Boxster Touring Continued

Following up on the previous post, 3000km Tohoku Tour in a Porsche Boxster [Part 1],

ポルシェ ボクスターで行く東北3000kmツーリング【前編】

here comes Part 2. As before, it’s mostly just nonstop driving with almost no sightseeing info, but please enjoy if you like.

Tohoku Boxster Touring Day 3

Day 3. Looking out the hotel window, the weather had completely changed to clear skies. The wind was strong, but it was perfect weather for top-down driving. Today, we’d be cruising along the coast on Route 345 and Route 112, heading toward our first destination, Mount Chokai.

The sea was truly stunning.

With the roof down and topless, the Boxster seemed to say “Finally!” and felt noticeably lively. Turning on the sports exhaust, the flat-six boxer sound roared as we sped along the coast. At this point, music was unnecessary.

This is the true joy of an open-top car. It’s a truly extraordinary entertainment experience. You could say we drive a car with a retractable roof just for moments like this. The wind, light, and sound—all transform into the perfect stage for the ultimate driving experience.

We took K210 and drove the Chokai Blue Line, heading straight for Mount Chokai. Switching to Sport Plus mode and using gears 2 through 4, the Boxster climbed the elevation swiftly. The blipping sound on downshifts echoed through the mountains, and I found myself muttering to no one in particular.

“Boxster, you’re really something…”

Despite it being Golden Week, there were few cars, and as we neared the summit, the outside temperature gauge dropped to around 5°C to 6°C, and the air felt distinctly different. Near the top, fog rolled in, and snow walls about 4 to 5 meters high lined the roadside, creating a magical atmosphere.

Of course, even at this time, the Boxster’s top stayed down. With the heater on, the cabin was perfectly comfortable.

Leaving the summit, the downhill run on the northern side of the Chokai Blue Line began. Partway down, a red 991.2 GT3 came charging up from the opposite direction. “Oh, a facelift GT3!” I admired it briefly as we passed. I caught a glimpse of its proud figure in the rearview mirror and continued downhill in the Boxster.

Later, I learned that the GT3 owner we passed was actually a reader of this blog. They contacted my wife on Twitter saying, “You might have seen my Boxster at Mount Chokai.” What an incredible coincidence.

The northern side of the Chokai Blue Line offers breathtaking views. As we descended, the fog cleared, revealing a vast panorama with the Sea of Japan stretching out in the distance. I slowed the Boxster’s pace and carefully navigated the corners, savoring the scenery.

Descending toward the foothills, a sign reading ‘Chokai Green Line’ appeared. It wasn’t in the original plan, but I decided to try driving K312. The first half was like a wide agricultural road, allowing a pleasant pace. As we climbed higher, it seemed to lead to Nikaho Plateau.

Wind turbines stood tall on the plateau, surrounded by wide grasslands. It felt like a smaller version of Kumamoto’s Aso Milk Road. Mountains appeared and disappeared behind clouds in the distance. Even though it was Golden Week, traffic was almost nonexistent, making it feel like a private road. A wonderful driving route.

Leaving the plateau, we headed straight for the Sea of Japan, taking Route 7 to a hotel in Akita city. After soaking in the large public bath and recalling the day’s scenery, I carefully stretched and went to bed early.

Tohoku Boxster Touring Day 4

The next morning, I quickly ate the hotel buffet breakfast and got ready. The Boxster sleeping in the parking lot was filthy from the long trip. The front mask was covered with bug splatter like whiskers. The rear bumper was darkened with dust and grime, and the sides were splattered with mud.

I wet a microfiber cloth at the hotel, sprayed plenty of diluted SurLuster Zero Water I brought along, gently lifted the dirt, wiped it off carefully, and was ready to go.

A clean car just seems to run better. Many of you have probably experienced that.

Today, we headed inland instead of along the coast. First stop: Lake Tazawa. I remembered from elementary school social studies maps that it was the “deepest lake.” I’d always wanted to visit.

Taking Route 13, then Route 46, and Route 105, then K60, we reached the lakeside. The lake’s surface was a stunning blue unlike any other lake I’d seen before. We parked at a lakeside lot, rested while admiring the lake, then drove counterclockwise around it.

Then we turned onto Route 341, aiming for Hachimantai and its superb mountain winding roads. The road was wide with gentle curves stretching endlessly. Such a wonderful road is rare in Kansai.

“Wow, Tohoku is amazing.”

My right foot naturally pressed harder on the Boxster’s accelerator.

We entered the Hachimantai Aspite Line and chose a counterclockwise loop around Hachimantai. As the Boxster climbed, snow walls like those on Mount Chokai appeared along the roadside. It felt like the Shiga Kusatsu Kogen Route. As we neared the summit, tourist cars increased, but the stunning views made it hardly noticeable.

Smooth curves continued, mixed with spoon curves on this fantastic course. While doing my humble heel-and-toe downshifts, I synced with the Boxster and climbed together.

After descending once to the foothills, we took K23 to head back up Hachimantai. This road had more tourists and sightseeing buses, so the pace was slower, but I enjoyed glimpses of Mount Iwate as we headed north again on Route 341.

Passing through Kazuno city, I spotted a 970 Panamera Turbo resting at a gas station and thought, “I’d love to drive a Panamera in a place like this…” while reminiscing about the Panamera sleeping at home. Then we took Route 103 to Lake Towada. Route 103 was wide and lightly trafficked—a super comfortable cruising road.

By the time we neared Lake Towada, the sun was setting, casting a golden glow over the lakeshore. We tried to stop at a lookout but gave up because it was full. We drove clockwise around Lake Towada on Route 454.

However, this route had many small stones on the road surface and was narrow, making it unenjoyable. We endured it and headed for Aomori city.

As we moved from Route 102 to Route 103, Mount Hakkoda came into view. This was another fantastic mountain winding road. Traffic was a bit heavy, but many cars yielded, so I didn’t hesitate to blast past in Sport Plus mode in 2nd gear, flashing my hazard lights in thanks, and hurried on.

We took a short break at the Iwaki Mountain lookout to watch the sunset. A young couple in an old Land Cruiser kept adjusting their car’s position and angle, taking photos of the sunset with their car multiple times. “Car lovers, no matter the make or type, all do the same things,” I thought with a smile as we arrived at the hotel in Aomori city.

 

(To be continued)

Next up: Final Chapter—Aomori, Morioka, and Aizu

How was it? The weather on days 3 and 4 was great, so it must have felt amazing. If the notorious rain woman, storm woman, or fog woman had been with me, it probably wouldn’t have gone so smoothly.

Next time is the final chapter. Everyone, please look forward to it.

Continue reading here → 3000km Tohoku Tour in a Porsche Boxster [Part 3]