Female Rally Drivers after 1950: Japan

Rina Ito

Language difficulties make it hard to research rallying in Japan, but there are at least a few female drivers active on the domestic scene. This post will hopefully be expanded in future.

Eri Kurosawa (Kuroeri) - competed in the Japanese rally championship in 2019, driving a Honda Fit. Her best finish was 26th in the International Rally of Tsumagoi, second in class. She was also 30th in the Shinshiro Rally, from 44 finishers. At the end of the year, she was fifth in class JN6 of the Japanese championship. 2019 was her second season in a car, as she had done some rallies in a Toyota Aqua in 2018. In 2021, she did two more Japanese events in a Mazda Roadster, which she continued to rally in 2022. Her best result was 31st in the MCSC Highlands Rally. “Kuroeri” is a celebrity in Japan, who models and occasionally appears on screen.

Arisa Mizuhara - rallies a hybrid Nissan Note in her native Japan. 2019 appears to be her first season of major rallies, although she and co-driver Risa Mizuhara apparently competed together in 2018. Her best result so far has been a 32nd place in the International Rally of Tsumagoi in January, where she was fourth in class. It was her first event on snow. Later in the year, she seems to have driven a Subaru Impreza as well as the Note. In 2020, she started the year with a Toyota Vitz but then upgraded to a Yaris for three Japanese championship rallies. She won her class in the Tour de Kyushu, finishing 38th overall. 2021 was a busy year for her, with ten rallies in a Toyota Yaris. Her best result was probably 26th in the ARK Rally Kamuy.

Noriko Nakajima - rally driver who drives a Mitsubishi Lancer, usual an Evo IX, in Japanese events. She has been active since at least 2018. Her best open rally is the Kamikochi Rally, an asphalt event near Nagano. She finished ninth in it in 2018 and 2020. In addition, she was runner-up in the 2020 Women’s Rally in Ena, also on asphalt. She has top-twenty finishes in several other rallies in East Japan, although 2022 has not been the best year for her, with two retirements. In 2023, she rallied the Lancer again and had a best finish of third in the Ena Women's Rally. Her best finish in a mixed event was a twelfth place in the Kamikochi Rally. In 2024, she improved her Ena result to second, and from six other Japanese events, had a best finish of fourth in the Minamiboso Rally.

Kozue Oi - Japanese international driver. She began her WRC career in Kenya in 2000, in a Subaru Forester. Since then, she has driven in WRC events in Japan and New Zealand, as well as the Japanese and Asia Pacific championships. She also drives in Malaysian rallies. Her cars have included a Subaru Impreza, Mitsubishi Lancer and Ford Fiesta. In 2009, she drove a Mitsubishi Colt in the Japan Rally Series, which she won, driving for the MusicMasters team, after a string of good finishes. She drove in the Wales Rally GB for the first time in 2009. As well as rallying, she has won multiple titles in off-road trials in Japan.

Fumi Shimada – rallied a Mazda 2 Demio in Japan, in 2013 and 2014. She did reasonably well in her first season, scoring two top-twenty finishes, the best of these being an 18^th in the Osaka University Tango Peninsula Charity Rally. She was also 20^th in the MCSC Rally Highland Masters, fifth in class. In 2014, she did not do quite as well, and had a best finish of 29^th, in the Shinshiro Rally. In 2015, she rallied the Demio again, and managed to finish the MSCC Rally Highland Master in 25 place, second in class. For 2016, her schedule was very similar. She was 27th in the both the MSCC event, and the Shinshiro Rally, and 32nd in the Wakasa Rally. In 2017, she only entered one rally, the Shinshiro Rally, and did not finish. Her navigator is usually Yusuke Ishiguro.

(Image from http://cdn.mkimg.carview.co.jp)