Initial D Manhole Cover 7, Yaseone Pass

Initial D Manhole Cover 7 is at the site of the former toll gate at Yaseone Pass, on the old Ikaho Haruna toll road above Ikaho Onsen in Shibukawa, Gunma, on the way up to Lake Haruna. It is the last of seven official Initial D manhole covers Shibukawa City has placed around town, and the only one out on the mountain road.

Ai Yokoyama, animation director of the New Initial D film series, drew all seven covers in full colour. Cover 7 shows Takumi's AE86 and Keisuke Takahashi's FD RX-7 side by side, drawn as the start of a battle.

The spot is the model for the start of the Akina downhill, the course the series draws from several angles. The toll booths are gone, and only a water tower remains, mostly hidden by trees. The cover sits on the Mount Haruna road, the climb from Ikaho to Lake Haruna.

• The cover shows the AE86 and the FD side by side, set at the place the manga uses as the downhill start line.

• Many visitors park their own car beside the cover and photograph the two together.

• The water tower is half hidden in the trees, so the manga's view cannot be matched exactly.

• From here the road climbs on to Lake Haruna at the top of the mountain, and drops back through the hairpins to Ikaho, the Akina course in both directions.

• The cover is at the former toll gate site on Yaseone Pass, on the road from Ikaho Onsen up to Lake Haruna. No bus stop at the site is confirmed.

• The nearest car park named by Gunma's tourism board is the Haruna Park Visitor Centre car park by Lake Haruna, further up the road. Stopping or parking within 10 m of a bus stop is not allowed.

• This is a public road with homes, hotels, buses and cyclists on it. Racing, drifting and speeding are illegal.

• Snow and ice are common on the Haruna roads from December to March. Winter tyres are needed and roads can close.

• The free Initial D manhole card is not handed out here. It is given out one per person at Shibusan in Shibukawa Ekimae Plaza, in front of JR Shibukawa Station, 9:00 AM to 7:00 PM every day except New Year's Eve and New Year's Day.

Last verified: 3 November 2026

Official link: https://initiald-shibukawa.com/eg/manhole.html