I’ve had a couple of emails now about readers who intend to get over to Japan this December for Nismo Festival for the first time but aren’t 100% on how ticket sales are done. Nismo have kindly just announced pricing so it might be timely to get the word out about getting tickets to the event.

Firstly, Nismo Festival is just the one day, Sunday 6th of December this year and is always held at Fuji Speedway. Fuji Speedway is a couple of hours outside Tokyo and has relatively easy to use public transport links to and from major centers.

Tickets for entry to the Festival itself are an easy one. You can either pick them up in advance (online ticket sales via PIA start November 1st) for 1,500 yen or buy them at the door for 2,000 yen. As for any event you’d be crazy not to get them in advance if you can at all manage it.

Next come ticket sales for special attractions like the Grid Walk, Circuit Safari, Circuit Taxi, and Race Car Passenger Rides. These require more planning to get because they’re not available in advance, in high demand on the day, limited in numbers and require some kind of lining up or even waiver form signup.

• Grid Walk – Get on the race track grid among the SuperGT cars, drivers, race queens and race fans. An all out crazy hour of pushing for autographs. Tickets 1,500 yen per person.
• Circuit Safari – Get in a coach for a lap around Fuji Speedway while SuperGT cars are warming up / practicing. Tickets 2,000 yen per person.
• Circuit Taxi – Similar to Circuit Safari in a passenger car. Tickets 3,000 yen per person.
• Race Car Passenger Ride – You guessed it! Tickets 4,000 yen per person.

Don’t let that put you off getting these though you just need to plan ahead. Here are a few tips on making this happen.

1. Arrive at Fuji Speedway early! Can’t stress this one enough, get there well early you’ll want to be up front of that line to get in when the gates open at 8am
2. Decide your game plan, do you want to take home SuperGT souvenirs or do you want to get onto the grid to meet the drivers?
3. Be familiar with the lay of the land and run to the right line. This is the hardest one for people who have never been to Fuji Speedway or have no Japanese language skills. Study maps on Fuji Speedway’s website and the Nismo Festival map that will hopefully be out soon.
4. If you have a few people with you, make sure your allocating your resources best, it only takes 1 person to save your place in the Garage Sale line while another organizes Grid Walk tickets.
5. There are age and other official limitations for the ride along attractions, you need to be 30+ with a current drivers license. I assume they mean Japanese drivers license but possibly not.

So that’s it for this installment of our Nismo Festival how-to articles. Next up might be one on getting to the venue, and as important, getting away!

Link: Nismo Festival Website Launched