To Develop Japan’s Automobile Industry
“Without Competing in Races, We Won’t Be able to Improve Our Cars“
Many know this as the words of Honda’s founder, Soichiro Honda. However, this does not only refer to Honda’s vehicles. In 1959, Honda entered the Isle of Man TT races, the world’s premier motorcycle race at the time, and achieved its first victory in its third year of competition. By seeing the world, Soichiro also realized that Japan’s technology lagged, and yearned to develop Japan’s automobile industry. If Honda was to develop only its own cars, it would build a large test track. But instead, Honda built the Suzuka Circuit in September 1962. It was an international racing track that would later be praised by racing drivers around the world. This was at a time when many roads in Japan were unpaved, gravel roads, and highways had not yet been built. Honda believed that it was the manufacturer’s duty to build a racetrack where drivers could drive safely at high speeds.
Honda then opened the Suzuka Circuit to the public. Various Japanese manufacturers drove their cars on this circuit and advanced their technologies while overcoming problems that arise at high-speeds. The foundation of the Japanese automobile industry, which is now on a par with the rest of the world, was arguably laid at the Suzuka Circuit. The goal of opening the Suzuka Circuit to the public was also to promote a deeper understanding of car and motorcycle technologies and to raise the level of Japanese automobile culture by encouraging people to enjoy motorsports.
Suzuka Circuit built to develop Japan’s automobile culture (1962)
Tech, a Playground for Motorcycles
Tech, a sports ground to improve driving skills and manners, and an automobile amusement park to share the “Fun of Driving.”
In the early 1960s, as motorcycles became popular in Japan, young people who had nowhere else to go rode recklessly on public roads. They became a social issue known as the “Kaminari-zoku” (hot rodders). To solve this problem, Honda launched a plan to build motorcycle riding grounds, named “Tech,” throughout the country. In February 1961, Honda established Motor Sports Land Co., Ltd. (later changed to Honda Mobilityland). In October 1961, approximately one year before the Suzuka Circuit was complete, Tama Tech and Ikoma Tech, which were based on this concept, were completed, and began operations as a sports ground that offered practical initiatives to help riders improve their skills and manners.
In April 1962, the second phase of construction of both Techs was completed, and they began operating as automobile amusement parks (Motopia), targeting families, especially children, and offering rides powered by Honda engines. Inspired by the highly imaginative Disneyland, Takeo Fujisawa, then senior managing director of Honda, ordered the rides, not only the engines, be constructed in-house. He was determined to provide the “joy of driving” with vehicles developed by the Honda Group. By having children familiarize themselves with engines from a young age, and experiencing the “Joy of Driving” for themselves, Fujisawa aimed to nurture Honda and automobile fans.
The Dawn of Motorsports in Japan
The first full-scale motorcycle road race in Japan, the first All Japan Championship Road Race Meeting, was held as the christening event for the Suzuka Circuit (1962).
The first Japan Grand-Prix Car Race (1963), which also served as a catalyst for Japanese manufacturers to improve performance.
In November 1962, two months after the Suzuka Circuit was completed, the first All Japan Championship Road Race Meeting was held as the track’s christening event. It was the first full-scale motorcycle road race in Japan held on a paved track. A total of 270,000 spectators came to watch over the two days. The huge crowd was a testament to the high expectations for the Suzuka Circuit. In front of the crowd, Honda won in all classes: 50 cc, 125 cc, 250 cc, and 350 cc.
The first full-scale motorcycle road race in Japan, the first All Japan Championship Road Race Meeting, was held as the christening event for the Suzuka Circuit (1962).
The following year, in May 1963, the first Japan Grand-Prix Car Race was held, followed by the Road Racing World Championship in November. Especially for the automobile classes, this was the first time for any domestic manufacturer to participate in a full-scale car race, and there were endless problems. Not a single tire was satisfactory, brakes failed, engines blew, and even hoods popped open while racing. The engineers of Japanese manufacturers, who had witnessed the difference in performance between their cars and those of foreign manufacturers, took this race as an opportunity to focus their efforts on improving performance. All of this was possible if there was a place to drive. The Suzuka Circuit had brought the dawn of motorsports to Japan. It was here that Japanese automobile technology and motorsports culture developed.
