Last weekend, I attended a Super Formula event at Fuji Speedway. As a motorsport fan, it was a great day out and as it's not particularly well documented (and I've seen a few posts looking for details when searching here) I thought I would document what I did, how to get there, a few potential pitfalls and some other observations. If you have any questions, I'll try to answer them.
While I attended a Super Formula race, I would imagine similar advice applies to Super GT, the Japan Road Race Championship (superbikes), and other National championships. It may vary for bigger/international or smaller events.
Buying Tickets
Tickets are sold through a few channels. The easiest I found was Lawson Ticket and these can be bought online or through the Loppi terminal in all Lawson convenience stores when you arrive. Advance sales close when the event starts (usually on Friday morning) but National events basically never sell out and you can buy tickets at the gate, though that will be more expensive.
Getting to Fuji Speedway by public transport
Fuji is a bit out of the way but it’s entirely possible to get there by public transport. There are a few options but by far the most popular and frequent is the dedicated shuttle bus from Gotemba station.
Getting to/from Gotemba from/to Tokyo
Option 1: Romancecar Mt Fuji
This train runs three times per day from Shinjuku (the Odakyu section) to Gotemba via the south-west Tokyo suburbs. There is a departure at 6:40, which takes just over 90 minutes to Gotemba.
Note the Romancecar is a limited express, so you will need both a ticket and a seat reservation. Seat reservations can be made online or at an Odakyu ticket machine, but I needed to go to the ticket office to get the basic ticket in advance. The seat reservation is the important part though as the train can sell out.
Unfortunately, none of the return trips really work out with race day timings (the last departure is at 17:23, earlier than you can get out of the track after the last race) so you’ll be on JR lines for the journey back.
Option 2: JR lines
From Tokyo, take the Tokaido Line to Kozu and change to the Gotemba line. Depending on your starting point, this will take 2-3 hours.
As the Gotemba line is run by JR Central, it can cause problems with IC cards going to/from Tokyo - the solutions seem to be to exit and re-enter the ticket gates at Kozu or to buy a paper ticket (JR experts please correct me if I’m wrong). I bought a paper ticket from Gotemba and still needed to go to the ticket office at my destination, but Gotemba is a popular day trip destination so the staff seem to be used to sorting problems.
For people coming from elsewhere, Atami and Mishima are the closest Shinkansen stations to the Gotemba line, from the Tokyo and Nagoya directions, respectively.
Option 3: Highway buses from/to Tokyo
These came up on Google Maps but I didn’t use them. They might make sense for you, especially for the return trip.
Getting to the circuit
Use the Mt Fuji exit at Gotemba station and turn left. At bus stop 2, there’s a window where you can buy your ticket. On the day I went, a single was 720 yen and return was 1350 yen. There seemed to be a way to pay by contactless just before getting on bus but I didn’t want to chance it.
There was a schedule on the circuit website but in practice you queued up and each bus left with a full load. If you go on a quieter day like Saturday the schedule will probably be more fixed. The bus will enter the circuit gate and drop you behind the main grandstand, where you enter with your ticket.
The shuttle bus schedule was posted about 2-3 weeks before the event under the Service tab on the website, so don't worry if you can't see it before then.
Note: there are public buses that run past the circuit gates, which you will see on Google Maps. Avoid these as the gates are a fair distance from the main areas, though there is a shuttle that runs around the circuit perimeter roads if you do end up there.
At the circuit
The circuit experience will be familiar if you’ve been to a smaller event at a grade 1 track before. There’s the usual stalls selling merch and Japanese-style fast food. Parts of the main grandstand required a separate ticket and these were clearly signed, but the rest was general admission so feel free to move around during the day. There’s also a smaller stand at turn 1 with a big screen and other spectator areas around the track, though I didn't see any more big screens.
Like for other sports, the Japanese crowd are quiet but attentive and will applaud good overtakes etc. The circuit PA and radio will only be in Japanese though, at least for national series.
Other notes
- The track, including the main grandstand, is quite exposed, so bring your waterproofs/sunscreen as necessary.
- Take a walk around the infield during gaps in the racing, if only to appreciate the stunning setting in the mountains.
- If you’re into motorsport history, a section of the original 30 degree banking has been preserved. Follow the perimeter road past turn 1 and you’ll see a silver board making the entry to that section.
- The Fuji Speedway museum is supposed to be excellent, but it’s hard to incorporate a visit into a race day without missing a lot of track action. However, if you’re in the area on another day, it’s next to the east gate so the local public buses can get you there.
As I said at the top, if you have any questions, I will try to answer them in comments.