As the name may suggest, Nikko Circuit is close to the world heritage site of Nikko. However, a much bigger city which is close-by is Utsunomiya. The circuit is on one side surrounded by mountain cliffs and on the other side by a highway. The circuit is not very long with 1027 meter. In February 2018 the 10th corner was changed to larger radius.
For free driving on the circuit there are 2 classes. The F-class for cars that lap the circuit in above 42.5 seconds, and the S-class for the cars that are faster. A session of free driving is 20 minutes and then a 10 minutes break afterwards. On weekdays a session costs 2500 Yen and in the weekend 3000 Yen. Doing the first session at 9:00-9:20 is 500 Yen less. For free driving it is necessary to become a licensed member including an introduction to the track for 30 minutes. The cost is 10000 Yen for 1 year membership and 5000 Yen for 1 year renewal.
A lot of events are taking place and the circuit is often hired by groups so there is usually something to see. The website of Nikko Circuit has a live camera. Reservation of the full circuit is also possible but needs to be done at least 3-4 months in advance. For the hungry people there is a foodstand. And whenever you, you can see the actual condition of the circuit with the live camera.
The location is just north of Utsunomiya city, approximately 30 minutes by car from the center of the city. Access by public transport is difficult so it is advised to go by car.
A link to the website can be found below:
And a link to the location on Google Maps: