The best mountain roads for kei cars

Big engines need big roads. Kei cars thrive on the opposite: narrow, twisty, and low speed, where momentum matters more than power.

In Japan

• Hakone Turnpike (Kanagawa). A classic with long sweepers and good scenery. Go early on a weekday.
• Irohazaka (Tochigi). Forty eight hairpins up to Nikko. Brake cooling matters.
• Yabitsu Pass (Kanagawa). Narrow, technical, and best left to small cars.

In the Pacific Northwest

• Mountain Loop Highway (Washington). Smooth, scenic and mostly empty.
• Chuckanut Drive (Washington). Coastal curves with great stops for lunch.
• Historic Columbia River Highway (Oregon). Tight bends, waterfalls and a nice reason to leave the interstate.

Etiquette

Keep your lane, watch for cyclists, and pull over to let faster traffic by. We are guests on these roads. Small cars win friends.