Final Chapter of the Tohoku Tour

Following the previous parts, “3000km Tohoku Tour in a Porsche Boxster [Part 1]” and “[Part 2]”,

ボクスターで行く東北3000kmツーリング【前編】

ボクスターで行く東北3000kmツーリング【中編】

this time we bring you the final part (the last chapter). During Golden Week, my husband drove extensively across Tohoku’s roads, yet he says there are still many wonderful routes left unexplored.

Tohoku Boxster Touring Day 5

Today, we finally head to “Cape Tappi“. There’s no special attachment to Cape Tappi itself, but as a child, I often hummed “Tsugaru Strait Winter Scene” from the NHK Red and White Song Battle, so I simply wanted to see the Tsugaru Strait with my own eyes (laughs).

Leaving the hotel in Aomori City, we head toward the Tsugaru Peninsula.
We take Route 280 north along the peninsula’s east side, then choose K12, said to be “the easiest of the three roads crossing the Tsugaru Peninsula east to west.”

Indeed, this road is a textbook example of a great driving route. With moderate ups and downs, gentle curves, and wide lanes, it allows maintaining a brisk pace. The Boxster seems to take a deep breath and accelerates smoothly and freely.

On reaching the peninsula’s west side, we see Lake Jūsan and beyond it the majestic Mount Iwaki. As soon as we park the Boxster at a rest area, a group of young people nearby approach, excitedly shouting “Porsche! Porsche!” They ask in broken English, “Take photo OK?” I quickly reply, “Sure!” and they enthusiastically start snapping photos.

They were tourists from Vietnam, and perhaps because Porsches are rare there, they asked “Can we open the door?” and took pictures holding the door handle. For a while, it felt like a “Porsche photo session.”

After a good while of shooting, they thanked us repeatedly with “Arigatou gozaimasu!” and we wished them a “great trip!” before parting ways.

Hoping that one of these young people might become a Porsche owner someday, I drive the Boxster toward the Ryuhaku Line.

As we approach the Ryuhaku Line, the coastal fast road transforms into a hill climb course. Below lies the Sea of Japan, with a wonderful sequence of tight corners and straights.

The Boxster’s roar is unstoppable now.

Blipping between 2nd and 3rd gears, then back to 2nd, the backfire crackles loudly as I indulge in this luxurious, top-tier driving experience.

This road could easily be called Japan’s “Stelvio Pass.” It’s that spectacular.

After enjoying the drive thoroughly, we finally arrive at Cape Tappi. Across the Tsugaru Strait, we see Hokkaido and its mountains—a breathtaking view. I wish I had come here sooner… With a slight twinge of regret, we set off for Morioka.

We enter the Tohoku Expressway from Aomori IC. It’s a wonderful highway: few cars and long, endless straights. However, as we head south, traffic increases somewhat, so for safety, I try to avoid running in groups or alongside other vehicles as much as possible.

Highway accidents often involve multiple vehicles, either causing or being involved in chain collisions, so I always try to keep distance from groups.

Still, Morioka feels unusually far. From a Kansai perspective, neighboring prefectures like Kobe, Osaka, Kyoto, or Wakayama are reachable within an hour, but here it takes much longer. Looking at the map calmly, it’s clear Tohoku’s prefectures are huge. Thinking “I underestimated the distances,” I keep driving and safely reach the hotel in Morioka, where a large public bath helps soothe the day’s fatigue.

Tohoku Boxster Touring Day 6

Waking up at the Morioka hotel, I start planning today’s route. The final destination is Aizuwakamatsu. However, still not fully grasping Tohoku’s scale and geography, I’m shocked by the long distance between Morioka and Aizuwakamatsu on the map.

I debate whether to “take the coastal route or head straight south on the highway.” When in doubt, I turn to my mentor Wata’s blog here. There, I learn about the highly praised “Hachinohe Kawauchi Large-scale Forest Road” which Wata strongly recommends for those who haven’t driven it yet.

Thinking “If the master says so, I must drive it!“, I head east on Route 455 and then onto the Hachinohe Kawauchi Large-scale Forest Road. The road is well maintained and virtually empty. I meet only four cars and no one ahead. It’s a complete private run.

With tight corners, straights, gentle curves, and elevation changes, plus low traffic, good pavement, and wide lanes,

this is undoubtedly an AAA-class winding road.

