At 11:07 pm local time on Saturday night in Japan, a 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook the seabed off the country’s northeast coast. The effects spread all the way to Tokyo, hours away. And on its way, one of the best skid lanes in the world suffered significant damage to the Ebisu circuit. The earthquake caused landslides across the region, crumbling highways and obscuring roads. On the Ebisu Circuit, photos of the destruction show giant sections of the track broken and covered with dirt and mud, and the cleanup will be extensive.
In the mountains of northern Japan, the Ebisu Circuit is a complex of seven tracks and two skid skates with a maze of elevation changes and sharp turns. Loved by drivers around the world, Ebisu was designed by the pioneering drift driver Nobushige Kumakubo. Three times a year, this spectacular venue opens its doors for a day and a half for Matsuri, a barrier-free event for anyone looking to have fun. Interestingly, the Ebisu Circuit is combined with a Tōhoku Safari Park, where lions, tigers, monkeys, bears and more are caged close to the trails.
Located almost four hours from Tokyo, this trail is not easy to reach, but it is worth the effort. Drivers visit circuits built on a mountainside in the town of Nihonmatsu, in Fukushima Prefecture, for a variety of racing options with incredible views and challenging features. The circuits include Nishi (west), Kita (north), Higashi (east, which has the longest straight), Minami (south, where the D1 Grand Prix races take place), Drift Land, the School Course and the mountain pass (the Touge) The skid pads are called Terra KuruKuru; kurukuru means “round and round” in Japanese, which describes the action perfectly. You can even take a “Drift Taxi” and ride with two other friends in a tuned Toyota JZX110 Mark II; for 30,000 yen plus an additional 500 for insurance, an experienced driver will take you on a tour of the main circuits.
Drift Land suffered considerable damage from the earthquake, as you will see in the Powervehicles.com video below:
It will be a big cleaning job and I hope for a full recovery soon.
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