Mount Haruna Is the Real Mount Akina from Initial D For fans of Initial D, the name "Mount Akina" evokes images of a white Toyota AE86 Trueno hurtling through hairpin corners at impossible speeds, tofu in the back seat, eurobeat blasting in the background. What many fans don't realize until they start planning a pilgrimage is that Mount Akina is a fictional name. The real mountain that inspired Shuichi Shigeno's legendary manga and anime series is Mount Haruna — a volcanic peak located in Gunma Prefecture, roughly two hours northwest of Tokyo by car. Mount Haruna's winding mountain roads, dramatic elevation changes, and iconic hairpin turns were the direct inspiration for the touge battles that define Initial D. Today, this mountain draws thousands of anime fans, JDM enthusiasts, and motorsport lovers from around the world who want to drive, walk, or simply experience the roads where Takumi Fujiwara became a legend. How Mount Haruna Became the Blueprint for Initial D Shuichi Shigeno, the creator of Initial D, grew up in Gunma Prefecture and was intimately familiar with the local touge culture that thrived there during the 1980s and 1990s. Gunma's mountainous terrain naturally attracted street racers and driving enthusiasts, and Mount Haruna was one of the most famous — and most feared — routes in the region. When Shigeno began serializing Initial D in 1995, he modeled the fictional Mount Akina directly on Mount Haruna. The route, the hairpin corners, the gas station at the base, and even the surrounding landscape were all drawn from ...