Five things to know about the Nismo Festival

The annual Nismo festival is a celebration of Nissan Motor Sports International (NISMO) and its racing activities around the world.

1. Nismo festival is attended by 30,000 fans.

More than 30,000 race fans join the festivities to see their favorite cars and racing teams. They include race fans, Nissan enthusiasts, and Skyline and Fairlady Z owners.

2. It’s held at Fuji Speedway. Located at the foot of the iconic Mount Fuji, the track is famous for having one of the longest straights at 1.475km. The circuit regularly hosts endurance races and hosted the Formula 1 race in 2008.

3. A colleague dubbed it as the Nismo Shopping Festival, due to the sheer amount and variety of merchandise being offered at the track. Nismo team gear and car accessories, diecast cars, seats and engine upgrades-they’re all there.

4. The cars are the stars. Nissan GT-R and the 370Z are the center of the festival, as they form the core of Nissan’s motorsport activities. Historic race cars like the R390 endurance prototype also feature prominently.

5. Drivers are the superstars. The audience is on a first-name basis with the drivers from Nissan’s various motorsports teams. Queues for autographs and photo sessions were quite long, indicating intense interest in racing.

6. There are many ways to see the cars. Classic Nissan racing GTs and prototypes are on display in the pits and adjacent the working area. While the cars are running, fans can board the Track Safari bus to see them up close.

Anyone who speculates that Japan, in particular the youth, is losing interest in cars and motorsports would form a different impression after attending the Nismo festival. The passion is alive and well. Jason K. Ang