Japan’s best race queens were all there! Costumes and daring outfits of the beautiful women who decorated the “Moriya GT Grand Prix”!

At the end of September, Japan’s first unique event was held around Moriya Station in Moriya City, Ibaraki Prefecture. Named “Moriya GT Grand Prix/TOKYO SUPERCAR DAY 2023 Moriya GP,” the event attracted nearly 20,000 visitors.

This year’s event, held for the second time, was much larger in scale, with the participation of about 20 of Japan’s best race queens. With the cooperation of the Japan Supercar Association, a total of 35 cars, including more than 20 supercars and real GT racing cars, appeared for demonstration runs and parade runs, adding to the excitement of the event.

The most attractive feature of the event was that visitors could enjoy the atmosphere of the “grid walk” (a time when the cars, racing drivers, and race queens can be seen up close and personal just before the race) in a familiar “station front” location, free of charge. The fact that public roads were closed off to allow spectators to see real GT cars driving on city streets was also a popular attraction.

Last year’s event was held only inside the Branch Moriya commercial facility, but this time we were able to block off a public road for the supercar display and parade run. Yann Mardenborough, the model for the movie Gran Turismo that is currently in theaters, came to the event to take commemorative photos with the Nissan GT-R he drove at the GT Academy and to participate in the parade run in a Ferrari 488 Pista Spider. Yasuhiro Suyama, Representative Director of the Japan Supercar Association)

The big event was also graced with the presence of “big” race queens. Seiko Kirishima, the winner of the 2007 Japan Race Queen Award, appeared in a precious costume, and Kyo Tachibana, a finalist in the newcomer category of the Race Queen Award 2023, showed off her stunning style. The event was a great hit with the audience. Mr. Ryuin Kobayashi, chairman of the Moriya GT Grand Prix Steering Committee, which hosted the event, looks back on the event.

The event started when we proposed the idea of public road racing to the local government as a way of regional development. The mayor of Moriya approached us at the right time, and since we had been doing volunteer activities and town revitalization events in three cities and one town (Moriya City, Toride City, Tsukubamirai City, and Tone Town), we began working to realize the event with the aim of developing southern Ibaraki Prefecture. The local industrial park organization and the chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry were very supportive. Our future goal is for Moriya City to become a world-class tourist destination centered on public road racing like Le Mans and Monaco.”

With great ambitions, this year’s “Moriya GT Grand Prix” was held on a scale 10 times larger than last year. Visitors were intoxicated by the supercars and beautiful women who enlivened the event.