On Saturday night at 11:07 p.m. local time in Japan, a magnitude 7.3 earthquake shook the seafloor just off the country’s northeast coast. The effects rippled all the way to Tokyo hours away. And in its path, one of the world’s best drift courses suffered significant damage on the Ebisu Circuit. The earthquake caused landslides in the region, collapsing highways and darkening roads. On the Ebisu Circuit, photos of the destruction show gigantic sections of the track broken and covered in dirt and mud, and the clean-up will be extensive.
In the mountains of Northern Japan, the Ebisu Circuit is a complex of seven tracks and two skid pads with a maze of elevation changes and sharp turns. Loved by motorists around the world, the Ebisu was designed by pioneer drift driver Nobushige Kumakubo. Three times a year, this spectacular venue opens its gates for a day and a half to Matsuri, an event without restrictions for anyone looking to get in on the fun. Interestingly, the Ebisu circuit is combined with a Tōhoku safari park, where lions, tigers, monkeys, bears, and more are caged near the tracks.
Located nearly a four-hour drive from Tokyo, this circuit is not easy to get to, but it is worth it. Drivers visit the circuits built into the side of a mountain in Nihonmatsu town in Fukushima prefecture for a variety of racing options with incredible views and challenging features. Circuits include Nishi (west), Kita (north), Higashi (east, which immediately has the longest), Minami (south, where D1 Grand Prix races take place), Drift Land, the School Course and the mountain pass (the Touge). The skid pads are called KuruKuru Land; Kurukuru means “round and round” in Japanese, which describes the action perfectly. You can even take a “Drift Taxi” and drive a tuned Toyota JZX110 Mark II with two other friends; for 30,000 yen plus 500 extra for insurance, an experienced driver will take you on a sideways tour of the major circuits.
Drift Land suffered significant damage from the earthquake, as you will see in the video from Powervehicles.com below:
This is going to be a major cleanup and I hope I have fully recovered soon.
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