【Event Reports】La Festa Mille Miglia 2019／Day.1 Starting in Harajuku with thoughts for the disaster-stricken areas

CIGARRO's sixth event collaboration series supports active adults who enjoy both work and play to the fullest.
This time, we had the opportunity to accompany the 23rd classic car rally, "La Festa Mille Miglia."

La Festa Mille Miglia is a legendary race that was held in Italy for 30 years starting in 1927. Today, it continues as a prestigious classic car rally, attracting numerous participants not only from Italy but also from Japan and other countries around the world. The Japanese version of this race, which we accompanied this time, began in 1997. Since 2002, it has been officially recognized by the International Federation of Historic Vehicles, the only such event in Asia, and is held every autumn, primarily in the Tohoku region.

The basic spirit of La Festa is comprised of three principles: "Respect for the old," "Forever young at heart," and "Expanding the circle of friendship with all participants in the event." Embodying these principles, the event was held with the theme of "Disaster Area Support Event," calling for assistance to areas affected by Typhoons No. 15 and 19.

At this wonderful race, we witnessed countless smiles and serious gazes of adults who never forgot their playful spirit, and heartfelt interactions with people they met during their journey. We will deliver this experience report in four parts.

As with La Festa Primavera, we, as a sponsor, presented CIGARRO products to the entrants (competitors) and covered the four-day rally. There were 89 entries, and the route started from Harajuku, Meiji Jingu Shrine, covering one metropolis and five prefectures: Fukushima, Miyagi, Yamagata, Tochigi, and Chiba, with a total driving distance of approximately 1,350 km.

Meiji Jingu Shrine, the starting point, is a historic shrine dedicated to Emperor Meiji and Empress Shoken. It is known as one of Tokyo's premier power spots, boasting the highest number of New Year's visitors in Japan. The sight of 89 classic cars lined up in this sacred place was truly breathtaking. Furthermore, the entrants' fashion and expressions were wonderful; indeed, people who are passionate about what they love are cool, regardless of age or gender!

Now, the race was finally starting, but on the first day, October 25th, it was met with cold rain from the morning. At Meiji Jingu, the starting point, cars set off one after another as the rain intensified. First up was the PC competition at Tsutaya Books in Daikanyama. With fans watching under umbrellas, all entrants successfully completed the competition, and then began the long journey to their destination, Ura-Bandai in Fukushima.

After driving through the Tohoku Expressway, battered by continuous rain, the entrants received stamps at Oike Park in Yabuki Town, the village office in Ten-ei Village, and the Hideyo Noguchi Memorial Museum in Inawashiro Town, all check points. Along the way, they also participated in a PC competition at Yabuki Driving School, steadily completing the first day's route.

At each point, locals came out to the venues despite the heavy rain, cheering on the beautiful classic cars. In response to their cheers, the entrants waved back with smiles, and we could feel the strong sense of connection and the importance of encounters between people.