first time in ten years. In December 2007, Rally Japan organisers announced that for the 2008 WRC season the event will move from Obihiro to Sapporo, the biggest city in Hokkaidō. The 2008 Rally Japan featured 29 stages, including five super specials at the Sapporo Dome. The event saw Hirvonen take his second win in Japan in a row, ahead of his teammate Jari-Matti Latvala and Citroën Total's Sébastien Loeb, who secured a record fifth title with his third-place finish. The rally also featured a bad crash by François Duval, which injured his co-driver Patrick Pivato. The 2022 Rally Japan saw the event returns to the calendar for the first time since . The rally moved its headquarters from Hokkaidō to a new base in Nagoya and is run on tarmac rather than gravel. Past winners References External links Official site WRC.com – Official site of the World Rally Championship Recurring sporting events established in 2004 Japan