MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix 2026 — this event has finished

The MotoGP Japanese Grand Prix at Mobility Resort Motegi is held on Honda's own circuit in the forested hills of Tochigi Prefecture north of Tokyo, a challenging lap combining slow technical sections and high-speed straights that draws Japan's devoted motorcycle-racing community in large numbers. The 2026 weekend, Friday 2 October to Sunday 4 October, arrives as the Tochigi forests are turning to early autumn colour — one of the most beautiful backdrops of the MotoGP season.

Utsunomiya, 30 kilometres south, is the most practical hotel base, with the Shinkansen linking it to Tokyo in around 50 minutes. Book Utsunomiya early; the Honda Collection Hall at the circuit adds a worthwhile visit, and Japan's exceptional food culture and rail network make the trip easily accessible from central Tokyo.

The Japanese Grand Prix at Mobility Resort Motegi is raced on Honda's own circuit, tucked into the forested hills of Tochigi Prefecture north of Tokyo. Honda built the track and opened it in 1997 as Twin Ring Motegi — a name that nodded to its unusual pairing of an oval and a road course — and it was rebranded Mobility Resort Motegi in 2022.

The 4.8-kilometre road circuit is defined by hard stop-and-go braking, a stern test of both machine and rider that has made it a permanent fixture of the Japanese calendar since 2004. For Japan's deeply committed motorcycle-racing public it is a pilgrimage, and the surrounding forests are just beginning to turn to their early autumn colours by race weekend.

The on-site Honda Collection Hall, a museum of the marque's racing and road history, is a genuine draw in its own right. Utsunomiya makes the most practical base, linked to central Tokyo by Shinkansen in around fifty minutes.