The autumn rally season has come round again this year.
Since discovering the classic car world, I have entered a great many rallies across Japan.
And news arrived, bringing back memories of my favourite Japanese rally of them all — Splendore Ikaho 2021 — with a lovely gift attached.
Organised by the director of the Ikaho Toy, Doll and Car Museum
This event, now running for more than thirty editions, is organised by Mr Yokota, director of the Ikaho Toy, Doll and Car Museum.
With a record among the top ranks of rallying worldwide, he has always quietly backed me from behind the scenes, back when I understood nothing at all about the Japanese classic car world.
And it was hearing his stories from rallies around the world that first made me want to aim at the world myself.
“I’ve inducted all the past winners into the museum’s hall of fame! It’s a shame Komo-chan isn’t entering this year.”
That message came attached to memories of Splendore 2021.
They seem to have put it on display at the Ikaho Toy, Doll and Car Museum!!
Memories come flooding back 💓💓
“A win!!” — the memory that came back to me: Splendore Ikaho 2021
I will never forget it — in 2021 I had only just been told I had cancer, in July.
With tests continuing and anxiety about what came next, I had been hesitating over entering the rally I love so much.
“Come along and clear your head, it’ll do you good” — he pushed me into the field even after entries had closed.
Well, if I am allowed to enter after all that! — I started practising again, and went into 2021 with fresh energy.
And, completely unexpectedly — a win!!!!
The original bottle with the winner’s photograph on it is a treasure of mine!
Aiming for a double crown, and ending in retirement — Splendore Tokyo 2022
Wanting to answer the organiser’s faith in me, I went into Splendore Tokyo 2022 fired up to chase a second title.
And then — the breakdown that always comes with a classic car.
The throttle cable snapped right after the start, and even so, wanting to avoid retiring, wanting to reach the finish that was waiting for us, we refused to give up and wrestled with it ourselves for four hours.
Fighting on through pouring rain. This had stopped being about the competition long before.
Message after message came in — “we’re waiting for you!” — and determined to finish no matter what, we crossed the line last. A double crown was never realistically within reach, but what was waiting for us there was —
a ceremony honouring the win from the event before.
Only one win, and yet the organiser honoured that achievement with such care — I have rarely been so moved.
And now — as of September 2022,
I have moved on from the world of hobby rallying, and am pouring every last bit of strength into the Peking to Paris Motor Challenge 2023 — the biggest challenge of my life, staked on everything I have.
This challenge costs an enormous amount of money, so I no longer have the funds to enter rallies the way I used to. I even let go of the car I made all those memories driving.
A lovely letter arrived, bringing the memory of Splendore back to life, and it made me think — the rally season is here again, and everyone is out driving once more this year.
Hoping for a day we can drive together again, I send my cheer to everyone entering.
Splendore Ikaho! To this year’s winner — congratulations, and my best wishes for the event’s success!!