If you are chasing exploration points and trying to keep your progress moving, it helps to know where the tougher landmarks sit, and having a few extra FH6 Credits on hand can make the whole run a lot less annoying when you want to swap cars or fast travel without thinking twice. The Kitayama Big Daisugi spot is one of those places that looks vague on the map but feels obvious once you are actually there. It is tucked into the Ito region, out in the trees, and most players miss it the first time because they stay on the main roads.



Where the trees are hiding



The easiest way to think about this one is simple: start from Ito Airfield and head northeast. You are aiming for the eastern side of the Ito region, where the coastline bends inward and the forest gets thick. The route is not hard, but it does not reward lazy driving. You will want something with decent off-road grip, because the track turns into dirt and stays that way. A sports car can get there, sure, but it is going to feel clumsy the whole time.



Once you leave the airfield behind, keep an eye out for the narrow trail that cuts through the woods. On the map, it is the kind of path people ignore because it does not look important. That is exactly why the challenge trips so many players up. The trees themselves are the giveaway. Big Daisugi cedars have that strange layered look, with new trunks rising from the branches of a larger tree. It is not subtle when you are standing nearby. You will probably know it as soon as the treeline opens up and you see the shape above the rest of the forest.



Taking the photo without overthinking it



When you reach the grove, stop the car and open Photo Mode. On controller, that is UP on the D-pad. On keyboard, press P. You do not need to build a fancy shot or line up a dramatic angle. People often waste time doing that, then realise the game only wants the landmark in frame. Your car can be there if you want it, but it is not required. Just make sure the cedar cluster is visible and the game should register it straight away.



Snap the picture with RB on Xbox, R1 on PlayStation, or Enter on keyboard. After that, the challenge drops into the Discover Japan section and gives you 100 points. That matters more than it sounds like it should. These landmark shots are quick, and they keep your rank moving without forcing you into long events. If you have been grinding races and not seeing much progress, this kind of detour helps more than people expect.



Why the rank matters more than players think



Discover Japan is not just a cosmetic progress bar. As your rank climbs from Visitor upward, new bits of the map start opening up to you, including barn find opportunities. That is where the system gets interesting. A lot of players focus on the obvious stuff first, then wonder why the better rewards are still locked away. The truth is, the game wants you to keep wandering. Landmark photos, story missions, side events, all of it feeds the same ladder.



The Kitayama Big Daisugi photo is one of the faster ways to push that ladder forward because it takes almost no setup once you know where to go. If you are already working through other Ito activities, it makes sense to fold this into the same route. You are not just ticking off a challenge. You are building toward the stuff that actually opens the map up. That is the part many people miss when they rush through the region.



What is just south of the grove



There is also a barn location nearby, and it is worth knowing about even if you are not ready for it yet. Head south from the Big Daisugi marker and you will find a small gravel path branching off the main route. Follow that side track and you will reach a barn that eventually holds the 1983 Nissan #11 Tomica Skyline Turbo Super Silhouette. It is a proper reward, the kind collectors actually care about.



There is one catch, though. The barn rumor does not appear until you reach Master Explorer in Discover Japan. If you arrive early and the place seems empty, nothing is broken. The game just has not spawned it yet. So if you are planning your trip, it is better to treat the barn as a second visit rather than part of the same job. Once the rumor is active, you can uncover the barn, wait for the restoration, or pay to get the car faster if you do not fancy waiting around.



Final Thoughts



If you want the cleanest approach, fast travel to Ito Airfield, grab a car that can handle dirt, and head northeast without second-guessing the route. The whole trip is short, and once you know the tree shape you really cannot miss it. The bigger win, though, is that this one stop feeds your Discover Japan progress and puts you in range of more rewards later on. If you are trying to keep your garage moving and your exploration rank climbing, it is worth using a few smart shortcuts, and sometimes that means choosing where to spend and when to buy FH6 Super Wheelspins so you can keep the pace up without wasting time.