Japanese Grand Prix in early April, what difference for Suzuka?
F1 NewsThursday, 04 April 2024 at 07:30
The Formula 1 race at Suzuka has been rescheduled from its usual autumn slot, during the typhoon season when heavy rains have marred the spectacle in the past, to 5-7 April, coinciding with the peak of Japan's world-renowned cherry blossom, aka as the 'sakura' bloom.
Japan's weak yen, currently at multi-decade lows against the U.S. dollar, is also driving a rebound in tourists following strict travel curbs imposed during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The race at the Suzuka track, a favourite among drivers due to its technical twists and high-speed straights, drew its biggest crowd in nearly two decades last year, driven partly by a bounce in overseas visitors.
"With the further depreciation of the yen and the cherry blossom season, we hope the number of international fans will be at the same level or even higher than last year," said Eijiro Oda, general manager of Suzuka Circuit, run by Honda Mobilityland.
An estimated 40,000 tickets were sold to international visitors last year, a four-fold jump since the years immediately before the pandemic, according to Honda Mobilityland.
In order to promote the race internationally, the circuit has for the first time began posting English language content on social media: offering tips for travel and sightseeing.
Masumi Watabi, 49, who runs a restaurant selling Japanese fish cake stew in front of the Shiroko station, from where F1 fans usually take shuttle buses to the circuit, said he also hopes the growth in foreign fans can continue.
Watabi said: “Last year, we had an explosive growth in customers from abroad in my restaurant. This year ... we hope that many overseas visitors will come in the spring, when Japan is at its most beautiful."
On Sunday’s race day last year (2023), 80% of customers were foreigners, he added.
Speaking at the F1 fan festival event in Tokyo, Russian Aleksandr Kriukov, 42, is heading to Suzuka this year: "I want to see sakura (cherry blossoms) ... and I want to see Suzuka. It’s a very good time for me. Spring is the best time."
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