Mini4WD Japan Cup 2026: Okayama entries close 30 August

We are in Italy. Okayama and Shizuoka are a flight away, and almost none of us will race Mini 4WD Japan Cup 2026 in person. It is still the hobby's metre: the layout, the motors, the classes. What Tamiya decides there shows up later at the Tempio, in the garage, on a five-lane.

That is why the official calendar is worth watching from here. The window closing now is Okayama: entries on the Tamiya site until Sunday 30 August (the confirmation mail has to arrive). Race day is 13 September at Okayama Omocha Okoku, Tamano. The 12 September practice uses the same form. If you are not on a plane, you still need this: it is the reference, not our Sunday race.

What is left from here to November

The Japanese season started in July. Kakegawa (6 September) has already closed entries. Tamiya's page still lists these rounds. We watch them from a distance; this is where the year's course comes from.

• 13 September, Okayama (Omocha Okoku, Tamano). Entries until 30 August. Full-day practice on 12 September. Lottery if demand is high. Results from Friday 4 September, late afternoon.
• 19–20 September, Tokyo 2D / Tokyo 2 (Shinagawa Seaside Forest). Entries until 6 September. No practice day: Tokyo stays no-pit / one-way.
• 18 October, Kumamoto (Greenland Rainbow Dome, Arao). Entries until 4 October. Full-day practice.
• 24–25 October, Tokyo 3D / Tokyo 3, same Shinagawa venue. Entries until 12 October. No practice.
• 7 November, Shizuoka EX (Spectrum Hall, Tamiya HQ). Entries until 25 October.
• 8 November, Champion final, same Spectrum Hall. Open, Junior and Champions round winners only. Trial does not get a ticket.

Tamiya can move dates without notice. Recheck the official page before you quote a round on an Italian track.

UPBEAT MAELSTROM CIRCUIT 2026: the course we copy from

That is the name, about 270 metres. It is not our five-lane. It is the layout Tamiya tours around Japan, and the source of sections, names and ideas we also see here: Brun, bouncing, rolling, catch on lap 6.

This year's new lane-change is the Yamaha Motor «Uma no se» changer: a short climb, then a downhill reverse-bank hairpin taken from the real SUGO corner. A fixed Brun 2 sits on Launch Sprint from the start. Then Rapid Stride, Flowing Bend (Nanami), Cavalry Climb (XLARGE), the FDK valley, Spike Bank, Shallow Roll with a Low wall, Ridge Glide, ADVAN Sweep. First across the line catches the car on lap 6. The drawing on Tamiya's page is dated 22 June 2026 and can still change.

If you are building a «Japan Cup» car in Italy, start here, not from hearsay. Then adapt to the track under your roof. Those are not the same race.

Classes and motors: the metre, not Saturday's Italian rules

Every class is pre-entry on Tamiya's form. In Japan you need original ID on race day. Photos and copies do not count. No ID means a reference run with no ranking. For us it is mainly a mirror: Junior and Trial run tune motors, no Dash. Open and Champions keep the Dash motors. If someone in Italy says «Japan Cup Junior allows Hyper Dash 3», no. Not on these pages.

• Junior: grade 4 through junior-high 3, self-built. Free. Tune motors, no Dash. One attendant, not on course.
• Family: through junior-high 3, solo or shared build. Free. Not an elimination race. One attendant may enter the course.
• Open: high school and up. 500 yen (about €2.70) tax in, paid on site. Winner goes to the final and gets Champions 2026 status.
• Champions: valid Champions licence only. 500 yen (about €2.70). In Tokyo, Champions and special-award racers share the heat.
• Trial: high school and up. 500 yen (about €2.70). Same motors as Junior. No Champions licence and no final ticket.

Okayama also needs a park ticket, separate. Race under an outdoor tent by Festival Hall. Setting space is limited.

Motors and batteries, as Tamiya writes them

The official Mini 4WD race regulations apply, plus Japan Cup notes. No Wild or Comical chassis. Junior and Trial on ME/MA/MS: kit-normal plus Torque-Tuned 2 PRO, Rev-Tuned 2 PRO, Atomic-Tuned 2 PRO (and the older PRO tunes). Other chassis: the non-PRO «2» tunes. Hyper Dash 3 and the other Dash motors stay in Open and Champions.

Cells: Tamiya Power Champ / Neo Champ, or FDK alkaline AA in retail wrap. From the second final run Tamiya issues FDK Premium S J-Cup 2026 cells (black and yellow), not sold. Unreleased-in-Japan kits or parts, and non-FDK cells, are out. From Italy that is still a rule to know: if you build «like Japan Cup», start here, not from the shop counter down the road.

Concours ONLINE: X does not care which country you post from

The 2026 Concours d'Elegance runs on X in four windows. Geography matters less here: a photo of a real car can come from the living room. Round three is 7–14 September (#JC2026コンデレ3). Two classes: livery (specified kit, body shape untouched) and free. Round-three livery kit is Shadow Shark on AR (ITEM 18704). Real Mini 4WD only, no AI renders. One entry per class, both hashtags required.

If you are going to Okayama

Tamiya web form, one per racer. Okayama has a form for junior-high 3 and under, and one for high school and up. Practice and race in a single send. The mail from appsupport@tamiya-inc.co.jp is the receipt: no mail, no entry. Tamiya prefers Gmail or Yahoo because carrier domains drop the message.

Race day: car with cells already in, tools, spare cells, QR, original ID, and 500 yen (about €2.70) if you are in Open, Champions or Trial. After check-in you go straight to inspection. In Okayama, once you join that queue you do not leave the course until your heat is done.

Rounds are streamed on the Tamiya Inc YouTube channel.

FAQ

Do I need to enter Okayama if I only race in Italy?

No. The form is for people going to Japan. We need the calendar and the rules, not the QR code.

Can I still enter Kakegawa?

No. On the official calendar the 6 September round is marked closed.

Is Okayama a lottery?

Yes, if entries exceed places. Tamiya says so. Results from 4 September, late afternoon.

Is there an official Tamiya equivalent in Italy?

No. FantasyLand, the Italian Tamiya distributor, says it does not run local championships and does not appoint exclusive territorial reps. Shop races belong to the organisers. Japan Cup is Tamiya's Japanese series: the reference for the layout and the rules.

What does it cost to race, over there?

Junior and Family: race entry is free. Open, Champions and Trial: 500 yen (about €2.70) tax in, on site. Okayama also needs the Omocha Okoku ticket, which Tamiya does not include.