Top Gear GT-R Challenge

Hi

I wonder if anyone in this forum would have any knowledge of the route that Jeremy Clarkson drove the GT-R in a race against James May and Hamster in Japan's public transport.

For those that don't know Top Gear, it's a British Motor SHow that showcase the most fast and expensive cars in the world.

This Japan Challenage was in Season 11 Ep4 and basically was a race from West Coast to East Coast of Japan. I don't know where they started but they finish in a place with a big buddha statue accross Tokyo Bay via a magnificent bridge-tunnel highway from Tokyo.

Would appreciate if anyone have any idea. I am not planning on hiring a car in Japan but if there's highway bus that goes from West Coast to East Coast of Japan via Jeremy's route it would be Super!!!

Davy,

If it's of any help in piecing together your puzzle, the bridge-tunnel highway from Tokyo will be the Aqua Line.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tokyo_Bay_Aqua-Line

the aqualine is famous among us gearheads.

check out wangan mr. chiba on youtube if you want a taste of what it's like ;)

Is it possible to go through the aqualine by public transport?

Clarkson drove a Nissan GT-R through Japan, from Hakui to Mount Nokogiri-Yama, while Hammond and May took public transport, most notably the 188 mph Shinkansen. First they took an "ordinary" train from Hakui to Kyoto, before getting on the bullet train to Yokohama, they then had to take the Yokohama Subway to Yokohama Station, where they got on the suburban train to Kurihama and caught the bus to the ferry. They then crossed Tokyo Bay on a ferry. From the ferry Hammond and May used bicycles (carried in their suitcases) to the cable car which got them up to the top of Mount Nokogiri.
Series Eleven, Episode Four

The ferry Hammond and May got must be the one that arrives in Kanaya which is a really short bike ride from Mt Nokogiriyama.
I haven't seen the episode since I arrived in Japan but I assume Clarkson took the expressway from the Aqua Line to Nokogiriyama. If not he probably went down route 127 towards Kyonan and Hota along the coast (my route to work yay!) which leads directly to the cable car and road entrances to the giant buddha, nihonji temple, and Nokogiriyama.

I live in Kimitsu which is on the east side of Tokyo Bay in Chiba-ken.
Just to confirm that there are loads of buses that use the Aqua Line. The only one I use goes from Tokyo Station to Kimitsu. Takes about 50mins and costs 1400yen.
If you want to go to Mt. Nokogiriyama and the Giant Buddha by public transport via the Aqua Line I would catch the bus mentioned above to Kimitsu, then the train from Kimitsu to HamaKanaya station (30mins maybe). You can then walk to the cable-car station (although it's called the Nokogiriyama Ropeway).

Don't know where you'd go from there as I wouldn't say there's a whole lot of other things in the area, except maybe the fish market called 'The Fish'.