Nagano
Nagano Prefecture, as home to "high-altitude driving philosophy" generated by Japanese Alps mountain terrain (elevation 1,000-3,000m), has cultivated motorsport culture completely different from flatland circuits. Mountain passes including Venus Line (elevation 1,400-1,900m), Shiga Kogen (Japan's highest-grade drive routes), and Usui Pass (Gunma border) generate "quiet speed"—the contradictory state of being fast without hurrying. Thin mountain air changes vehicle response; the unique experience of "altitude sharpening driving sensation" can never be obtained at Suzuka (around 30m elevation) or Fuji (600m elevation).
Nagano's circuit facilities include Asama Circuit (Saku City, approximately 900m elevation) and Sportsland Shinshu (Ueda City, approximately 500m elevation), but Nagano residents' true passion lies in "touge culture." Tourist roads including Shiraito Highland Way, Norikura Skyline (2,700m elevation, one of Japan's highest roads), and Utsukushigahara Highland Road become unofficial driving experience venues during the 5-7 AM "before general tourists arrive" time window. Police enforcement exists, but tacit understanding of "some tolerance for tourism promotion"—Nagano's tourism revenue heavily depends on mountain pass driving, making complete prohibition economically impossible.
Nagano's "quiet speed" philosophy is rooted in experiences of vehicle-landscape integration. Moments passing through Venus Line grasslands, ridgelines swept by Utsukushigahara winds, Shiga Kogen autumn foliage tunnels—instants when speed pursuit transforms into "dialogue with nature" form the core of Nagano driving. The expression "car and landscape breathe together" frequently emerges from local drivers. Fundamentally different values from Tokyo/Osaka's "speed for speed's sake"—Nagano is not "a place to drive fast" but "a place to question the meaning of driving fast."
Touge culture became globally famous through manga "Initial D," but Nagano residents view this commercialization with mixed feelings. Usui Pass (Gunma-Nagano border), as an Initial D location, attracts tourist crowds, spawning local complaints that "real drivers can't drive anymore." Conversely, increased tourism revenue is welcomed—this contradiction complicates Nagano's mountain pass management policy. Police strictly crack down on "tourist illegal driving" but are relatively tolerant of "local regular early-morning driving"—a delicate balance between consideration for local economy and safety assurance.
Suzuka Circuit is distant from Nagano (approximately 280km via Chuo Expressway, Tomei, Isewangan, 4 hours). Fuji Speedway is closer (approximately 200km via Chuo Expressway, 3 hours) but still "difficult for day trips." Consequently, many Nagano residents choose "mountain passes over circuits"—economic rationality (passes are free to few hundred yen, circuits are tens of thousands of yen plus accommodation) overlaps with psychological reasoning that "flatland circuits can't provide high-altitude driving pleasure." Asama Circuit is important for local beginners, but the dominant perception is "serious drivers go to mountain passes." Nagano's motorsport continues generating unique "alpine driving philosophy" through three elements: "high-altitude thin air," "distinct four-season changes," and "unity with nature."