A Quick Japanese Grand Prix Race Guide

Get ready for sakura blossoms and polite vibes, because it’s time for the Japanese Grand Prix! The Japanese GP is usually one of the more affordable races on the F1 calendar each year, it’s a favorite track for a lot of drivers, and the GA experience is actually pretty good here!

Here’s your mini Japanese Grand Prix race guide, including all you need to know about tickets, where to sit, the fan experience, what you can bring to the track, and more.

Quick race guide to the Japanese GP

Here’s everything you need to know if you’re headed to the Japanese Grand Prix this year, or are interested in traveling to the Japan F1 race one day in the future.

Official race name

Officially, this is the FORMULA 1 ARAMCO JAPANESE GRAND PRIX.

When is it?

The Japanese GP takes place March 27-29, 2026 (local time). The schedule is:

March 27: Practice 1, Practice 2
March 28: Practice 3, Qualifying
March 29: Race Day

Race location

The Japanese GP takes place in Suzuka at the Suzuka Circuit. This is a 5.807-kilometer (3.60-mile) long circuit in Suzuka in Japan’s Mie Prefecture (almost halfway between Nagoya and Kyoto). The circuit is a permanent, purpose-built track that’s famous for crossing over itself. It’s also a fairly high-speed track, and drivers race 53 laps here in F1.

Suzuka has been hosting Formula 1 races since 1987, but the track was actually originally built and used by Honda as a test track starting in 1962.

Getting to the track

I won’t sugarcoat this one: Suzuka is not the easiest track to get to. Suzuka itself is a relatively small town, meaning you may have to stay elsewhere and travel to the track each day. Most people stay in Nagoya (about 65 km away) for the Japanese Grand Prix and travel to Suzuka every day.

Nagoya is connected to Tokyo by high-speed bullet train (on the Tokaido Shinkansen line), and Nagoya is also connected to Suzuka by train. You can catch a train from Nagoya Station to Shiroko Station, and from there Suzuka Circuit runs shuttle buses to the track that take about 20 minutes. (Though note that the line to take these buses can get quite long on race weekend, so factor in some extra travel time.)

Japanese trains can seem confusing at first, but from Nagoya you’ll take the Kintetsu line to Shiroko Station. You can either buy regular tickets using an IC card (like a Suica or other transit card), or you can get a 5-day pass for the Kintetsu Limited Express trains (which are faster, but do require you to reserve a seat in advance).

It’s also possible to take a train to Suzuka Ino station or Hiratacho station and then walk to/from the track (anywhere from 20-40 minutes walking). (This page has a helpful little map diagram that shows you all your options for taking trains/buses to the track.)

Lastly, you can also drive to Suzuka Circuit. Non-Japanese people are often dissuaded from renting cars in Japan, but you absolutely can. Parking is available in several lots around the track — visit this page for more info on parking and pricing.

Japanese GP ticket options

I always recommend checking ticket options through the host circuit first. For the Japanese GP, check out:

Suzuka Circuit website for general admission tickets, grandstand tickets, and track hospitality suites/packages. They sell the tickets through Mobility Station, which is a separate site that you’ll need to have your browser translate from Japanese.
F1 Experiences for Champions Club, Paddock Club, and other specialty hospitality packages.

Tickets for the Japanese Grand Prix usually go on sale about 6 months in advance (they went on sale in October 2025 for the 2026 race). And when they go on sale, they tend to sell out fairly quickly. Sometimes you can find tickets (and especially GA tickets) from ticket resellers like P1 Travel and F1 Tickets.

It’s also worth noting that they only sell 3-day race tickets to the Japanese GP, so you won’t find any single-day tickets for Saturday or Sunday. (And note that 3-day tickets are actually good on Thursday, too — more on this later!)

Best place(s) to sit

Like all Formula 1 races, there are 3 major types of tickets available for the Japanese Grand Prix. There are general admission tickets, grandstand tickets, and then various hospitality ticket packages (think: suites, clubs, etc.).

The “best” place to sit at any race is always subjective. But, a few suggestions include:

For general admission tickets, you mainly get access to the “West Open Area,” which includes grassy seating areas and open grandstands mostly around Spoon Curve with excellent track views (grandstands J, L, and N are all open seating, while M, O, and P are partially open). ALL the other grandstands around the track (with the exception of the V2 grandstand) are also free for everyone on Friday. Meaning GA tickets at Suzuka are actually pretty great over the 3-day weekend.

