Okayama International Circuit was opened in 1990 as a private motor racing facility, originally named TI Circuit Aida after its owner, Tanaka International. The track gained international attention when it hosted the Formula One Pacific Grand Prix in 1994 and 1995, both editions won by Michael Schumacher. Following financial difficulties and a change of ownership, the circuit was formally renamed Okayama International Circuit on 1 January 2005.
The layout is compact and technical by Japanese domestic racing standards. Its mix of slow-to-medium speed corners rewards mechanical grip and clean driving, and the track's remote location in mountainous Okayama Prefecture has historically constrained its grid position on major domestic series calendars.
Super Formula first visited Okayama in 2007, and the circuit hosted rounds in 2007–2008 before dropping off the calendar. It returned as a venue for the 2015–2020 period, providing a mid-season venue in the southwestern part of Japan's main island.
The circuit's inclusion in the Super Formula schedule has been somewhat irregular, reflecting both the commercial realities of holding major events at a relatively remote track and the series' tendency to concentrate rounds at Suzuka, Fuji Speedway, Motegi, Sugo, and Autopolis. When on the calendar, the Okayama round typically takes place in the April–June window, often in conjunction with the broader Japanese domestic racing season schedule.
Unlike the long straights of Fuji or the high-speed sweepers of Suzuka, Okayama's layout places a premium on traction out of slow corners and braking stability, characteristics that sometimes produce different strategic outcomes than races held at higher-speed circuits. The track's relatively short lap time means overtaking is concentrated at specific braking zones.
The circuit measures 3.703 km in length and has been home to a variety of Japanese domestic championships including Super GT, Super Taikyu, and the F4 Japanese Championship. Its former incarnation as TI Circuit Aida is remembered as one of only two circuits to have hosted Formula One in Japan, alongside Suzuka. The outright track record belongs to Ayrton Senna, who set a lap of 1:10.218 in a Williams FW16 during qualifying for the 1994 Pacific Grand Prix.
The circuit changed ownership again in 2012, passing from Unimat to Aska Corporation, an auto parts manufacturer. Despite its ownership changes, the track has maintained FIA-grade safety standards and continues to host domestic motorsport events.
Okayama's place on the Super Formula calendar has fluctuated with commercial and logistical pressures, but the circuit retains its status as one of the few tracks in Japan with a genuine Formula One heritage. For Super Formula competitors, a round at Okayama offers a different technical test compared to the series' other venues and remains a connection to Japan's highest-profile motorsport era of the mid-1990s.