Shrine to Ferrari

Ever since prehistoric times, many peoples have reached Japan by crossing seas and islands. Not only from China. They also came from much further west, from Mesopotamia and from Egypt. Since there was only the vast Pacific Ocean beyond Japan, those who arrived discerned what should be preserved and what should be discarded, carefully selecting and living accordingly.

Above: see some of the highlights of the Ferrari Purosangue Japan tour…

The character 和 (wa) best expresses the spirit of the Japanese people. In addition to meaning ‘gentle’ and ‘non-confrontational’, it also means ‘to harmonise’ or ‘to bring into accord’. 倭 (wa) was also the old name for Japan, used by Chinese dynasties.

Things and concepts that have been carefully selected and combined are changed when they need to be changed with the times, and preserved when they need to be preserved. From this process, some things that were born and reached their pinnacle are passed down to the present day as a kind of ‘pure lineage’. It can be said that Japanese history and tradition, culture and civilisation, are an accumulation of this process.

This summer a media tour was held for journalists to re-discover Japan’s history, culture, and its present-day, by taking three Ferrari Purosangue on a grand tour of the country. Spanning four days and covering approximately 1000 kms, it began in Kyoto, the ancient capital that has a history dating back 1,300 years, and proceeded through Kanazawa, Shirakawa-go, Matsumoto, the Fuji Five Lakes, Hakone, Yokohama, and finally to Tokyo.

Above, from left: a Purosangue parked up at the Suwa Shrine; a visit to the ancient village of Shirakawa-go, recognised as a World Heritage site; the fascinating journey continues

On the first day at the starting point in Kyoto, the tour visited a tea canister manufacturer that has been in business for 150 years, learning about the practice of creating products with the user-perspective in mind. Whilst they are capable of repairing tea canisters that were sold over 100 years ago, they also produce new products, such as canisters for coffee beans.

In Kanazawa, the tour visited a mansion and garden with over 150 years of history, now utilised as a ryokan (traditional Japanese inn) that serves meals. Here, the visitors learnt about the sustainable wisdom and ingenuity of preserving historical heritage not just by maintaining its original state, but by keeping it alive and relevant to the present day.

Day 2: Shirakawa-go, a World Heritage village, was bustling with tourists from around the world, and offered views of ‘satoyama’ landscapes that are considered quintessentially Japanese.

Moving on to Matsumoto Castle, a national treasure with over four centuries of history, the tour arrived at Tobira Onsen in the Yatsugatake national park. This is one of various locations across the country that are associated with ‘Ama-no-Iwato’, the legend purporting to tell the story of the very origins of Japan.

Above: the Ferrari trio negotiate the route from Lake Biwa to Tsuruga, an important link between the former Japanese capitals of Nara and Kyoto and the rest of the country

Day 3: from the ‘Venus Line’ panoramic route, the trio of drivers could see in the distance the magnificent scenery of Mount Fuji, Japan’s most sacred mountain. The route of the whole day’s driving approached this divine geographical landmark, one which hosts legends of immortality. At the Suwa Taisha shrine, itself embraced by another divine mountain, Mount Moriya, the drivers performed a prayer for road safety. Not only for the participating journalists but also for their vehicles.

Crossing a steep mountain pass from the Kofu Basin, the tour reached Lake Kawaguchi. On the Yamanashi side of Mount Fuji, a World Heritage site, lays a quintet of lakes that are known as the Fuji Five Lakes. A majestic view of the elegant Mount Fuji can be enjoyed from any one of these lakes.

Hakone is one of Japan’s premier hot spring areas, closely related to Mount Fuji’s volcanic activity. Hot spring towns spread around Lake Ashinoko, the massive caldera lake of Mount Hakone, making it a popular area for vacation homes as well.

Above: against the enchanting horizon of Mount Fuji, the trio pose at the end of a demanding journey that had demonstrated all the power and comfort of the four-door, four-seat Ferrari Purosangue

Day 4: departing the hotel early in the morning, the tour headed via the ‘Ashinoko Skyline’ panoramic route to Mount Daikan, which offered beautiful views of both Mount Fuji and Lake Ashinoko. The Hakone Turnpike, which runs from the mountain summit down to Odawara City, offers some of the best driving on winding roads to be found anywhere in Japan and the journalists enjoyed indulging the high performance of the Purosangue.

Cruising along the Shonan coast, the tour headed toward the Daikoku Parking Area, which has become a new hub for Japanese car culture. From there, they used the Metropolitan Expressway to reach Tokyo, the capital. The journalists enjoyed the drive whilst viewing Akihabara, Tokyo Station, and the Imperial Palace, with the sprawling urban modernity providing a dramatic contrast to the natural, historical landscapes they had travelled through over the wonderful previous days in their Ferrari Purosangue.

Cover image: the Ferrari Purosangue parked up at the Suwa Shrine, one of Japan’s oldest, nestled at the base of Mount Moriya

THIS STORY WAS TAKEN FROM ISSUE 64 OF THE OFFICIAL FERRARI MAGAZINE