Wind and Light, Boxster

For quite some time, my husband has been reading a Boxster touring blog written by someone named “wata-san.” It seems to be well-known among Boxster and touring enthusiasts. The blog shares stories and videos of touring all across Japan. The photography and video quality are stunning, but what really stands out is the passion for touring—like driving 800 km in a single day and covering 100,000 km in three and a half years.

→ “Wind and Light, Boxster.”

I learned about wata-san’s blog from my husband, and whenever a new video is released, we watch it together on the TV. Watching those videos always makes me think, “My husband’s passion for driving is intense, but wata-san’s is on another level.” My husband often mutters in awe, “There’s always someone better—wata-san is truly amazing.”

So, in early August, wata-san posted a “Sado Island Summer Touring Movie” on his blog. After watching it, I left a comment and received this reply from wata-san:

Not just Sado Island, but the Sea of Japan coast in summer is truly beautiful. From Kobe, I think the Tango Peninsula and Wakasa Bay offer fantastic driving routes. Plus, there are plenty of interesting national and prefectural roads to enjoy on the way to the Sea of Japan—I’m really envious (laughs).

Seeing this reply, my husband said, “Really? There aren’t many good roads in Hyogo. I’m jealous of the great roads in eastern Japan (laughs)…” But a few days later, early in the morning,

“I’m going to follow wata-san’s advice and tour all the way to the Sea of Japan!”

he said, then took off alone in the Boxster.

Touring from Nishinomiya to Fukui

The weather was perfect that day, and it seems he had a very enjoyable drive. The next day, he emailed me a summary of the touring route and details (he apparently took the time to make it himself, lol), so I’d like to share it today.

① R176 – K68

First, he headed north on R (National Route) 176. That day, he passed through the busy city of Sanda, then took K (Prefectural Route) 37 to K68 (Hokusetsu Kitayama Kaido). K68 is a great road with good pavement but heavy traffic, which is its only downside. If you’re lucky enough to get pole position, it’s a very fun road to drive.

② K12 – R372

K12 features many long straight stretches heading north from Inagawa, with some enjoyable mountain winding roads in the latter half—highly recommended. Then he took R372 (commonly called Dekansho Kaido) east. As a national route, it’s wide and allows for high-speed driving through beautiful rural scenery. Personally, I call it ‘Hyogo’s Romantic Road.’

③ K54 – R162

Next, he took K54 north to Sonobe. This short K54 route is often empty and has excellent road quality. It’s basically a free-for-all driving spot. From Sonobe, he aimed for Hiyoshi Dam, then drove along K19 and R162. This area is known as the Miyama Kaido and is a popular spot for motorcycle touring.

It’s a fantastic road for smooth driving, but be very careful as it’s heavily patrolled by police. That day, while listening to GPS radar warnings and cruising slowly on R162, a Crown undercover police car with flashing red lights pulled up behind him, so he slammed on the brakes. Driving slowly at about 45 km/h for a while, the undercover eventually gave up and made a U-turn.

Watching this in the rearview mirror, he shifted into 2nd gear, turned on Sport Plus mode, and blasted off with roaring exhaust—no surprise there.

④ Miyama Fureai Plaza – Angel Line

He stopped for a break at the roadside station “Miyama Fureai Plaza.” Enjoying a soft-serve ice cream made with Miyama milk, he didn’t linger long and pressed on.

He continued on R162, passed through Obama City, and headed to the Angel Line on the Noto Peninsula. Although he’s visited Fukui many times, this was his first time on this road. Due to heavy rain, there were many small stones and branches on the road, and some sections were single-lane traffic, so he couldn’t push the pace. Still, the occasional views of the sea were breathtakingly beautiful.

*By the way, this was his lunch that day. When he goes touring, it’s usually convenience store bento (lol).

The spacious parking lot at the summit was nearly empty. With no unnecessary guardrails blocking the view, it was an ideal spot for car photography, so he spent some time shooting photos there.

⑤ R162 – Mikata Goko Rainbow Line

Leaving the Angel Line behind, he continued along the R162 coastline. The temperature was a comfortable 25-26°C with low humidity and soft sunlight—perfect for open-top driving. He felt it was the most enjoyable open-air drive he’s ever had. Racing along this scenic seaside route, he felt like he was back in California from his recent trip.

Entering the Mikata Goko Rainbow Line and reaching the summit, everything was a vivid blue. The sea and sky colors were so strikingly blue, it’s rare to see such a view.

⑥ Encounter with a Boxster GTS

After a break, on the way home, he spotted a white 981 Boxster ahead on R162. Looking closely, it had a white body with a red soft top, body-colored rollover bar—exactly the same exterior. And it was the same GTS model! They must have noticed each other because they drove together for a while. The other driver was waiting to turn right onto the Angel Line.

As he passed by, their eyes met and they waved! We waved back. That moment probably lasted less than a second, but as fellow owners of the same car, it felt like a deep conversation in that brief instant. He felt joy from this wonderful encounter and wished the other driver a safe journey before heading home.

So, the day’s total distance was 433.8 km, driving time was 9 hours and 7 minutes, fuel efficiency was 10.8 km/l, and average speed was 48 km/h.

That’s the summary of this touring trip. When I asked my husband how the roads in Hyogo were, he said:

“The weather was great and it felt good, but… yeah, the roads in Kanto are definitely better.”

I also want to drive on sunny days along Venus Line, Hakone Turnpike, and Nishi-Izu Skyline (it’s always foggy when I go!).