In Sport Plus mode, the exhaust valve is wide open. The tach needle stays nearly vertical as the Boxster sings through corner after corner. Compared to the latest 718, there’s a slight residual rear sway, but it’s still top-notch handling.

The steering feels natural with minimal disconnect from the driver’s senses and no overly quick reactions, making it very enjoyable to drive.

The road felt so good I considered “turning back and running it again“, but with limited time, I reluctantly leave Morioka behind.

From here, we take the Tohoku Expressway for a rapid southbound run. The weather is nice, so I open the roof and enjoy open-air driving.

Personally, if I were to point out one downside of the 981 Boxster, it would be the “amount of wind turbulence when open.” Having owned and driven several convertibles, I find that “even with a wind deflector, the amount of wind entering the cabin is relatively high among modern convertibles.”

On calm days it’s manageable, but on windy days, the turbulence from behind and diagonally behind is quite strong.

I recall when the car was first delivered, my wife sat in the passenger seat and immediately remarked “(Compared to the R171 SLK)the wind is stronger.” So on the highway with the top down, it’s better to wear a hat or cruise at a reasonably high speed to reduce wind.

Exiting at Yabuki IC, we take Route 294 toward Lake Inawashiro. If it were a bit earlier in the season, the cherry blossoms would have been in full bloom and beautiful, I think, as we take a short break at Funatsu Park by the lakeside. Across the water stands the majestic Mount Bandai.

Driving counterclockwise along the lakeshore on K9, I pause at the Uetohama parking lot to wait for dusk. A couple with a small child politely approaches.

“May we see the Porsche?”

I reply, “Of course, please! Feel free to let your child sit inside too.” The husband places their child in the driver’s seat and takes photos. We then enjoy a lively conversation about the Boxster and Porsche in general. He was quite knowledgeable about cars.

After taking photos, they thank me and walk back to their own car.

A little later, as I start the Boxster and drive around the parking lot, I spot a beautiful yellow McLaren 650S parked in the back. Looking closely, I realize the driver about to get in is the same gentleman!

“You came in a McLaren?!” I ask, surprised to see a family with a McLaren.

Husband: “Yes, that’s right!”
Me: “Nice! I used to own a 650S myself.”
Husband: “Really? No way!”

We chat again across the cars. Apparently, they came with their wife as well. After a pleasant talk, I say, “Let’s meet again somewhere!” and leave Lake Inawashiro.

On the way back, I deeply regret not asking for the McLaren owner’s contact info. The saying “birds of a feather flock together” rings true—”people with similar sensibilities naturally meet.” Reflecting on this wonderful coincidence, I head to the hotel in Aizuwakamatsu, hoping to meet again someday.

Tohoku Boxster Touring Day 7

Today is the final day of the Tohoku tour. With work starting the next day, I must return home today. It’s about 700 km from Aizuwakamatsu to home. The grand tour home begins with a long highway run.

If time allowed, I’d love to see Tsuruga Castle and drive around Mount Bandai, but I hold back and vow “I’ll definitely come back soon.” I get on the nearly empty Banetsu Expressway heading toward Niigata. The Boxster cruises steadily in 6th gear onto the Hokuriku Expressway.

The weather was clear until Kanazawa, where suddenly it turned into a torrential downpour like going through a car wash. The water screen obscured vision, and strong winds pushed the car off course. The Boxster turned on the rear fog lights to alert cars behind and proceeded cautiously. The road was flooded, but the newly fitted Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires drained water superbly.

Despite being mid-engine, the car never lost grip in puddles, allowing confident driving.

From this long trip, I noticed that compared to the previous Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric 2 tires, the Pilot Sport 4S offers much better straight-line stability. Goodyear wasn’t bad, but the difference was clear.

Also notable is the tire’s excellent roundness. On smooth highways, it feels like a perfectly round wheel is rolling. With Goodyear, I felt slight roughness or vibration on similar pavement, but Michelin eliminates that. Over long distances, tire differences affect driver fatigue.

Passing Maibara and entering the Meishin Expressway, the rain stops and familiar scenery returns. By evening, I arrive home, park the car in the garage, and after a breather, turn the key slowly with gratitude to the Boxster, concluding the 2019 Golden Week Tohoku tour.

Total distance: 3067 km
Total driving time: 50 hours 24 minutes
Average fuel consumption: 8.9 L/100 km (approx. 11.2 km/L)
Average speed: 61 km/h

Next time, I’ll return to Tohoku in a GT3!