BEYOND TRACK LIMITS
THE MUST-TRY RESTAURANT...
Top of the pops in nearby Shiroko is Wasia, one of several restaurants in the area involving chef Toyisha Seki. Wasia focuses on Japanese small plates and drinking food, while nearby Poe is a pork-centric wine and grill bar. At Wasia, ordering is done via iPad, neatly circumventing the language barrier. The sashimi runs out fast, so get your order(s) in early.
THE TRY IT ONCE...
While it's not the best yakiniku around -- that honour probably goes to Kamehachishokudou -- Azumaya is one of the most. fun. With all-you-can-eat AND all-you-can-drink menus available, plus a la carte selections and food you cook yourself on a table grill, Azumaya is very much a hands-on drunken experience for you and your carnivorous friends.
THE HIGH END OPTION...
While I'm usually loath to recommend a hotel restaurant, Suzuka is something of a closed shop. You can't go wrong with any of the cheap and cheerful izakayas in Shiroko, but if you're looking for something fancy -- and a few familiar F1 faces -- the place to be is Shun, the grill at the Suzuka Circuit Hotel. The wine list is extensive, and the calamari is excellent.
Around Suzuka
JAPANESE GRAND PRIX
Two hours from Tokyo by a combination of bullet train and plodding local service, the Japanese Grand Prix is hardly in a bustling metropolis. The city of Nagoya is 40 minutes away by train and boasts plentiful hotel stock, but the small town of Shiroko -- minutes from the track -- has its own charms, most of them culinary.