【Initial D Pilgrimage】 A journey through the famous "Ogino-ya" kamameshi restaurant from the battle stage of the Sil80 at the Usui Pass, on the border of Gunma and Nagano

To the Usui Pass, the stage of the Sil80 battle between Mako and Sayuki (RPS13). Through the interviews, I have become quite fond of Gunma, but I realized that I had not yet visited the Usui Pass, so I decided to drive there in search of the locations depicted in the work.

The beautiful scenery unfolds at Usui Pass, a pilgrimage site

The pilgrimage route at Usui Pass is over 10 km long, leading to the foot of the pass. Since I headed from Tokyo, I went both up and down.

The starting point of the course is at the peak of the pass, which is located at the border between Annaka City in Gunma Prefecture and Karuizawa City in Nagano Prefecture, and the endpoint seems to be about 10 km ahead at the foot of the mountain.

Since National Route 18 has been constructed alongside it as the Usui Bypass, the old road is now out of use. Looking at the route from the Nagano Prefecture side, there was a sign designed with "Meganebashi," which I later visited.

This is a sign at the Nagano border seen from the Gunma Prefecture side. It also appears in the story and has become a pilgrimage spot.

Overall, the course has a height difference of nearly 500 meters, featuring many hairpin curves in the relatively flat early section, leading to the steep downhill section in the latter half.

Perhaps because it is no longer a main road, traffic is light, and the scenery is beautiful, creating a somewhat tranquil atmosphere while running.

The fierce battle unfolded at the C-121 corner

We arrived at the stopping space just before the C-121 corner that was picked up in the story. This is the place where the protagonist, Takumi Fujiwara's AE86, had a heated showdown with Mako and Sayuki's Silvia, and it's said to be the toughest corner on the hill climb.

The actual C-121 corner. In the story, the entrance is wide but the exit is narrow, creating a scene where Sayuki expresses her admiration for Takumi Fujiwara’s high strategy IQ as he perfectly clears it on his first attempt. Upon checking the footage, I did indeed get the impression that the corner narrows ahead.

Moved by the tourist attraction, Megane Bridge

In the second half of the course, there is the tourist attraction, Megane Bridge. Its official name is Usui Daisan Kyoryo, a railway bridge made of brick built in the 25th year of the Meiji era. It has been designated as an important cultural property by the country and is famous for its autumn foliage. On this day as well, many tourists with cameras visited and it was bustling.

Since the battle will be decided beyond Megane Bridge, we leave this spot to head towards further pilgrimage spots.

I came to "Oginoya" Yokokawa store, famous for its kamameshi

Known for its kamameshi, I arrived at Oginoya. This sign is also one of the pilgrimage spots, depicting the romance between Takumi's coworker Ikeya and Mako. Lo and behold, in front of the sign were a Takumi's AE86 from Fujiwara Tofu Shop and a blue Silvia!

When I visited the store, I learned that the vehicles managed by the store are basically always on display. It was a great memory to see the machines in person.

I bought a towel featuring Mako standing in front of the sign along with her beloved car, some mochi, and kamameshi. I was actually aiming for the kamameshi packed in a clear container to celebrate the 140th anniversary, but it seemed they had sold out on that day. It was naive of me not to aim for the store right after opening...

I will enjoy the kamameshi I brought back as a souvenir at home. Even when cooled, it retains its flavor almost perfectly, and its simple taste is very delicious. This time, the Usui Pass drive was a great trip where I could enjoy local gourmet food and pilgrimage together.

Since I have visited various places related to Initial D, I feel like I have conquered a decent number of passes. There are still many pilgrimage spots left, so I look forward to going again next time.

Oginoya Kamameshi Honpo Yokokawa Store
Address: 297-1 Yokokawa, Matsuidamachi, Annaka City, Gunma Prefecture
Phone: 027-395-2431
Business hours (in-store shop and kamameshi shop): 9:00 AM - 5:00 PM

Interview & Text / Kazuma Tanaka

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