Fuji Speedway Hotel Guests Can Turn Laps On A Storied Japanese Track

Opened in 2022 at the foot of 3,776-meter (12,388 feet) Mt. Fuji, and with rooms directly overlooking the famous Fuji Speedway, the hotel isn't just about comfort, but adventure.

For 110,000 yen (about $700), the hotel concierge will arrange for a private guide to take guests up Mt. Fuji's Fujinomiya Route during the busy climbing season, mid-July through mid-September. The excursion is a two-day affair, with clients spending a night on the mountain. Participants should be fit, given that the ascent is physically demanding.

Fuji Speedway Hotel’s driving experience is more reasonably priced - 3,300 yen ($20) if you bring your own vehicle. If not, a Toyota GR Supra is available on-premises for an additional 9,900 yen ($60).

Owned by Toyota since 2000, Fuji Speedway has a long and storied past. Since it was built in 1965, racing legends - including Jim Clark, Sir Jackie Stewart, Mario Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi - have raced, or tested, on its asphalt.

In 1976 at the final Formula 1 race of the season, points leader Niki Lauda retired early at Fuji, meaning James Hunt only needed a fourth-place finish to take the World Driving Championship from Lauda. In a thrilling, weather-challenged race, Hunt, after several problems of his own, managed to climb to third, giving him just enough championship points to overtake Lauda, 69 to 68.

Participants in the hotel’s driving experience form in a line in pit lane and are then led for three laps by a professional through all 16 turns of Fuji’s 4.56-kilometer (2.84 miles) road course. Given that drivers are not wearing helmets or fireproof suits, and that the cars are not specially prepared like race cars, moderation is the rule of the day.

This past Monday I visited the speedway to participate myself in a rented GR Supra. It was a hot muggy, day with Mt. Fuji, unfortunately, obscured by clouds. That is not usually the case. But it was great fun to circle such an historic track with its twists and turns and the other drivers, quite a diverse group.

One vehicle’s occupants, for example, in a mini-van no less, contained a mother, father and their two children. Directly behind the van was a serious racer in an expensive McLaren sports car.

To make the laps more interesting for me, exiting the final corner before the long front straight I would slow to let the car in front of me get out way ahead (no passing is allowed). Once that car was halfway down the straight, I would floor my Supra. The acceleration is pretty impressive - it was up to 160 kph (100 mph) in no time. I would ease up quickly, though, when I caught up to the other car and prepared for the sharp right-hander at the end of the straight.

The track experience has become so popular now that next month, according to the hotel’s marketing director Koshiro Masaki, an advanced program will be available for more seasoned drivers. Among other things, it will include one-on-one coaching from pros.

As for the hotel itself, it is situated just 10 kilometers (six miles) from Gotemba Station, and features 120 luxury rooms starting at 40,000 yen ($250) per night. Twenty-one are suites (100,000 yen per night), and five are villas (200,000 yen per night). Some are even pet-friendly.

Amenities are many and include a heated indoor pool, the fascinating Fuji Motorsports Museum, a massage room, yoga, fishing, horseback riding and men’s and women’s onsens.

Jim Clash