, 38 hairpins later, we topped out at
1180m and made out way to a Passage Control at Kusagi
Lake. Next up a Time Control at the Tomihiro Art Museum
where the paintings of the quadriplegic artist, Tomihiro
Hoshino, are displayed.
A main road took the cars to another Time Control
and lunch at the Tenjin Chayafor, a very tasty, low-level,
chabudai experience. Then it was off through a series of
tunnels and, another musical road above the Kanda River,
to the day’s second Regularity from Kodaira.
www.rallytheglobe.com
