August 16, 2016
THE PENINSULA TOKYO TO MARK ITS TENTH ANNIVERSARY WITH
SPONSORSHIP OF RALLY NIPPON 2017, INVITING CLASSIC CAR ENTHUSIASTS
ON A JOURNEY ACROSS HONSHU FROM KYOTO TO TOKYO
- A four-night Peninsula Signature Event unites 80 classic cars and their
owners in an unforgettable motoring experience, October 21 – 24, 2017
CARMEL, CALIFORNIA – The Peninsula Tokyo announced today its sponsorship of “The
Peninsula Tokyo Rally Nippon 2017 – A Peninsula Signature Event” scheduled to take place
October 21 to 24, 2017. The rally invites 160 drivers and passengers of 80 iconic automobiles to
participate in a four-night journey across Japan’s main island of Honshu from Kyoto to Tokyo,
complete with luxury accommodations, stellar regional cuisine and visits to UNESCO World
Heritage sites. Classic-car enthusiasts from Japan and abroad will convene to celebrate the
unique bond of camaraderie stemming from their shared passions for motoring and the ultimate
in automotive design and engineering.
-more-
The Peninsula Tokyo Rally Nippon 2017 – A Peninsula Signature Event – 2
The 160 participants (two entrants per car) will experience the tastes as well as the sights and
sounds of Honshu, with sponsored stops and lunches en route in addition to regional breakfasts
and dinners, local sakes, and fine wines and spirits provided with accommodation at fine hotels
and traditional inns. Covering a total of 1,000 kilometers or 620 miles, the planned route will
take in historical landmarks including UNESCO World Heritage sites. Kyoto, the starting point,
has held the No. 1 spot on Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best City list for the past two years. Past
rallies have included stops at Kamigamo-jinja, a vast complex of 690,000 square meters or 179
acres and the oldest Shinto shrine in the city. Its Honden and Gonden structures are both
National Treasures, and the sanctuary is the main stage for Kyoto’s famous Aoi Festival held
each May. Another UNESCO stop in Kyoto included Toji, a Buddhist temple of the Shingon
sect that houses more than 20,000 artifacts designated as National Treasures or Important
Cultural Properties. Among them are sutras, paintings, letters and statuary, including a wooden
figure of the guardian king Tobatsu Bishamon-ten that dates back to the Tang Dynasty, the
oldest image of it in Japan. Following a climactic route that passes on the last day through the
foothills of Mount Fuji, another World Heritage site and Japan’s most iconic mountain,
participants will arrive on October 24 at The Peninsula Tokyo, the final destination of an
unforgettable journey. The rally will conclude that evening at the hotel, with a gala dinner
benefitting a local charity.
One of many forthcoming initiatives commemorating The Peninsula Tokyo’s tenth anniversary,
The Peninsula Tokyo Rally Nippon 2017 is the first event of its kind to be sponsored by a luxury
hotel company in Japan, and underscores The Peninsula Hotels’ long association with classic
cars. The Peninsula Hong Kong boasts a fleet of 14 Rolls-Royce extended wheelbase Phantoms
and, along with The Peninsula Tokyo and sister hotels in Hong Kong, Shanghai and Paris, is a
proud owner of a rare 1934 Phantom II Sedanca de Ville town car. The Peninsula Tokyo
embraces future technology, too, with its Tesla Model S, the world’s first premium all-electric
sedan. Like the hotels themselves, the bespoke car fleets exemplify quality, thoughtfulness and
meticulous attention to detail. Marking the start of The Peninsula Tokyo’s second decade since
the hotel opened in September 2007, The Peninsula Tokyo Rally Nippon 2017 will follow best
practices for local tourism support and sustainability concerns.
-more-
The Peninsula Tokyo Rally Nippon 2017 – A Peninsula Signature Event – 3
The October 2017 rally will draw on the 14-year heritage of two other Peninsula Signature
Events – “The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering” and the affiliated “The Quail Rally.” Held
annually in Carmel, California at Quail Lodge & Golf Club, a property in The Hongkong and
Shanghai Hotels, Limited portfolio, The Quail Rally is a three-day, invitation-only charity drive
that brings together vintage automobiles and their collectors for a tour along the back roads of
Monterey County and through the spectacular vistas of the Pacific coast. Known for its level of
elegance and sophistication and considered the crown jewel of Monterey Car Week, it attracts an
affluent audience of automobile cognoscenti and lifestyle connoisseurs from around the world.