First All Japan Road Race Championship (courtesy Suzuka Circuit)
“Record of Speed” -
First Japan Grand Prix Car Race
(courtesy Suzuka Circuit)
The Suzuka Circuit’s Other Side
The Suzuka Circuit Safe Driving Training Center (1964), which has another face of the Suzuka Circuit, promoting safe driving.
Around the time of the Japan Grand-Prix Car Race, the Meishin Expressway opened to traffic in July 1963. It was Japan’s first expressway, a 71.7 km stretch between the Ritto and Amagasaki interchanges. This led to a growing need for high-speed driving training for police motorcycle and car officers patrolling the expressway. In response, the Suzuka Circuit began providing technical training and instruction to acquire driving skills adapted to high-speed driving. This was the beginning of the current Traffic Education Center. At that time, it was called the Safe Driving Training Center. From here, Suzuka Circuit gained another face, the function of promoting safe driving.
The first trainees to ride on the Suzuka Circuit’s international racing course were motorcycle police officers from the Osaka Prefectural Police, Aichi Prefectural Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department. They were trained in skills such as high-speed gear changes, braking, entering and exiting turns. All kinds of high-speed training using racing courses, including braking from high speeds, which could not be practiced on public roads or general training courses, were valuable training for the motorcycle police officers. Low-speed balance training such as slalom and trials were also conducted. The basis for Honda’s current motorcycle training curriculum was created at this time. Since there were no precedents to learn from, even around the world, the training staff created the curriculum from scratch. They conducted numerous experiments by trial-and-error, sometimes driving on public roads, stopping at car accidents to investigate and understand the causes. As a result of these efforts, the training soon bore fruit. The number of traffic police officers killed in the line of duty, which had previously been in the double digits, was reduced to single digits.
Overcoming the Odds to Become a Comprehensive
Leisure Complex
The third Japan Grand-Prix Car Race, which was planned for 1965, was cancelled due to various reasons. Instead, it was held at the newly built Fuji Speedway the following year in 1966. Furthermore, the Road Racing World Championship was not to be held at Suzuka. As Techniland Co., Ltd.*1 had a strong sense of pride in having fostered grand prix racing for the development of motorization in Japan, it “could not allow itself to be weighed against other circuits on the basis of financial conditions,” and decided to withdraw from the series. This decision was based on the believed that “a company is eternal, and should not be swayed by temporary interests.”
In an extra issue of Techniland's newsletter (March 15, 1966 issue), Fujisawa stated: “Suzuka Circuit, Tama Tech, and Asaka Tech are not mere amusement parks or circuits, nor are they mere tourist attractions or hotels. They are ‘an unparalleled panorama of dreams and science, featuring the best of creativity and technology.’” True to his words, Techniland has transformed itself from being a “mere circuit or amusement park.” After withdrawing from hosting grand prix races, the Mie Carnival was organized by young staff members, becoming the mainstay of the company’s operations. The Suzuka Circuit was transformed into a stage of excitement and fun, where countless participants rubbed shoulders and danced the Jenka, a famous folk dance song.
Mie Carnival Finale Dance
Motopia, an automobile amusement park attached to Suzuka Circuit
Engine class that gave shape to “Seeing, Hearing, and Trying.”
With the conclusion of the Kaminari-zoku(hot rodders) problem, Techniland shifted its axis of business to an automobile amusement park, Motopia, built adjacent to the Suzuka Circuit. A hotel was also built. The hotel’s policy was to respect the autonomy of its guests, based on the idea that it would provide an open atmosphere where guests could spend their time freely, rather than the “full service” of a ryokan in a tourist area. In 1964, the company started an engine school at Tama Tech, giving form to the idea of “seeing, hearing, and trying.” The program, in which participants disassembled and reassembled real engines and operated them, was well received by elementary, junior high, and high school students. The program was soon expanded to the Suzuka Circuit. Eventually, it developed into a school excursion program combining a visit to the Suzuka Factory and an overnight stay at the hotel.
