The Suzuka International Racing Course, more famously known as the Suzuka Circuit , is a 5.807 km (3.608 mi) long motorsport race track located in Ino, Suzuka City, Mie Prefecture, Japan and operated by Mobilityland Corporation, a subsidiary of Honda Motor Co, Ltd. It has a capacity of 155,000.
Accommodation:
The Suzuka Circuit is easiest to access from Nagoya or Tsu, but you can also choose Kyoto or Osaka as your base for the race. Especially hotels in Nagoya and Tsu get sold out pretty quickly due to Tsu hosting Japanese festival during the same weekend.
Nagoya is the easiest choice for newcomer as it has international airport right next to it and it's a sufficiently large city to have many hotels. It's also easy to access via Shinkansen from Tokyo and has other amenities at your hand. Direct trains from Nagoya station to the Suzuka Circuit Ino Station make it solid choice for the first timer. Nagoya has something for everyone any budget from hostels to high end hotels, airbnb might be good budget option with nightly rates as low as 2000 yen.
Tsu is lesser known little town which might be difficult destination depending on your language and communication, but staying there would give an added benefit to not having to queue for the trains after long day at the track. Also Tsu is well connected to Osaka and would allow you to plan your trip to Nara more easily.
Kyoto and Osaka are less accessible through public transport, but if you have a JR rail pass or are willing to pay little extra you can easily reach the track due to the efficiency of the Japanese public transport system. Another option to public transport (especially if staying at Kyoto) is to rent a car and drive to the circuit.
Camping might be possible, but I have no experience from it.
Getting to the track:
By far the most cheapest and easiest method to get to the circuit is using public transport. Trains run from Nagoya and Tsu directly to the circuits station. From Nagoya there are multiple trains each hour both reserved and unreserved trains. Special trains run the route directly from Nagoya to the circuit requiring you to purchase a reserved ticket for the whole ride which makes it little more expensive thus more enjoyable option, but with a drawback that you can't change your schedule on the spot. These trains take roughly half an hour to reach the circuits station and will cost roughly 4000 yen per roundtrip.
If using the cheapest method with local and unreserved trains you have to make sure that you leave the train at Suzuka Circuit Ino Station and not the Suzuka Station. After arriving to the station you'll have to do a 15 minute walk to get to the track. It takes roughly an hour to get to the track from Nagoya and will set you back about 2000 yen per roundtrip. Using a train from Tsu is very fast and cheap option. You can get to the station as quickly as 15 minutes and roundtrip costs 1000 yen although it might be hard to buy the correct tickets for the first timer.
Leaving the track with public transport tends to be orderly chaos. Remember to buy your return ticket in advance (small tents with staff on them) and follow the instructions given by the staff. The local trains to Nagoya tend to be packed, but if you don't mind a little longer and more expensive trip, buy a return ticket to Tsu and change trains there.
Taxi is not a very viable option from Nagoya, but is doable from Tsu or some of the smaller towns in the area, but is usually avoided due to the fantastic public transport.
Arriving with a car requires you to purchase a spot from nearby fields. Most of the parking operators are private landowners who charge a hefty sum depending how close to the track you want to park at. Best spots go for roughly 10000 yen per night, but more reasonable ones charge you 2000-5000 yen per night.
Seating:
Suzuka is fantastic seating wise as even GA tickets give you great locations such as spoon or the exit of degner not to mention the fact that on Friday all stands are free apart from the main grandstand. Due to the free Friday you can optimize how much you're willing to spend if you're keen on taking pictures but want to enjoy the race from certain stand. Only downside of the grandstands is the seating type as the seats are hard so you want to bring your own padding.
A stands are located on the main straight and give you a decent view of the cars whizzing past at high speeds. These stands are very conveniently located near the entrance to the circuit and have great access to the main plaza of the circuit.
B stands in the first corner provide great view to the main straight and the twitching first sector. If you buy the lower stand tickets early, you might be able to score top rows at the lower stands providing shelter from sunlight or rain. These stands also have space in the corridors where people can rest during the day, but you have to get there early to reserve spot. The upper section provides unobstructed view and is especially good if you want to get some pictures of the cars charging through the fast flowing first turn. There are food stalls inside and outside the gated area for beverages and various foods. Screens and toilets are conveniently located. Downside for the B stand is the extended walk from the entrance and the main plaza.
C stands are like the budget versions of the A and B stands. They provide view to the first turn and the first section and have easy access to food stalls. Preferably you want the seats near the B stands for better view for the first turn and the higher seats are better comapred to lower seats which tend to have obstructed view due to the fences. Screens are available and toilets are nearby. Downside is the long walks from the entrances and the main plaza.
D stands are not very good and you might not have a screen in your view but you might get a good view of the cars through the dunlop or s curve. Food stalls and toilets are nearby. Downside is the long walks from the entrances and the main plaza. Good location for queueuing to the west track walk after the race.
E stand provides depending on your seating a great view where the cars make way from the second turn all the way to dunlop. You might not see many overtakes, but the capabilities of the cars are quite apparent from this angle. E stand is right next to the secondary plaza and has great access to food stalls and is not far from the main plaza. Good location for queueuing to the west track walk after the race.
G and Spoon seating are available with GA tickets and they provide average views without any screens. G stands have food stalls available but are far from the entrances. Spoon is the most far corner and you probably want to bring a portable chair to get a good view. On raceday you want to get in early and have couple of friends with you to keep your seats reserved.
S, Q, and R stands provide great views for the final sector and you are most probable to catch most of the overtakes. They are near to main plaza and have food stalls and toilets readily available. S stand is only for families so remember to bring a kid with you.
Food:
Japan is known for its delicacies and the trackside offerings are no different. Food stalls are available all around the circuit and they serve typical Japanese fast food. Food and beverages are on the pricey side so many locals tend to bring their own foods with them. Most food vendors do not accept cards so bring cash with you. As the track is quite far from any towns and cities, there are no stores or restaurants outside the venue so you might want to bring some snacks with you if you're on budget.
What to avoid:
Japanese GP tends to be either very hot or rainy so you might want to pack your bags with that in mind. During the 2018 GP the trackside announcers were constantly reminding people to drink water to keep hydrated and asked the Japanese to convey the message to non-Japanese speakers as heatstrokes were a real concern. Most of the stands are not covered and you should try to get some shade if you spend your whole day there. During rainy races you should be prepared with raincloak as umbrellas are banned.
Misc:
On Saturday night you'll have access to the pit lane which is a must for any fan. You'll get to see some of the cars up close and might bump to team personnel.
There is free wifi available, but the connection is limited to few grandstands and it might not be available depending on your carrier.
There is Japanese dance festival in Tsu during to same weekend, I recommend going there to experience the Japanese festival atmosphere and to learn little bit about Japanese culture as well.
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