For grandstand seating, F1 itself recommends Grandstands D and E overlooking the S Curves, Grandstand G on the inside of 130R, as well as Grandstand I for views of overtaking at the Hairpin. Grandstand B (especially the upper section) is also great for seeing the action at Turns 1 and 2, and Grandstand Q has good views of the final corner. On the Main Straight, Grandstand V2 is the best, and is also the only covered grandstand at Suzuka.

Suzuka also has a designated family area, which you don’t find at many F1 tracks! If you’re bringing kids to the Japanese GP, look for “S Seat” tickets, which are in a family-friendly area at the final corner that’s close to GP Square and Circuit Park. In this area you’ll find stroller parking and dedicated restrooms with changing stations. There are also box seats available here (S-BOX tickets) for groups or larger families.

The fan experience

The Suzuka Circuit might be tricky to get to, but once you’re there it’s great for fans! Japanese fans tend to go all-out with their F1 race outfits and signs, so don’t be afraid to lean into this.

Your 3-day race ticket actually gets you access to the circuit, fanzone, and Suzuka Circuit Park (a small amusement park) for FOUR days; you can check it out on Thursday, too. Your tickets get you unlimited rides in the Circuit Park (including on the large Ferris wheel), as well as access to a included pitlane walks on Thursday morning and Saturday evening.

The pitlane walks are something most tracks don’t offer to “normal” ticket holders these days, so you’ll definitely want to attend at least one of those! (In 2025, the pitlane walks were from 9 a.m.-noon on Thursday, and from 6:50-8:15 p.m. on Saturday night.) Note though that participating in the Saturday night pitlane walk might mean you’ll miss the last shuttle back to the train station, so you’ll need to plan to walk.

And then there are two fanzone areas to explore, too. The main F1 Fanzone is located behind the V1/V2 main grandstands in GP Square, where you can see driver interviews on the main stage on Friday and Saturday and find food and merch vendors. There’s also a second, smaller West Fanzone in the L area near Spoon Curve for GA ticket holders where there’s another small stage, a bar, etc. (But GA ticket holders can visit the main Fanzone, as well!)

Good to know: Politeness and cleanliness are super important in Japanese culture. If you’re traveling for this race, be courteous to your fellow race-goers, and definitely dispose of your trash properly!

What you can/can’t bring

Knowing what you’re allowed to bring to the race and what’s prohibited is important when planning your Japanese GP weekend!

Things you CANNOT bring to the Japanese GP include:

Drugs or any other illegal substance
Weapons, firearms, knives, etc.
Flares, fireworks, smoke bombs, and laser pointers
Bicycles, roller skates, roller blades, etc.
Whistles, air horns, PA devices, etc.
Umbrellas in reserved seats (they recommend ponchos so as not to block anyone’s view)
Cameras and video cameras with a total length of 26cm or more (including lenses, lens hoods, and camera bodies)
Tripods and selfie sticks
Animals except service animals

Things you CAN bring with you:

Food and drink
Picnic blankets/rugs in the West Open Area only
Power banks/mobile batteries
Binoculars
Seat cushions
Banners/signs that don’t block anyone’s view

Track invasion info

There IS a track invasion at Suzuka… sort of. Immediately following the race, the only people allowed onto the track for the podium ceremony are children and their adults with S-class family seats. Fans in VIP suites and the V1 and V2 grandstands can also get onto the main straight — but only after the podium ceremony is over.

After all of the podium festivities have ended, part of the track then opens up for everyone else (in 2025, it was open from 4:30-6 p.m.). So yes, you can walk on the track after the race, but it’s not the typical “track invasion.”

Other race weekend events

Along with all the things happening during race weekend — including all the support races — you’ll want to keep an eye out for other team- and sponsor-related events around Suzuka and elsewhere in Japan.

For the last several years, the F1 Tokyo Fan Festival has coincided with the Japanese Grand Prix, offering interactive experiences, live race viewing, merch sales, food vendors, musical performances, and more. It will likely be back in 2026!

What else to do in Japan

If you’re traveling for the Japanese Grand Prix and will have some extra time in Japan during your trip, here are 4 things you can do while you’re not at the track:

Visit the 17th-century Nagoya Castle in the nearby city of Nagoya
Spend a day at Universal Studios Japan in Osaka
See the wild deer at Nara Park in the nearby city of Nara
Explore the ancient temples of Kyoto

Have you ever been to the Japanese Grand Prix? If so, what tips would you give people who are going?