Series 4's Shimanoyama Treasure Hunt rewards a bit of patience, but there's no need to search every mountain road. The chest won't appear until you complete the clue's driving requirement, which is where many players lose time. Do it in the right order and you'll collect 100,000 FH6 Credits, 5,000 XP, and 3 Series Points without much fuss. The clue mentions sliding through mountain peaks, rising tyre smoke, and a perfect score. That language points directly to a Drift Zone in Shimanoyama. You need a three-star result there before heading to the chest location. Arriving at the garage early won't help; the bay may simply look empty until the Drift Zone objective has been registered.

Getting Three Stars in Shimanoyama

Pick any Drift Zone that sits within the Shimanoyama district, then aim for its three-star score. These roads have sharp hairpins, quick direction changes, and very little room to recover from a poor line. A proper drift car makes life easier. The Formula Drift #151 Toyota GR Supra in S1 Class is a strong choice because it holds long slides without feeling too wild. Don't own it? A Nissan Silvia Spec-R S15 works well after some tuning. Fit the 6.2-litre V8 swap, Drift Spring and Dampers, a Drift Differential, and dedicated drift tyres. Manual transmission helps too. Keep the car in third gear for most corners so the revs stay high and the rear wheels don't suddenly regain grip halfway through a slide. You don't need a beautiful run. Link enough corners, avoid major collisions, and keep earning score until the three-star target is passed. Once the result appears, wait for the aerial scene and the new search area on the map. That update confirms you're ready to move on.

Reaching the Hidden Garage

Fast travel to the Shimanoyama Drift Circuit after the map updates. From the circuit, face north and look past the spectator stands. You're searching for a long row of grey concrete service garages behind the starting-grid area, not a spot beside the main highway. Drive over to the row and count the bays from left to right. The chest is inside the third bay. Its door should be partly raised, leaving enough space to drive straight into the darker interior. Look near the yellow hydraulic engine hoist and you'll see the pink-and-gold festival chest. Hit it with the car to collect the reward. If you're approaching from an odd angle and the garages all look alike, return to the circuit entrance, face north again, and start counting from the far-left bay. It sounds obvious, but counting from the wrong end is probably the most common reason people circle this location for several minutes.

When the Bay Is Empty

Sometimes the Drift Zone result appears correctly, yet the third garage contains nothing. Don't keep driving away and coming back. First, open the pause menu and enter the Online section. Choose Horizon Solo, let the current Horizon Life session close, and then return to the Shimanoyama Drift Circuit. Switching modes prompts the seasonal objects in the area to load again. Check the third bay from the left and strike the chest if it's now visible. You can reconnect to Horizon Life afterward. If the garage remains empty, confirm that your three-star run took place inside the Shimanoyama region rather than in a nearby district. It's also worth checking whether the treasure search area appeared on the world map. No search area usually means the driving requirement wasn't recorded, so run the correct Drift Zone once more and wait for the notification before travelling.

Making the Series Points Count

The three points from this activity feed into the wider Series 4 Playlist. Reaching 20 points unlocks the Exomotive Exocet Off-Road, while 40 points awards the Datsun 2000 Roadster. The Treasure Hunt alone won't reach either target, of course, so pair it with the week's other events. Mascot Madness is particularly useful because the A-Class retro sports trial adds another 10 Playlist Points. There's also a nearby photo task at Hokuryu Sunflower Farm in the eastern part of Hokubu, west of the large Irabuohashi Bridge. Take a Japanese domestic-market car, such as a Honda Civic Type R or Mazda RX-7, into the yellow flower fields and open Photo Mode. Make sure both the vehicle and flowers are clearly in frame to earn the Yellow Sports Sunglasses. It's an easy extra objective while you're already travelling through the north, and it saves a separate trip later.

Final Thoughts

The quickest route is simple once you know the trigger: earn three stars in a Shimanoyama Drift Zone, wait for the map update, travel to the Drift Circuit, then enter the third north-side garage from the left. Bring a drift-focused setup rather than a road-racing tune, and use third gear if manual shifting feels comfortable. Should the chest fail to appear, Horizon Solo is the first thing to try. The 100,000-credit payout can cover useful tuning parts for the remaining weekly events, though players comparing other ways to expand their seasonal budget may also come across Forza Horizon 6 Credits for sale while planning future car purchases. Keep some funds aside for an A-Class retro sports build and a flexible Japanese car, since both can help with nearby Playlist objectives after the treasure is collected.