Likewise, The Peninsula Tokyo Rally Nippon 2017 promises high excitement and hands-on
hospitality for all participants, as it takes in revered sites and distinctive regional cuisine along
its journey from Kyoto to Tokyo.
To be eligible for entry, automobiles must be manufactured prior to December 31, 1974. The
official registration process for The Peninsula Tokyo Rally Nippon 2017 will commence on
January 4 and run through April 28, 2017. However, prospective entrants (two drivers per car)
are encouraged to contact the Rally Nippon organizers at any time to indicate their interest and
be placed on the notifications list. Send inquiries by e-mail to [email protected] or visit
www.rallynippon.asia to stay connected as plans evolve for this exciting journey across Japan.
###
About Rally Nippon
The only vintage car rally in Japan to be endorsed and licensed by the Japan Tourism Agency, Rally
Nippon builds its routes around Japan’s World Heritage and other important cultural sites, enabling
entrants to enjoy not only the competition itself, but also the regional splendors of Japan. Its rallies are
opportunities for likeminded people who share a love for classic car engineering to discover and
experience such regional treasures together. As eye-catching events followed closely by local and
international media, they also draw the attention of people abroad to the delights of travelling Japan.
About The Peninsula Signature Events
Organized by The Peninsula Hotels, The Peninsula Signature Events creates world-class bespoke events
at the group’s destinations in Hong Kong, Shanghai, Beijing, Tokyo, Bangkok, Manila, New York,
Chicago, Beverly Hills, and Paris as well as the Carmel, California portfolio property Quail Lodge &
Golf Club, which is home to The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering; The Quail Rally; The Quail Ride and
The Quail Motorcycle Gathering. http://signatureevents.peninsula.com.
-more-
The Peninsula Tokyo Rally Nippon 2017 – A Peninsula Signature Event – 4
About The Hongkong and Shanghai Hotels, Limited (HSH)
Incorporated in 1866 and listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (00045), The Hongkong and
Shanghai Hotels, Limited is the holding company of a Group which is engaged in the ownership,
development, and management of prestigious hotels and commercial and residential properties in key
locations in Asia, the United States and Europe, as well as the provision of tourism and leisure, club
management and other services. The Peninsula Hotels portfolio comprises The Peninsula Hong Kong,
The Peninsula Shanghai, The Peninsula Beijing, The Peninsula Tokyo, The Peninsula Bangkok, The
Peninsula Manila, The Peninsula New York, The Peninsula Chicago, The Peninsula Beverly Hills, and
The Peninsula Paris. Projects under development include The Peninsula London and The Peninsula
Yangon. The property portfolio of the Group includes The Repulse Bay Complex, The Peak Tower, The
Peninsula Office Tower and St. John’s Building in Hong Kong; The Landmark in Ho Chi Minh City,
Vietnam; 1-5 Grosvenor Place in London, UK, and 21 avenue Kléber in Paris, France. The clubs and
services portfolio of the Group includes The Peak Tram in Hong Kong; Thai Country Club in Bangkok,
Thailand; Quail Lodge & Golf Club in Carmel, California; Peninsula Clubs and Consultancy Services,
Peninsula Merchandising, and Tai Pan Laundry in Hong Kong.
For further information, please contact:
Ms. Yuriko Ito
Public Relations & Brand Communications Manager, Japan
The Peninsula Hotels
Telephone: +81 (3) 6270 2888
Direct: +81 (3) 6270 2525
Fax: +81 (3) 6270 2703
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://tokyo.peninsula.com/en/default
News Room: http://news.peninsula.com/en/tokyo/news/
Image Gallery: http://news.peninsula.com/en/tokyo/image-gallery/
Video Gallery: http://news.peninsula.com/en/tokyo/video-gallery/