Drift Trip to Japan in February 2027: What's Open, What's Shut

February 2027 gives you one big show and three ways to drive. Osaka Auto Messe 2027 runs on 12, 13 and 14 February at INTEX Osaka, 9:00 to 18:00, though the 2027 ticket price is not out yet. On track, Ebisu Circuit (Fukushima) drifts at ¥5,500 a day, Bihoku Highland Circuit (Okayama) runs a ¥4,000 winter free-run, and Shin-Chitose Motorland (Hokkaido) sells snow drift from ¥5,500 a half-day. Every date and price here was checked on the official pages on 17 October 2026.

Our January planner is built around Tokyo Auto Salon. February moves the show to Osaka and puts real snow on the menu. The general case for winter driving, tyre life and quiet paddocks included, is in our winter drifting guide. Fixed dates as they land go on our event calendar.

When is Osaka Auto Messe 2027, and what does a ticket cost?

The organiser has published the basics. This is the 30th Osaka Auto Messe, a dress-up and tuning car show held every year since 1997.

The ticket page on the 2027 site still carries the 2026 sale. Last year a general ticket was valid on any one day, there was no re-entry, and one child of junior-high age or under went in free with each paying adult. Advance sales opened on 1 December 2025. Expect a similar pattern, but do not budget on it until the 2027 page changes.

Which circuits are open in February, and which are shut?

February is mid-winter. Mountain venues get snow, and some shut for the season. Here is where each one stood on 17 October 2026.

Two things stand out. Ebisu’s winter tariff runs from 1 December to 31 March, so February is fully inside it, and the price page says there are no refunds for weather. Bihoku’s discount is shorter: the brackets on its price list apply to January and February only.

Meihan is worth a closer look. Its February 2026 sheet marked drift on seven days, and every one was a weekday group booking. None fell on a Saturday or Sunday. That sheet also says that in January and February, on weekends and holidays with no event, the gate opens at 7:00, or 8:00 in bad weather. Our Kansai guide explains how organiser days there work.

Can you drift on snow in February?

Yes, but in Hokkaido, not on Honshu circuits. Ebisu does get snow some winters, but whether you get a snow day is luck.

Shin-Chitose Motorland (Hokkaido) plans for it. Its summer season runs March to November, and its winter season, December to February, turns the site into a snow and ice circuit.

Half-days run 9:00 to 12:00 and 13:00 to 16:00, and booking is required. The rental needs an ordinary driving licence. Tokachi Speedway (Hokkaido) is the other snow venue: its ice course opens from the third Monday of January to about 20 February, by whole-day hire only at ¥250,000 to ¥650,000. Hirers who want a custom layout are asked to make contact between late October and early November, so that window is closing now. Our Hokkaido guide covers both venues in full.

Is there a drift competition in February 2027?

Not a confirmed one. As of 17 October 2026, neither D1 nor Formula Drift Japan had published a 2027 calendar. No D1 Grand Prix, D1 Lights, FDJ, FDJ2 or FDJ3 round has a February date. If you see one on a third-party site, treat it as a guess until a series page carries it.

What has to be booked in Japanese before you fly?

Bihoku is the cheapest winter drive on Honshu, and its booking is the catch. The official price page says course hire is booked by telephone and FAX, with a deadline of three days ahead on a weekday and one week ahead at weekends for the A course. The site is in Japanese. From abroad, that is a phone call in Japanese during Japanese office hours.

Which future dates should you put in your phone?

The show dates are the only hard points in February 2027. Everything on a circuit firms up a few weeks before, so keep one spare day in the plan for snow, and carry cash for the gate.