The Mie Carnival, held in place of the grand prix hosting, as the mainstay of sales, was held until 1970, and was succeeded the following year as the Suzuka Carnival. To weather the oil crisis that began in 1973, the Suzuka Circuit held the “Andersen Centennial & Denmark Fair” at Motopia. This was the beginning of a series of fairs featuring European countries, including Germany, Switzerland, the Netherlands, the U.K., and France, which became a regular spring event. The entire park was decorated in the colors and designs of the featured countries, with performances by artists and craftsmen from the country, product sales, and restaurants serving cuisine. At a time when overseas travel was uncommon, the fair was popular as an opportunity to experience European culture. It was a triumph of planning that captured the hearts and minds of the people of the time, who longed to learn foreign culture.
- In June 1962, the company name was changed from Motor Sports Land Co., Ltd. It later became Honda Mobilityland Corporation.
The Rebirth of Motorsports
New Races Focus on People
The Great 20 Drivers Race" contested by the top 20 drivers in Japan.
To revive motorsports, Suzuka Circuit pursued new initiatives. In the 1970s, health hazards caused by lead emissions and photochemical smog became social problems, and there was a growing demand for emission regulations, which led all automobile manufacturers to reduce their racing activities. The automobile-led era was over, and it was necessary to work on a new project. For automobiles, the strategy centered on formula car racing*2 , and a race focusing on drivers, the Great 20 Drivers’ Race was held in 1971 to promote this strategy. As the name suggested, this race, in which 20 of Japan’s top drivers in terms of popularity and skill raced against each other, was a groundbreaking initiative at the time and attracted a great deal of attention. From 1973, the race was held as the All-Japan F2000 Championship Suzuka Great 20 Drivers’ Race. In addition to the F2000 class, which conformed to the international F2 standards, the FJ1300 and FL500 classes were also established, aiming to establish a domestic formula racing system. While it had been difficult for formula car racing to take root in Japan until then, the races produced famous drivers such as Kazuyoshi Hoshino and Satoru Nakajima, who became representatives of the Japanese motorsports world, and served as a major catalyst for the establishment of formula car racing in Japan.
This led to an increase in Japanese enthusiasm for formula racing, which later led to the invitation of the Formula One (F1™ *3) World Championship.
- Racing in open single-seaters (with open cockpits and uncovered tires)
- FIA Formula One Championship (F1™). FIA: Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile
Suzuka 8 Hours Turns Race into Festival
Motorcycle endurance racing, which had been suspended since 1974 due to the oil crisis, was revived as the All Japan Championship Suzuka 6 Hours Endurance Motorcycle Race in 1977, at the request of fans, riders, and officials. The year before, Honda, which had taken a break from major racing activities, began participating in the European Endurance Championship series and won the traditional and prestigious 24 Hours of Bordeaux endurance race in France, on a Honda RCB1000 factory bike. The consensus was, “We want Japanese race fans to see the RCB1000, which has been making rapid progress and is unsinkable,” “We want to hold international, glamorous, and high-level races,” and “If we hold endurance races with international prestige in which leading European teams can participate, like the Le Mans and Bordeaux, it will become a festival of motorcycle racing in Japan.” The enthusiasm of the Suzuka Circuit was conveyed to people involved, and spread to other motorsports fans, leading to the International Suzuka 8 Hours Endurance Motorcycle Race edging closer and closer to reality.
Sunset acts as dramatic backdrop at Suzuka 8 Hours
Racing at the Suzuka 8 Hours (2010)
The most important feature of the 8-hour endurance race was nighttime racing. When the staff of Suzuka visited overseas races, they watched headlights illuminating the track. At that time, they felt that this nighttime racing was indispensable for an 8-hour race. In summer, sunset is around 6:40 pm. They wanted to continue the race one hour into the night. On the other hand, the checkered flag was set at 7:30 p.m. in consideration of traffic and noise problems for fans to return home. Next, the race length was determined to be 8 hours, based on the experience of holding 24-hour endurance races in the past, and considering the burden on the management staff, teams, and riders. This meant the race would start at 11:30 am.
The inaugural race was held in 1978. The setting sun on the back straight set the scene for the Suzuka 8 Hours. The dramatic race, in which the privateer Yoshimura team won on a Suzuki GS1000 over Honda’s RCB1000, also became an instant sensation. The fireworks display held in conjunction with the race to liven up the finish line at night was also a hot topic. Since then, the Suzuka 8 Hours has grown into a major race that attracts more than 100,000 spectators in a single day.
Start of the Suzuka 8 Hours. This year, Honda dominated the podium (2010)
