RoundCat Rally 2025

Small Cars, Big Fun
Words and photography by Lane Skelton

Left to right: Erich, Chris, Dante, and myself with a couple of Spoon tuned Hondas

Tokyo: Early Starts and Late Nights

We landed in Japan on a Sunday and spent the next day and a half getting lost in Tokyo. Most of our time was in Shibuya — taking photos, shopping, and eating far too well. Steak, katsu, and late-night coffee stops set the rhythm.

Left to right: Erich, Simon, and Dante, finally in Toyko!

Jet lag had us up by four each morning, so Dante and I made the most of it — pre-dawn photo walks through empty streets, vending machine BOSS Coffee in hand. Tokyo doesn’t wake early, so those quiet hours became ours alone.

A small café in our neighborhood, Andy Coffee, opened at 8 a.m., and we became regulars there on both ends of the rally. It’s a minimalist spot tucked into a Shibuya backstreet, serving perfect milk toast, fresh donuts, and dialed-in espresso. By the end of our visit, they didn’t even need to ask what we wanted.

A quick stop at a bookstore in Daikanyama rounded things out — art books, design journals, and a little calm before the miles ahead.

Tuesday morning, Erich and I loaded up a white and blue Spoon-tuned Honda N-One that Clark let us borrow, while Simon and Dante took a yellow N-One(The Spoon demo car). Next stop: Nikko, where the Round Cat Rally would begin.

The Start: Round Cat Comes Alive

This was my second Round Cat Rally, having joined the first one the year before. I also pre-ran this year’s route a few months earlier, so rolling back into Nikko felt like returning to a familiar rhythm — same spirit, new stories.

The rally — organized by Clark and Jen Sopper, with Kaz helping run the show — gathered in the hills above Nikko. It was a small, eclectic mix of cars and people.. Clark and Jen’s one-year-old son, Max, was along for the ride too!

Our loaner Spoon-tuned N-One fit right in: Small, quick, and fun. The six-speed manual, limited-slip diff, and big turbo made it a bit of a cheater car compared to some of the others — though I never quite mastered that third-to-second downshift.

After meeting up in Nikko on Tuesday, we made a quick run up to the dam — one of the best roads of the rally. A one-way, two-lane hill climb with perfect asphalt and just enough tour buses to keep things interesting. It felt like a video game. Rain poured down, but that only made it more fun. While at the dam, Simon, Erich, and I went to a small shop, and watched an artist make wooden boxes by hand.

That night at dinner, I sat with Erich, Lawrence, and Amy. Erich, a long-time friend and my co-driver from last year’s rally, shared stories with Lawrence — both veterans of past DWA! events.

Roads, Ramen, and the Right Company

Day 2, the first full day of driving delivered everything Japan is famous for — narrow, winding roads, mist hanging low in the hills, and a mid-day ramen stop at a tiny countryside shop. The couple who ran it served rich, simple ramen that hit the spot, and was the best ramen I had on my entire trip.

Adam’s (@SodoMoto) VW Lupo Cup Car — so RAD.
Jonathan’s (@pizzatourismo) Honda Beat — tiny but mighty.
Massa and Katsu from Built by Legends (@builtbylegends) in another Beat, one Massa has owned since new.
Hiro’s (@tokyonur_hiro) heavily modified Honda Element — unapologetically wild.

Every stop turned into a photo session. Most of the group were photographers — shooting 35mm, medium format, Leicas, Sonys, and phones. The result: a rally captured from a thousand perspectives.

Hotelli Alto and the Art Next Door

We stayed two nights at Hotelli Alto, a modern “mountain lodge” onsen tucked into the hills. Next door sat a museum holding Asia’s largest collection of Dalí art.

The hotel itself is something special. Its interior strikes a balance between comfort and restraint — clean lines, quality finishes, and a calm atmosphere that lets you unwind after a long day of driving. For many of us, that matters just as much as the roads.

Being an onsen, it had hot baths, an incredible locally sourced multi-course “East meets West” dinner, an equally impressive breakfast spread, and complimentary drinks available around the clock.

On day 3, we drove to the top of a volcano in pouring rain, descended the other side for lunch, then wound our way back to the hotel. That mountain pass is one of my favorites — varied tarmac, dramatic scenery, and personality in every corner. The last time I drove it, there were six-foot snowbanks lining the road; this time, it was sheets of rain. Maybe next time it’ll be sunny.

For a group of photographers, Hotelli Alto offered more than a bed. Its large windows, clean architecture, and minimal décor made it perfect for reviewing shots, sharing stories, and even photographing monkeys — we woke up to about fifteen of them outside the hotel one morning.

A Stop for Time

Leaving Hotelli Alto behind on day 4, we wound our way to Sendai on another brilliant mountain pass, stopping for lunch along the way before visiting the Casio factory — a quiet lesson in Japanese precision. I left with a $25 Casio watch, simple and perfect — a souvenir that says more about the country than any postcard ever could.

Then came one of the most surreal stops of the rally: a collector’s home styled entirely around his love for USDM Japanese cars. Out front sat a San Jose–sourced Integra Type R; the details were uncanny — an ADT Security sign in the yard, Home Depot boxes in the garage, even a California police chase on TV.

It was absurd and brilliant!

Sendai and the Sea

Sendai made the perfect base for the rally’s final stretch. Evenings meant izakayas, ramen, and stories traded over drinks. On day 5, after a photo walk through the outdoor markets, we left the cars behind and took a train to Matsushima Bay. Once there we took a short boat cruise through the harbor with over 260 small pine covered islands, before having lunch on the bay, and finishing off with some soft serve ice cream(Japan has the best soft serve!).

Day 6 was one last perfect drive. Our route took us north-west out of Miyagi, crossing briefly into Akita, before turning back into Miyagi. — winding roads, a roadside food truck, a little getting lost, and that bittersweet realization that the end was near. We wrapped it up with a group dinner at the hotel, saying our goodbyes and already talking about the next adventure.

The Drive Home

By the end, our cars were dusty, our memory cards full, and our friendships properly forged. Clark, Jen, Kaz, and little Max had built something rare — a rally that celebrates driving and connection in equal measure.

After the final dinner, we drove four hours back to Tokyo. The little Spoon N1 hummed happily along the expressway. After wiping down the cars, and saying goodbye to Dante, Erich, and Simon, I met up with my family and spent five more days exploring the city at a slower pace — food, art, and long walks through familiar streets.

In total, I spent two weeks in Japan — a trip marked by 4 a.m. photo walks, BOSS Coffee, and the joy of driving something small, simple, and alive.

Check out RoundCat Racing here

See all of my photos from Japan here