Can You Drift at Mihama Circuit? Aichi Rules and Alternatives (2026)

No, you cannot drift at Mihama Circuit (Aichi). Its four-wheel rules say that if staff judge you to be drifting, you are refused further running and your fee is not refunded, and none of the 12 monthly pages of its 2026 calendar lists a drift day. What it sells instead is grip running in 20-minute sessions at ¥3,000 on a weekday. We checked on the official pages on 7 October 2026.

If you want to slide a car near Nagoya, three other circuits sell exactly that. They are further down this page.

What does Mihama Circuit sell a four-wheel driver?

Mihama Circuit (美浜サーキット) sits in Mihama-chō, near the southern tip of the Chita peninsula. It is a small multi-purpose circuit for cars, bikes and karts. The full course is 1,000 m with a 200 m straight, 10 to 15 m wide, and corners from 40 R down to 13 R. It is also a JAF gymkhana course, and it is lit for night running.

A session is 20 minutes on paper and about 17 minutes of real running. You pick your slots at reception, 9:00 to 17:00. Entry and parking are free, and membership is ¥10,000 a year plus a ¥2,000 joining fee.

You book by phone or through a Japanese web form. The form opens 2 weeks ahead, closes at 17:00 on the previous business day, and asks for your name in kanji. You pay on the day.

Is drifting actually banned at Mihama Circuit?

Yes, in writing. Rule 14 of the four-wheel running rules reads: 「ドリフトをしているとみなした場合、その後の走行はお断りいたします。この場合、走行代は返却致しかねます。」 In English: if staff judge that you are drifting, you will be refused further running, and the fee will not be refunded.

The event pages say the same thing. The 2026 86 & BRZ & AE86 Festival on 6 August and the 2026 Yaris & Corolla Festival both carry the line 「ドリフト走行は禁止です」, drift running is prohibited. Those are open days built around classic drift cars, and the ban still applies.

The calendar backs this up. None of the 12 monthly pages for 2026 lists a drift day. The four-wheel entries are grip free running, Gymkhana Days, lessons, festivals and private hire. Some private days carry an organiser’s name and no description, so we cannot tell you what runs on them, and none is open to the public.

Where can you drift near Nagoya instead?

Three circuits around Nagoya sell drift running to individuals. Prices below are from our verified guides and the official pages, with the date each was checked.

The cheapest tier is DIY in your own car. Suzuka Twin Circuit costs ¥3,000 all in for a booked weekday half hour on a course built only for drifting. Motorland Mikawa is the Aichi option, but only three hours a day allow drifting.

The packaged tier is an organiser’s beginner day. At YZ Circuit East, the CDA, MJ Style and Chibikko Gang days run at about ¥10,000 to ¥11,500. Chibikko Gang’s weekday drift days fall on 16 October, 20 November and 18 December 2026.

For more venues, see our Tokai and Nagoya tracks guide, the track directory and the event and track calendar.

How do you reach Mihama Circuit, and is it worth a visit?

The address is 16 Umaike, Noma, Mihama-chō, Chita-gun, Aichi 470-3235. The circuit’s own directions are road-only: 7 minutes from Mihama IC and 5 minutes from Minamichita IC on the Minami-Chita Road, about 50 km and an hour by car from Nagoya. It gives no train or bus route. The nearest station is Noma, on the Meitetsu Chita New Line. By our own map measurement, the walk from there is about 2.2 km, roughly 30 minutes.

So is it worth a visit? For grip laps or gymkhana, yes. It is cheap, it is open most days until 17:00, and entry is free. For drifting, no. The rule is written down, and breaking it costs you the session. Before you book any Japanese track, read our licence and IDP guide, because Mihama’s running rules do not say whether an overseas licence is accepted.