【Initial D Pilgrimage】Northwest Saitama Area Alliance Battle! Touring the Hard Wet Battle Course of the Manse Pass

The Manse Pass served as the stage for battle courses with the Northwest Saitama Area Alliance, a place of pilgrimage for Initial D. It has become a battleground for the hard wet battle between the lightweight AE86 and the even lighter Cappuccino. Upon visiting, the area near the peak offered a beautiful course where one could enjoy a carpet of fallen leaves and breathtaking views.

Maase Pass, located on the border between Nagatoro Town and Kodama City in Saitama Prefecture.

Maze Pass is a route located at the border with Honjo City, just past the tourist area of Nagatoro. While Google Maps shows Route 287 as Maze Pass, in the work, the pass refers to a forest road that diverges from Route 287, which is what this article will refer to as Maze Pass. Route 287 is relatively wide and easy to drive on, with a peaceful atmosphere. On this day, the autumn leaves were particularly beautiful, but we headed towards the forest road.

The road sign at the course starting point is famous.

This (top image) is the entrance to the pass, which serves as the starting point for the hill climb. It is hidden under fallen leaves, but the impressive road sign (bottom image) has become a symbol of the pass.

Road markings covered with fallen leaves. When you get closer, you can barely make them out. It looks like a mark indicating that vehicle passage is prohibited, but I'm not sure what it means; however, it serves as a landmark at the entrance of the pass.

Unexpectedly harsh, the road of Manse Pass

Once you turn off Route 287, the path becomes narrow, and the presence of a deep ditch on the side is terrifying, making it a difficult road to drive on. Large branches and falling rocks are scattered on the road, creating a very unsettling atmosphere. In the story, there's a battle in the pouring rain, but I thought it was a place where, under normal circumstances, a battle would be impossible.

The area near the fire pond sign on the right was where the next opponent was gathering. Since there are few buildings on the mountain pass, the signs help to pinpoint the location.

The hill climb between Keisuke Takahashi and Wataru Akiyama ends with Wataru spinning due to the effects of the grates that are found here and there. There were several grates, but they were difficult to identify, and I couldn't tell where they were.

To the peak where the downhill start point is located.

A sign near the moss-covered Fudosan at the downhill start point of Hachiroku and Cappuccino. The Manse Pass is a short course, and we quickly reached the peak. Although the course ends here, it seems like the scenery ahead is promising, so we decided to proceed.

From the dark mountain road, a beautiful landscape spreads out

where we discovered a viewpoint overlooking the townscape of Nagatoro. As we head toward the peak from the tree-covered mountain road, it opens up to a spacious area with a very nice view spot.

The road surface in this area is covered with a fluffy carpet of fallen leaves since the autumn leaves have past their peak, and we could hear the sound of the dry leaves rustling as we drove. The autumn has ended and genuine winter is approaching. It's a drive that allows us to feel the changing seasons.

On this day, we felt the arrival of winter, and it seems that the mountain roads may soon become difficult to pass due to expected freezing. However, with this drive, we probably accomplished most of our pilgrimage in the Saitama area. There are still mountain passes in Tochigi and Kanagawa that I would like to explore, so I aim for the next stage.

Interview/Article by Kazuma Tanaka

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