Downhill Driving: Wada Toge (Wada Pass), Nagano – Autumn Leaves [4K] JAPAN

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Tōge (峠, also spelled touge) (pronounced ‘TOE-ge’) is a Japanese word literally meaning “pass”. It refers to a mountain pass or any of the narrow, winding roads that can be found in and around the mountains of Japan and other geographically similar areas.

In order to decrease the incline of mountain roads, thereby making them easier for commercial trucks to pass, engineers place a series of S bends in steep roads that provide access to and from high mountain elevations. These passes have become popular with street racers and motorsport enthusiasts, because they provide a challenging – albeit dangerous – course.

Tōge racing’s notoriety outside Japan may be largely attributed to entertainment media such as Ridge Racer (The name Ridge Racer can be roughly translated to Japanese as Tōge no Hashiriya) and Initial D.

Race Driver: Grid also features tōge. There is a touge event in which the driver must race twice, once up and once down the mountain, and there is also “Midnight Touge,” which takes place during the night and only features one race, either up or down the mountain.

Best Motoring International first featured the Touge Showdown in Best Motoring International Vol. 2 New M3 Takes on JDM Super Sports released in 2001. This is arguably the first time the word touge was used in US media and not translated as “mountain pass” or another English word.

The 2006 racing game Need for Speed: Carbon has touge races known as Canyon Duels, that use the cat-and-mouse/sudden death format of touge racing on fictional mountain routes, such as Deadfall Junction and Eternity Pass.

Touge has also become popular on the racing sim game Assetto Corsa, with the use of mods adding tracks from the popular manga and anime series Initial D, as well as various Japanese cars.

Wada Touge (Wikipedia in the Japanese language)

The Nakasendo Trail
About 400 years ago was the Edo Period in Japan. In 1604 (Keicho 9), the Edo-Shogunate designated the five routes starting from Nihonbashi, Edo (now Tokyo). The five routes are Tokaido, Nikko Kaido, Oshu Kaido, Koshu Kaido, and Nakasendo. The Nakasendo was the route from Nihonbashi
to Kusatsu, Shiga. Known as a smooth route, it was also called
the Hime-Kaido, which means the road for the princesses. Since it passes through the interior of Japan, you can enjoy beautiful mountains.

Narita International Airport Access Navigation

Haneda Airport Information

Camera: GoPro HERO9 Black

Filmed in October 2020

#TokyoSmith #touge #japandrive

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Drive with me! Japan travel guide 2020
Road trip across Japan in a kei car – Japan scenery 4k by Tokyo Smith

– Scenic drive
– No music
– No talking