A Journey with the Boxster

When spring break comes, my wife and kids always go back to their parents’ home. March was busy for various reasons, but with work settling down, I decided to take a short tour after a long time.

At first, I was thinking about heading toward Wakayama, where the highway has been expanded to four lanes, but the weather forecast showed it would be bad there. Looking westward, the weather seemed much better.

Without deciding on a destination, I packed a suitcase into the front trunk and headed west on the Chugoku Expressway.

My beloved 981 Boxster GTS, freshly fitted with new Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires, was running superbly.

Although it has over 50,000 km on the clock, the engine is flawless. In fact, it’s running better than ever. In Japan, a used car with 50,000 km might be somewhat avoided, but for European cars, that’s barely broken in.

As usual, I shifted with my right hand, coordinating the accelerator and clutch, as if breathing in sync with the Boxster.

Cruising slowly in the driving lane, the Chugoku Expressway offers thrilling high-speed corners starting around Okayama. Traffic is very light, and there are no trucks clogging the passing lane.

If you love cars, you should take the Chugoku Expressway over the Sanyo Expressway, even if it’s a detour.

From Niimi IC toward Izumo

Feeling confident, I kept driving but knew I had to exit somewhere. At a parking area, I checked the touring map.

I decided to exit at Niimi IC and head west on Route 182, a fast road running parallel to the Chugoku Expressway.

It’s a very pleasant road with light traffic and plenty of passing spots. I entered Prefectural Route 23 at my own pace. This is another wonderful road. I wanted to stop by the famous Taishakukyo Gorge, but time was tight, so I just passed nearby and hurried on. Turning right onto K422, a slightly narrow winding road, but with no traffic, I could drive freely.

Then, via the country-road-like K62 to K458. Enjoying a completely empty, fantastic road, I thought, “Is it okay to have such a luxurious private run?” and pushed the Boxster harder.

With continuous medium-speed corners, I used the Sport Plus mode’s auto-blip feature more than necessary, and the Boxster was simply amazing.

Heading north on Route 432, I took a short break at Orochi no Sato roadside station. I planned to have lunch there, but unfortunately, the restaurant was closed. Searching nearby on Google Maps, I found a soba restaurant called ‘Ougiya Soba‘ at Kamedake Station’s building. I decided to give it a try.

It seems famous, with many celebrity autographs displayed. I’m not much into gourmet info, so I didn’t know it, but I ordered a popular menu item and tasted it.

It was surprisingly delicious. I consider myself experienced with everything from high-end to famous restaurants, but I rarely find soba this good. This soba is truly tasty. It’s not masked by an overly firm texture; the soba itself has a solid flavor. The balance of the soba broth and temperature is excellent.

Not too hot, not too cold.

The umami of the broth and perfect temperature gently warm your body from the inside. Humans have receptors in the intestines that sense umami and bring happiness, and eating this soba made me feel very happy.

I opened the Boxster’s soft top and headed onto the Ohnin Wide-Area Farm Road.

This was the best road of the day. Wonderful medium-to-low speed winding roads, seemingly made just for the Boxster. I want to call it the ‘Boxster Highway‘ (laughs).

When I drove, there were no other cars at all. Enjoying the mountain winding roads completely to myself is pure bliss. Only the exhaust note echoed as I carefully communicated with the Boxster. This time must be alone—no one else. I deliberately avoided auto-blip and matched the revs myself.

I savored each corner carefully, syncing perfectly with the Boxster.

If my throttle or steering input was a bit early or late, the Boxster responded clearly—both in sound and behavior.

When the timing is perfect, it delivers the best engine sound and spinning agility like a top, giving the most exhilarating cornering experience imaginable.

That’s why it feels so good. That’s why I can’t give up the Boxster.

Continuing on, I drove toward Matsue City and cruised along the shore of Lake Shinji. I had been here several times before, but it was always rainy, so this was my first time seeing the lake on a sunny day. After cruising the lakeside, I headed to my accommodation in Izumo with the Boxster.

Day 2

On the second morning, instead of focusing on driving as usual, I decided to do some sightseeing and went to see Matsue Castle. Since it was a weekday, it seemed relatively quiet. The cherry blossoms were at their perfect full bloom.

I used the highway to get to Matsue City and parked the Boxster near the castle.

Being a history enthusiast, I had long been interested in Matsue Castle, one of the 12 original castles remaining in Japan, so I was really looking forward to it.

The cherry blossoms were in full bloom like nowhere else. The combination of cherry blossoms and Matsue Castle was stunning. I enjoyed sightseeing unusually, admiring the stone walls, climbing the main keep, and visiting Kounkaku.

I took a web meeting for work in the parking lot and then had lunch at a nearby Western-style restaurant, ‘Ronjin Matsue Main Store,’ where I had a hamburger steak. It was very juicy, and rather than a typical hamburger steak, it tasted more like high-quality meat itself.

After savoring the hamburger steak, I resumed touring.

I decided to drive the enjoyable Ohnin Wide-Area Farm Road again, heading south. Once again, I enjoyed the superb winding roads with the Boxster. The brand-new Pilot Sport 4S tires gripped the road firmly, providing excellent traction even when powering out of corners.

When the tires were worn, I often slid a bit in such situations, but new tires feel fantastic.

Then I headed south on Route 314, famous for the Orochi Loop. The loop is so large that it’s hard to grasp its full shape while driving.

Continuing south on Route 314, traffic was extremely light. It’s rare to find such a well-maintained, wide national road so empty. Shimane Prefecture is truly impressive.

I merged onto Route 183 and began heading home. I took the Sanyo Expressway toward Kansai, but the heavy traffic and trucks blocking the passing lane frustrated me, so I escaped onto the Chugoku Expressway, even though it was a detour.

Cruising on the empty highway, I drove the Boxster back home.

Route Map of This Trip