The 101-hectare circuit, about 106 kilometres from Tokyo, is a 3.5-kilometre gauntlet complemented by a scenic backdrop nearly as exhilarating
No matter what the preferred expressions of luxury may be, we who obsess about best-of-the-best products, places, and experiences understand one thing: when you encounter the real deal, you know it. For me, it’s holding a flawless yellow 10-carat cushion-cut diamond at Harry Winston, piloting a McLaren F1, and now, driving at Magarigawa—a private club and track about 106 kilometres southeast of Tokyo.
Some of the greatest circuits in the world take their cues from nature. The topography, not a designer, is what’s responsible for the legendary Corkscrew at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca, as it encompasses the hillside’s challenging 18 per cent drop. The same holds true for the famous Eau Rouge corner at Belgium’s Circuit of Spa-Francorchamps, also presenting an 18 per cent change in elevation.
Magarigawa—the name refers to the winding Nanamagarigawa River that runs through the property, part of which flows underground—is also the product of its dramatic landscape, and features 20 per cent and 16 per cent uphill and downhill grades, respectively. The foundation is a previously untouched mountaintop on the Boso Peninsula, surrounded by lush valleys. The club’s founders, the Japanese conglomerate Cornes & Company, spent years searching for a spot that offered seclusion, drama, and quick access to Tokyo and nearby airports. (Through two of its subsidiaries, Cornes & Company is the official Japanese retailer for Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche, Rolls-Royce, and Bentley, so a passion for cars runs deep.)
The 101-hectare automotive country club, perched atop the site’s highest point, features a ribbonlike 3.5-kilometre track with 22 corners slithering around stomach-dropping peaks and pitches. Construction was painstaking and took more than three years. Hermann Tilke—famed designer of Formula 1 tracks—and his team were tapped to both conceive of and engineer the course, which officially opened in 2023. (Tilke built the tracks at Circuit of the Americas, Azerbaijan, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, and Bahrain, to name a few.) The course is narrower than many new tracks because the founders wanted members to purely focus on their driving. No racing is allowed, and no motorcycles, either.
My son, Walker, and I are touring Magarigawa while visiting Japan. We are graciously hosted by pro racer Hideto Yasuoka, a former Porsche Carrera Cup champion, a Formula 3 racer, and now a Super GT competitor. Yasuoka has been an official member of the Magarigawa team since the beginning.
He meets us early in the nearby town of Tateyama and chauffeurs us to the property. The temple-like entrance gate and minimalist signage immediately make us speak in hushed tones. As we twist up the winding access road, we pass a dog park, a gas station, a helipad, and two car storage facilities, one for 150 rarefied vehicles and a bigger Fort Knox–like structure housing 300 vehicles along with a fully staffed workshop and repair facility. For privacy reasons, we don’t get to look inside, but I play 20 Questions with our host. “Are there any Valkyriesor Gordon Murray T.50s in there?” I dare to ask.
“We can’t talk about specific member cars, but in general, yes,” is his reply. (He later shared with us that he set the current track record in a Valkyrie.)
Not all of that precious sheet metal stays under wraps, though. As we continue up the road to the massive contemporary clubhouse, we pass nine glass-and-stone-skinned villas nestled into the hillside. Inside each one, we glimpse Ferraris, Paganis, Aston Martins, Lamborghinis, Porsches, and the like, all parked adjacent to the main living spaces to allow members to enjoy their automotive art even at rest. Another 18 villas—the club’s zoning maximum—are slated to be built.
At the top, we park at the sprawling and impressively imposing clubhouse. Exiting the club’s sleek lobby, we enter a vaulted, glass-walled, wood-paneled space with leather furniture, ceiling-mounted fire-extinguisher lines, and flatscreens flashing live feeds from the track. We are standing in the poshest “pits” I have ever encountered—18 bays, each holding two cars. It looked more like an exclusive resort in Aspen.
Next, Yasuoka leads us through the club’s wine-and-cigar bar, a simulator room, sumptuous locker rooms for men and women—with natural onsen (hot springs) features sourced from the grounds—and an outdoor infinity-edge pool. Spa rooms look out over various corners of the track, as does the well-equipped gym (trainers are always on duty). We also get a glimpse at the indoor and outdoor play areas for the members’ children—dozens of pairs of little sneakers scattered at the entrance.
We end the tour in the formal restaurant and are served a Michelin-star-worthy four-course lunch courtesy of the club’s official hospitality partner, Kanaya Resorts. The glass walls of the dining area give us full views of the cars on track. In the distance, Mt. Fuji stands proudly.
Finally, it’s our turn to drive. “The club doesn’t have any specific age restrictions,” says Yasuoka to my thrilled 19-year-old son, as he brings us back to the pit exit. There, three Toyota GR86 Cup Cars are lined up for our use (the club also has Porsche, Subaru BRZ, and Toyota Yaris Cup Cars for rent). “Members are really starting to gravitate toward race cars and away from production cars,” he said. “The cost of running them, including brakes and tires, is much less.”
On the biggest downhill curve of the track, Yasuoka stomps on it in the lead car as I stay stapled to his bumper. “The track is designed to allow even novice drivers the chance to get 80 to 85 per cent out of their car right away,” he would later explain. “It’s narrow enough that you really can’t mess up the racing line.”
He was right. As we get warmed up and pick up speed, piloting the GR86s around all 22 turns begins to take on the rhythm and grace of dancing. There are long straights, decreasing radius sweepers, and a few fast left-right squiggles, which I wish I had time to master. The long, sweeping uphill left-hander is both the high note and the bravest pill: a completely blind 20 per cent corner requiring you to keep your foot in it, take a deep breath, and put a lot of trust in the pro.
As we lap, I begin to experience the sort of Zen-like focus the founders intended drivers to feel. It’s exhilarating—and addictive; the track’s flawless surface consistent and grippy. Too soon, though, Yasuoka brings us back into the pits.
There are excellent private tracks in the U.S. and beyond, but none come close to this caliber in my opinion. California-based restoration house Singer came to Magarigawa in 2024 to launch its brand in Japan. “We were able to give potential clients and current customers an experience like none other on one of the most important and brilliant circuits in the world—configured in a way that shows how a car best performs,” says Rob Dickinson, Singer’s founder and executive chairman.
Currently, 80 per cent of the club’s 400 members are from Japan, with the other 20 per cent coming from Asia, Europe, and the U.S. The eventual maximums are 500 full memberships (which never expire) and 750 associate memberships (which renew every five years).
“We will only admit a handful of new full members each year at irregular intervals,” says Yasuoka. The good news: associate memberships are granted upon approval without limit, and this year’s deadline for application is 30 June 2025.
This story was first published on Robb Report USA. Featured photo by The Magarigawa Club
