Detour #49: Irohazaka Winding Road, Japan
For centuries people would come to Irohazaka for a religious experience, but these days it’s believers in the art of drifting who make the pilgrimage.
Artfully carved into the mountains of Nikko are two of the most curvaceous roads in Japan. One climbs from Kiyotaki up to an observation deck at the Akechidaira plateau, the other descends back again. One-way only, with no less than 48 hairpin bends, it is to Irohazaka that the disciples of drifting head to enhance their skills.
The surface is extremely smooth, corners cambered and marked with paint at the apexes, as if begging drivers to power through the turns. You don’t need to worry about on-coming traffic, instead you can focus on carving the perfect line or catching the ideal dorifuto.
Each hairpin is marked by a letter from the Japanese alphabet, which is how the road got its name i-ro-ha are the first three characters, while zaka means slope. In English we’d call it ABC Hill, which is nowhere near as enticing.
It’s a site of incredible natural beauty, with stunning views of Lake Chuzenji and the Kegon Waterfall, while in the autumn the trees explode into colour with rich red and orange leaves that rival anything in New England.
If you want the roads to yourself then get in early, before the tourists, or for a more edgy experience, wait until dusk when the drifters arrive for this legendary touge run.
Words Nik Berg Twitter | Instagram
Photography Shutterstock / Jordi Sumoy / Unsplash
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ROADBOOK
Class: Touge Run
Name: Irohazaka Road
Route: Kiyotaki to Kiyotaki
Country: Japan
Distance: 25 miles