One of Japan’s most iconic geographic and cultural landmarks is the majestic Mount Fuji which dominates the skyline around Fuji International Speedway, the circuit which will welcome the sixth round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship on Sunday, 20th.
A Toyota heartland following the Japanese motor manufacturer’s acquisition of the Fuji Speedway in 2000, the track is situated at the foot of Mount Fuji which is one of Japan’s three sacred mountains. It was built in the early 1960s and hosted the first Formula One race in Japan in 1976, welcoming sportscars and national racing series in the 1980s. The 4.56km track layout, which was re-profiled in 2003 by Hermann Tilke, includes an extremely impressive 1.5km long straight.
Fuji International Speedway is to be found in the town of Oyama, around 100 kilometres south-west of Tokyo, within the highly industrialised prefecture of Shizuoka. It may be the site of industry, but it is also the region where nearly half of all of the green tea consumed in Japan is grown.
Mount Fuji – referred to in Japan as Fuji-san – is obviously the biggest local attraction, its peak being at a height of 3,775 metres (12,389 ft) and featuring a strato-volcano which last erupted in 1707. Although situated in southern Japan, temperatures at the top of Mount Fuji are cool and the climb to the top for an average of 150,000 people per year is not recommended between the months of October and May as the snow and strong winds have been the cause of many accidents. If the window is open for long enough for the climb via one of the five routes to the summit of Fuji-san, reaching the top is quite possible and is a sort of pilgrimage for the Japanese.
Mount Fuji’s seismic activity, being part of the Pacific Ring of Fire, delights lovers of hot water baths: ‘onsen’ – hot springs – abound in the region, which have enabled ‘ryokan’, traditional Japanese inns, to spread within the Five Lakes region where the circuit is situated. Lake Kawaguchi is well-known for reflecting the image of Mount Fuji, while the Sai Lake is bordered by the Aokigara Jukai forest, the weird and wonderful figures of which pepper regional legends.
The presence of the FIA World Endurance Championship is most definitely a modern-day reality and the WEC competitors all wait to see if Mount Fuji will be snow-tipped and who will be the dominant forces in the 6 Hours of Fuji. If you can’t be at Fuji, tune into www.fiawec.com for answers!
Photo: OYAMA-CHO (SHINOZUKA PREFECTURE, JAPAN), FUJI INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY, 6 HOURS OF FUJI. The Fuji track will welcome the sixth round of the 2013 FIA World Endurance Championship.
