【Initial D Pilgrimage】 Did the Hachiroku grow wings!? Driving through Kanagawa area "Team Spiral" battle "Hakone Nanamagari"

Driving on the stage of the "Team Spiral" battle in the Kanagawa area of the final stage of Initial D, "Hakone Nanamagari." Just as Hakone is called "the perilous heights," Nanamagari is also a challenging spot with continuous hairpin turns. I tried to follow a route worthy of the climactic setting of the work.

The "Nanamagari" on the old Tōkaidō where numerous famous battles were born

Nanamagari is the final stage in Initial D, the home course of "Team Spiral" in the Kanagawa area. It is a course characterized by a series of steep hairpin turns located on Kanagawa Prefectural Route 732, Yumoto Motohakone Line (Old Tōkaidō), and runs parallel to the Hakone Shindō (National Route 1), making it a rare route with overhead sections in various places.

The two rivals depicted in the work also make an impression in the sequel "MF Ghost," particularly "Hiroya Okuyama," the rival of Takumi, who plays a vital role as a skilled mechanic supporting the protagonist "Natsuki Katagiri."

The battle course spans from the elevated section to Otamagai. The downhill battle is determined early in the course, but "Keisuke Takahashi" and "Ryuuji Ikeda's" ascent highlights the strategy of Ryo Takahashi, particularly due to wet conditions and the appearance of the fog known as "the white devil." Ikeda is outmaneuvered based on unique theories to achieve speed.

Moreover, the characters and environmental settings are strongly reflected in MF Ghost, making it feel as though the plans for the sequel were already decided at this point.

The image above shows the most distinctive hairpin corner of Nanamagari, a location with a three-dimensional intersection. By securing a highly accessible route within the deep valley of Hakone, it has become a landscape that is quite rare elsewhere.

The corner where the white wings of the 86 manifest

The opponent in the final battle of Initial D, "Shinji Inui," and his mother watch as the white wings manifest from Takumi's 86 during the downhill. The 86 showcases cornering that leaves an afterimage due to its high-speed entry and disappears from Akiyama's view. The decision in the early stages was made based on Ryosuke's plan to not give data to the next opponent waiting ahead.

Arriving at the goal in front of Lake Otama. In the uphill conclusion, Keisuke Takahashi, overcoming the fear of entering the corner due to dense fog, overwhelmingly defeats Ryuji Ikeda to win. Keisuke's "Theory of the Fastest on Public Roads" outperformed Ikeda's "Zero Theory" (a theory that ideals the elimination of emotions by emptying the mind).

Passing through Lake Ashi and taking a ramen break at the Anest Iwata Sky Lounge

The sightseeing boat dock at Lake Ashi is extremely crowded with inbound tourists, even on a weekday. The Fuji Five Lakes are popular, but it seems Hakone's lake is also gaining a lot of attention.

As expected, when it comes to driving in Hakone, it's the Anest Iwata Sky Lounge. Since it was early at that time, there were few cars to park, but when I returned a few hours later, it was almost filled with sports cars.

I ordered the "Tantan Daikanzan Ramen" (1200 yen) at the food court's Daikan Ramen. The unusual addition of seaweed and wakame gave the tantan noodles a hint of the ocean, and although I thought it might be rich, it was actually light and refreshing. With plenty of chashu and toppings, I ended up feeling quite full.

After taking a good break, I continued driving in Hakone. I'm still enjoying the fun roads.

Store Name / Daikan Ramen
Location / 955 Kajiya, Yugawara Town, Ashigarashimo District, Kanagawa Prefecture

Coverage / Text / Kazuma Tanaka

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