• Facebook
  • Twitter
MENUMENU
  • Menu
      • Australia (Albert Park)
      • Bahrain (Sakhir)
      • vietnamVietnam (Hanoi Street Circuit)
      • China (Shanghai International Circuit)
      • netherlands f1Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)
      • Spain (Circuit de Catalunya)
      • Monaco (Monte Carlo)
      • f1 azerbaijanAzerbaijan (Baku)
      • Canada (Circuit Gilles Villeneuve)
      • France (Paul Ricard)
      • Austria (Red Bull Ring)
      • British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
      • Hungary (Hungaroring)
      • Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
      • Italy (Monza)
      • Singapore (Marina Bay)
      • f1 russiaRussia (Sochi)
      • Japan (Suzuka)
      • USA (Circuit of the Americas)
      • f1 mexicoMexico (Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez)
      • f1 brazilBrazil (Interlagos)
      • Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
    • f1 schedule 2021

      2021 F1 Calendar drops Hanoi, adds Saudi GP night race

    • Hey, I'm Danny - just your regular F1 obsessed nut. I started the F1 Spectator to inform and inspire other fans who are planning their F1 trip

      Read More

    • I love hearing from you guys. if you have a story, a question or just want to say hi, this is the bit you click on.

      CONTACT


      Connect with me on Twitter and Facebook

      .
      • Home
      • Resources
      • Blog
      • about
      • contact

Japanese Grand Prix Travel Guide

Japanese Grand Prix

Suzuka Circuit, Mie Prefecture
8th – 10th October, 2021
  • Tips & Info
  • Tickets
  • Spectating
  • Getting There

Suzuka has long been host to the F1 circus towards the end of the season and for veteran fans of the sport it is a place with many memories, with the Prost and Senna rivalry reaching a climax here in 1989 and 1990, Hill taking the title in 1996, and Schumacher’s first of many championships for Ferrari in 2000.

japanese grand prix

The circuit would make it onto a lot of fans favorites lists as well as drivers, the circuit being built as a Honda test track it provides an interesting mix of corners that challenge both driver and car and many of which, such as the revered 130-R have earned their place in F1 folklore. Seeing F1 cars take on this famous circuit that has been relatively unchanged for decades, is reason enough for most spectators.

But there are lots of reasons to want to visit Suzuka. What really makes the place unique is the Japanese F1 fans; fanatical about the sport they love, very knowledgeable and famously a little quirky in how they express their passion for Formula One. Nearly everyone will come dressed in team merchandise at a minimum, with cardboard F1 car hat and Bernie Ecclestone glove puppets as optional extras. Wherever you’re from you’ll enjoy mixing it up with the locals, joining in the craziness and having a Japanese Grand Prix experience that will be truly memorable and unlike any other.

Japanese Grand Prix F1 Spectator Tips

  • The iconic ferris wheel at Suzuka is one of F1’s most recognizable landmarks. On Friday or Saturday the lines won’t be that long and you’ll get a great view over the circuit.
  • Not much English is spoken in Japan and although the people are extremely helpful, it’s a good idea to learn a few words to help you get by.
  • BYO bento! You might notice Japan can be a bit crowded in places and Suzuka is no exception. The queue for food stalls get pretty long so either bring your own or try to time your hunger cravings for off peak dining.

Manga Kissa wa do ko des ka?

Stuck for accommodation? Campsites near the circuit sell out and hotels in Nagoya are expensive. As a last resort, or simply to experience a unique facet of a trip to Japan, 24 hour internet cafes, or ‘manga kissa’ are a worth a try. These temples of teenage gamers and salary men who missed the last bus home are used to being used as a place to crash for the night and many offer facilities such as showers, hairdryers, blankets and ready meal vending machines.

Your sleepover space is a basic but roomy cubicle with a reclining chair and enough floor space to stretch out on and will cost about ‎¥2500 for an 8 hour stay. From the gates of the circuit in Suzuka, you can find one such place within about a 25 minute walk and another few are located close to Shiroko train station.

Things to do near Suzuka – Attractions away from the circuit

Suzuka’s location in the heartland of Japanese automotive industry makes a visit to the Grand Prix easy to combine with a trip to one or several related attractions in the region.

The circuit’s proximity to Kansai, Japan’s cultural and historical core is a plus, and if you need reasons to persuade a not so F1 crazed travel partner to accompany you, then look no further.

destination japan
© Curt Smith | Flickr

Toyota Kaikan Museum

toyota factory tour
© Wikimedia

One time competitor in Formula One and the worlds biggest car company, Toyota have their headquaters about an hour away from Nagoya where the Toyota Kaikan Museum is open to the public. Inside, concept cars, latest models and new tech are showcased and you might even get to see a trumpet-playing robot if that’s your thing. The real draw though are the daily tours of the factory that show you through the processes of a real working car manufacturing plant. The 2 hour tours are in English and Japanese and need to be reserved online. The tours are very popular so book well in advance to get the date you want.

It takes about 1 hour 30 minutes from Nagoya Station to the museum. Recommended route is from Nagoya Station to Mikawa-Toyota Station, then a further 20 minutes on foot.

opening hours9AM - 5PM Monday to Friday, tours start at 11am with registration 30 minutes prior
ticket priceFREE
websitetoyota.co.jp
address locationToyota-cho, Toyota, Aichi, 471-0826 Japan | GPS: 35.051758,137.1558031 | View on map

Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology

toyota museum
© Bariston | Wikimedia

The Toyota Commemorative Museum of Industry and Technology luckily enough can also be referred to simply as Toyota Techno Museum. Bare with the section on Toyota’s early days of weaving and textiles and you’ll be rewarded in the Automobile Pavilion with an in depth dive into the world of car manufacturing, where you’ll view demonstrations of actual machinery used on the production lines and learn from audio and visual installations about the components and apparatus used. There are also of course a number of car models on display that represent landmarks in Toyota’s history, all buffed to a near blinding shine.

