A new attraction where you can enjoy both 1.3km of on-road and forest off-road all at once! An experience report from "SHINOI RING" in Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture

"A circuit is a place for those who can drive fast." Many must have distanced themselves from cars while holding onto this belief. "SHINOI RING" located in Shinoi-cho, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture, aims to challenge this misconception head-on. I visited the site just ahead of its opening.

On weekdays, vehicle development takes place, while on weekends it becomes a circuit that anyone can enjoy.

SHINOI RING changes its face between weekdays and weekends.

On weekdays, it serves as the vehicle development base for the Japanese comprehensive engineering and development support company "Fia Group," which focuses on vehicle development for automobile manufacturers. In recent years, as the importance of software has increased, the significance of a place to physically test the vehicles has grown. Information about new models is highly confidential, making an environment shielded from external eyes valuable.

Even those involved in development have their holidays. Therefore, SHINOI RING opens up to the general public on weekends. There is a rest house with a café, and the circuit course becomes a place for experiences. This initiative invites people directly into a development site that is supposed to be confidential. Its uniqueness forms the core of SHINOI RING's philosophy.

The on-road course allows anyone to enjoy the circuit experience.

The Fia Group, which operates it, promotes the concept of a "Mobility Hub." This vision features a 1.3km on-road course, an off-road course carved through the forest, and professional-grade driving simulators, all designed for public enjoyment.

First, on the 1.3km long on-road course, what catches the eye is the chicane named "Dive Winder." It's a distinctive section of the course where you dive in after a steep descent and make a switchback.

The name of the corner is inspired by the "Corkscrew" at Laguna Seca in the USA. After seeing the old circuit name as an iconic sign, President Iwazaki of the Fiat Group thought, "I want to set up a corner name here," and it became a reality. However, when they visited the following year, the sign with the old circuit name had been removed, leaving only this one.

The naming was done by the company’s members. Because it has a name, it can be remembered, and because it can be remembered, it becomes a topic of conversation. This sign will likely grow to symbolize this circuit.

The "driving experience with a guide car" that the general public can enjoy on this on-road course allows up to five of the visitors' cars to follow a staff guide car on the course. It involves entering for an out lap and a few laps, and while it's not aimed at setting times, it enables participants to experience circuit driving without thinking about difficult things.

The price for bringing your own car is 1,500 yen. Using a rental vehicle from the facility costs an additional 1,000 yen, bringing it to 2,500 yen (as of the time of the interview). This places the psychological barrier for circuit debut quite low.

While the schedule is limited, there will also be co-driving experiences with professional drivers. Vehicles such as the Honda S660, Lexus RZ, and Jaguar I-PACE (EV) are potential candidates. The classic car series is expected to be in a separate price range. For the RZ and S660, there are also plans for a menu where you drive yourself rather than co-driving. On the other hand, since all vehicles in the classic car series are manual transmission, they will not be available for rental.

Although races aimed at speed will not be held, course rentals are possible for those who want to do time attacks. The driving slots are fixed from 8:30 AM to 12:30 PM and from 1:30 PM to 5:30 PM. The concept is clear: "Lower the barriers during general public hours," and "For those who want to drive seriously, use private rentals," making it a circuit that everyone can enjoy.

A professional driving simulator is being used.

Next not to be missed is the permanent driving simulator.

It is a device meticulously crafted based on feedback from drivers riding actual Formula machines, including vibrations, steering weight, and pedal feel, and there are only 4 to 5 units in Japan. It has the same basic specifications as what professional driver Ayumu Iwasa uses for his daily training, and it has been supervised and tuned by Iwasa himself.

The fact that it is permanent and that regular visitors can get behind the wheel is amazing. The selectable courses include major circuits from across the country, allowing anyone to drive on Fuji Speedway or Suzuka Circuit. Since the behavior is reproduced starting from when the tires are cold, there is no easing up from the first lap. Being an indoor facility, it can be used even in rainy weather, which is great for those coming from afar.

The off-road course can be driven using a borrowed Jimny.

Next to the on-road course, there is an off-road course. This might be the biggest feature of SHINOI RING. Facilities that have both paved roads and off-road tracks adjacent to each other on the same premises are quite rare.

Originally, it was overgrown with forest and not passable for cars, but staff stationed on-site cleared it with a grass cutter during the peak summer months. They didn't clear it haphazardly; instead, they imagined, "If I clear it this way, cars can pass" and "If I leave this part, visitors will be happy," while creating the course.

The most exciting part is that you can borrow a Jimny provided by the facility. You can choose from three lifted Jimnys (one manual transmission and two automatic transmissions) and drive aggressively. The driving style consists of a staff lead car in front, followed by two visitor cars. A single loop can accommodate up to three cars. The price is an astonishing 1500 yen for one lap.

When I actually ran on it, it was quite an exciting course for those who usually have no experience off-road. There were some muddy places from the rain that fell the day before, which made it even more thrilling. I can confidently say that just for the experience of this off-road course, which shakes the vehicle significantly with its elevation changes and bumps, it is worth going to SHINOI RING.

For the time being, they do not plan to allow personal vehicles and will not push things until a system for handling troubles like getting stuck or damage is in place. However, when you actually drive there, unless you have a lot of confidence in your vehicle, you wouldn't want to enter, because you can really enjoy the thrill of four-wheel driving. The experience of passing through a path that makes you think, "Can I actually drive through here?" means there is no reason not to try it for 1500 yen per lap.

At the entrance of the dirt course, there is a sign, and from that point on, the atmosphere clearly switches to a different world. The off-road course, which project leader Tanaka from SHINOI RING also promotes as "an experience of going to another world," is especially recommended for those who have only driven on paved circuits.

Even if you're not a car enthusiast, there are reasons to go.

What left an impression on me after walking around SHINOI RING for a day was the notion that "you can enjoy it even if you're not knowledgeable about cars."

There is a grassy area in one corner of the course, and when I placed a chair there, it turned out to be surprisingly comfortable. There are plans to hold a relay marathon next spring. Even though it's a place where cars run, it can also create an environment free from cars, which is rare for runners. Additionally, there are activities like cycling, camping, and events. The role of the mobility hub is to foster a culture that expands while picking up the requests left by visitors. At least, that is how it is considered at SHINOI RING.

It's about a 30–40 minute drive from Utsunomiya Station. SHINOI RING, located along the route to Nikko, Nasu, and Kinugawa, is a fun spot to visit with family and friends who are not knowledgeable about cars. The level of fulfillment as a weekend destination is genuinely delightful.

Facility Name / SHINOI RING
Location / 1804 Maeyama, Shinoi-cho, Utsunomiya City, Tochigi Prefecture
On-road Course / Total Length 1.3km
Additional Facilities / Dirt Course, Rest House (Cafe), Driving Simulator
Open to Public / Starting Saturday, September 19, 2026
Guided Driving Experience / 1500 yen (bringing your own car), 2500 yen (using rental vehicle)
Dirt Course Experience / 1500 yen for 1 lap, using facility vehicle (Jimny), maximum 3 vehicles per group
*Drivers need a driver's license
https://shinoi-ring-ts.phiaro.jp/on-road/

● SHINOI RING / Phiaro Group

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