Photo/Illutration A scene from a classic car gathering held on Oct. 1, 2022, in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, an area affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami (Provided by the secretariat of the executive committee for the “Go! Go! Rally” event)

KUMAMOTO--The “Go! Go! Rally,” a classic car festival and charity event, will be held here for the first time on April 6, bringing together 106 automobiles produced between 1926 and 1974.

The rally is the brainchild of actor Toshiaki Karasawa. Part of the participation fees will be donated to help rebuild Kumamoto Castle, which was damaged by twin earthquakes in 2016.

The rally has been held previously in the Tohoku region to cheer up areas affected by the Great East Japan Earthquake and tsunami.

“From now on, I want to continue the event in Kumamoto in the spring and in the Tohoku region in the fall,” Karasawa said.

The event’s executive committee called on classic car enthusiasts around the country to join the cause.

On April 6, the vintage automobiles will start and finish their journey at Hanabata Hiroba Square near Kumamoto Castle.

The cars will drive through Mashiki and Nishihara, which were hit hard by the quakes, and other areas along the route connecting the prefectural capital and the Aso region.

Karasawa visited the Kumamoto prefectural and city offices on Feb. 14 to promote the event.

“I want to bring classic cars here to cheer people up,” the actor said at the city hall. “I think it is meaningful to continue the event for a long time.”

Karasawa and his wife, actress Tomoko Yamaguchi, will participate in the event in a Porsche 356 Speedster. 

Related News