25 minute walk or 5 minutes by car from Nagoya Station. 10 minute walk from the No. 2 exit of Kamejima Station on the Higashiyama Line

opening hours9:30 - 5PM (last admission 4:30PM)
ticket price‎¥500, Multi-Tickets (includes access to Toyota Automobile Museum) ‎¥1200
websitetcmit.org
phone number+81 52 551 6115
address location1-35, Noritake Shinmachi 4-chome, Nishi-ku, Nagoya 451-0051 Japan | GPS: 35.1819997,136.8743622 | View on map

Kansai

kyoto attraction
© Bill Richards | Flickr

The region of Kansai with it’s flagship city of Kyoto is on the itineraries of most visitors to Japan and if you’re coming for the Grand Prix, Kyoto’s beautiful temples and serene gardens make a pleasant ying to Nagoyas technological, big city yang. This is the Japan of your imagination, where geisha still practice centuries old rituals and an entire ceremony is created around the humble cup of tea. Kyoto is about 1.5 hours by train from Nagoya JR station.

Essential Info

CurrencyYen (¥JPY)
Time UTC +9
LanguageJapanese

The weather at this time of year is often still very, very hot. Typhoon season is close to an end but the race weekend has often been interrupted by heavy rain storms, with sessions being postponed at worst, or just making a Suzuka poncho a wise purchase (as well as a nice souvenir).

back to top
ABOUT MEQUESTIONS & FEEDBACKSUBSCRIBEDISCLAIMER
about F1SI’m Danny, an incurable Formula 1 fan for over 25 years and founder of The F1 Spectator. My aim is to inform and inspire, arming you with helpful tips and advice for your next F1 trip.

Follow @thef1spectator

Do you have any questions? Is there something you think needs correcting? Do you want to add something you think other fans would benefit from? Do you want to send me a poem about your cat? Whatever your reasons, you can get in touch and get a response from a real, live human here.
You can get updates about this Grand Prix and others so you'll be the first to know when tickets go on sale, get Early Bird discounts and snap up the best seats. Go here to sign up and choose your preferences.
Please remember that while a lot of care and painstaking research goes into each F1S guide, they are just that - a guide. Things change so it's important do your own due diligence and fact checking before attending a Grand Prix.

2017 F1 Spectator Guides

Austrian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Austrian Grand Prix Travel Guide

British Grand Prix F1 Travel Guide

British Grand Prix Travel Guide

Hungarian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Hungarian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Belgian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Belgian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Italian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Italian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Singapore Grand Prix Travel Guide

Singapore Grand Prix Travel Guide

Malaysian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Malaysian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Japanese Grand Prix Travel Guide

Japanese Grand Prix Travel Guide

United States Grand Prix Travel Guide

United States Grand Prix Travel Guide

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Travel Guide

Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Travel Guide

2018 F1 Spectator Guides

Australian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Australian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Chinese Grand Prix F1 Travel Guide

Chinese Grand Prix Travel Guide

Bahrain Grand Prix Travel Guide

Bahrain Grand Prix Travel Guide

Spanish Grand Prix Travel Guide

Spanish Grand Prix Travel Guide

Monaco Grand Prix Travel Guide

Monaco Grand Prix Travel Guide

Canadian Grand Prix Travel Guide

Canadian Grand Prix Travel Guide

[TWTR]

Featured Posts

f1 schedule 2021

2021 F1 Calendar drops Hanoi, adds Saudi GP night race

2020 F1 Calendar takes shape: 4 Grand Prix abandoned, Imola, Algarve and Nürburgring confirmed

monaco historic grand prix

Time Travellers Guide to the Monaco Historic Grand Prix

f1 tv pro contest

Win a 1 year F1 TV Pro Subscription

The F1 Spectator Grand Prix Survival Guide

F1 Travel Guides

  • Australia (Albert Park)
  • Bahrain (Sakhir)
  • vietnamVietnam (Hanoi Street Circuit)
  • China (Shanghai International Circuit)
  • netherlands f1Dutch Grand Prix (Zandvoort)
  • Spain (Circuit de Catalunya)
  • Monaco (Monte Carlo)
  • f1 azerbaijanAzerbaijan (Baku)
  • Canada (Circuit Gilles Villeneuve)
  • France (Paul Ricard)
  • Austria (Red Bull Ring)
  • British Grand Prix (Silverstone)
  • Hungary (Hungaroring)
  • Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
  • Italy (Monza)
  • Singapore (Marina Bay)
  • f1 russiaRussia (Sochi)
  • Japan (Suzuka)
  • USA (Circuit of the Americas)
  • f1 mexicoMexico (Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez)
  • f1 brazilBrazil (Interlagos)
  • Abu Dhabi (Yas Marina)
  • Blog
  • resources
  • Submit Review
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy Policy

This website is unofficial and is not associated in any way with the Formula One group of companies. F1, FORMULA ONE, FORMULA 1, FIA FORMULA ONE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP, GRAND PRIX and related marks are trade marks of Formula One Licensing B.V.

© Copyright The F1 Spectator 2014-2021. All rights reserved.

  • Facebook
  • RSS
  • Twitter

© Copyright The F1 Spectator 2014-2017. All rights reserved.

made with ♥ by an F1 nut

bahrain grandstand map

The F1 Spectator uses cookies to improve the user experience. Read more.