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| Unfortunately it had already started raining in the morning on day four. Italian Ambassador to Japan Gianluigi Benedetti also participated in the rally today with his 1961 ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA SPIDER and headed to the finish venue with the entrants in the rain. The entrants set off from the hotel at 8 a.m. and headed to Naritasan Shinshoji Temple. After receiving a stamp and a purification ritual one by one at the square in front of the temple gate, they headed to the next point, Shibayama Niouson Kannonkyouzi Temple. The rain was getting harder and harder. The entrants received a stamp at Shibayama Niouson Kannonkyouzi Temple and they were going to receive the next stamp at Tsurigasaki Beach. However, Tsunami Warning was announced in Chiba Prefecture, so the stamp at Tsurigasaki Beach was canceled and they headed to the next point, the Mobara Twin Circuit. The final PC competition was held at the Mobara Twin Circuit. Driving in the rain was judged dangerous so one second was added to the set time of each section of the competition. The results here would affect the final results so the entrants were keeping their concentration on the competition in the rain. After finishing the competition, they headed to lunch venue, Kazusa Academia Park via a stamp point in front of Tsukizaki Station. At Kazusa Academia Park, after receiving a stamp from Kisarazu City Mayor Watanabe, the entrants had lunch and took a break. After lunch, they rearranged the formation and restarted the rally, heading to the finish venue in Makuhari. At the finish venue, Valentine Street in Makuhari Bay Town, local people were already waiting for the entrants to arrive in the rain. The cars received the last stamp at the entrance, and as they arrived at Valentine Street one after another, warm applause went up in the rainy venue. All the cars arrived, and as the finish ceremony began, the performance by the Chiba Girls' High School Brass Band, which was forced to be canceled last year due to sudden rain, started fully protected against the rain. The cars moved to the finish gate one by one to the lively music. Welcomed by children waving the finish flag, the entrants looked back on the four days with a smile and drove through the finish gate while being thankful that they reached the finish line safely. After that, the entrants drove directly to the Hotel Okura Tokyo for the farewell party. They relaxed and enjoyed delicious dinner and drinks, and then the awards ceremony started. Third place went to the No. 15 of Mr. and Mrs. Matsushita team. This seasoned and talented team, who has participated in the event for many years, gradually moved up throughout the four-day rally and eventually took in third place. Second place was the No. 23 of Mr. and Mrs. Ishiwata team. This young team has been growing rapidly over the past few years, and finished in an impressive second place in this rally. This year’s winner went to the No. 1 of Mr. and Mrs. Takemoto team. This was their fifth consecutive win. Although the weather was changeable, they performed well from beginning to end and won the title by a mile this year too. The top three were all husband-wife teams and a strong bond between the two was reflected in the results. Mr. Takemoto expressed his gratitude to his wife who was also his co-driver in his victory speech and that left an impression on me. Things are getting back to normal after COVID-19, so more local people than last year came to this year's La Festa Mille Miglia 2023 and cheered for us at each point or from the roadside. Seeing the local people waving to us, we were encouraged many times when driving in the rain. We will never forget these four days. We are looking forward to reunions in the same places and meeting new people in different places next year, and the La Festa Mille Miglia's autumn journey continues. （text & photo：Mika Iwamoto） |
 Mr. & Mrs. Takemoto wins 5 consecutive title  Open-top ALFA ROMEO GIULIETTA SPIDER receiving purification ritual in front of Naritasan Shinshoji Temple gate in rain. Italian Ambassador to Japan Gianluigi Benedetti gets behind wheel  BUGATTI T35B competing final PC competition at Mobara Twin Circuit  STANGUELLINI COLLI 1100 SPORT receives stamp from Kisarazu City Mayor Watanabe at Kazusa Academia Park  MG C-TYPE crosses finish line on Valentine Street in Makuhari Bay Town |
