Where to Find Kitayama Big Daisugi in Forza Horizon 6 – Location and Photo Challenge Guide

TL;DR

• Kitayama Big Daisugi is in the northern part of the Ito region, on the eastern side of the FH6 map.
• The fastest route is to fast travel to the Wind Farm Cross Country Race and drive northeast into the forest.
• Look for a dirt trail marked with tree icons on your map running east-to-west through dense forest.
• The trees look like cedars growing straight up from a shared base – unlike anything else in the forest.
• Open Photo Mode and frame the tall cedars to earn 100 Discover Japan Points.
• A hidden barn find – the 1983 Nissan Tomica Skyline Turbo Super Silhouette – sits just south of the trees.

The Kitayama Big Daisugi in Forza Horizon 6 is one of the map’s most visually striking Discover Japan locations, and also one of the easiest to walk straight past. It sits deep inside a forested area in the Ito region, down a dirt track that most players never turn onto. Once you find it though, the trees are impossible to mistake for anything else – and photographing them earns you 100 Discover Japan Points plus access to one of the game’s rarest barn finds.

What Is the Kitayama Big Daisugi?

Kitayama Big Daisugi is a cluster of towering Japanese cedars tucked into a dense forest in the Ito region of Forza Horizon 6. The trees are easy to recognize once you reach them, with very tall, straight trunks growing from shared bases and cut stumps scattered around the area.

The trees are based on a real Japanese technique with hundreds of years of history. Daisugi is a centuries-old forestry technique developed in Japan as a way of cultivating the highly-prized Kitayama Cedar without actually using any land. Dating back to the 14th century, daisugi allowed for the cultivation of Kitayama cedar, a species of tree known for growing exceptionally straight and lacking knots.

The method originated in Kyoto and involves pruning the branches of Kitayama cedar so that the remaining shoots grow straight upward from a platform. Rather than harvesting the entire tree for lumber, loggers can fell just the upper portions, leaving the base and root structure intact.

The result looks like trees growing out of other trees – like a giant bonsai. An open palm-like structure with vertical trees sprouting from it is the end result of this technique. In real life, you can see these cedars in the Kitayama area near Kyoto. In Forza Horizon 6, Playground Games recreated them faithfully as a Discovery landmark deep in the Ito forest.

This is one of the 26 photography spots in the game. The Big Daisugi is the forest, so any shot of the tall trees should trigger it. You do not need a specific angle or a perfect composition – you just need the trees in frame.

Kitayama Big Daisugi Location in Forza Horizon 6

Kitayama Big Daisugi sits in the upper-center part of the map on the eastern side of Japan, in the Ito region. It doubles as a Discover Japan photo spot and the gateway to one of the game’s rarest barn finds.

On the map, here is what to look for:

• The Kitayama Big Daisugi can be found in the Ito region, which is in the eastern area of the map. Look for the part of land that juts out where water cuts in. Just south of here, you will see a long rectangular collection of roads that make up the airport strip for the area.
• From Ito Airfield, head northeast. You are looking for a dirt trail that runs roughly east-to-west through a forested area marked with tree icons on the map.
• The landmark is in the northern stretch of the Ito region, just north of the wind farm Cross Country area. The only way in is a dirt path, so a vehicle that handles off-road terrain makes the approach much easier.

A blue stamp on your map labeled Kitayama Big Daisugi confirms you are in the right area once you get close enough. If you want an overview of all regions and landmarks across the whole map, our Forza Horizon 6 Japan map guide is a good reference to have open.

How to Get to Kitayama Big Daisugi – Fastest Route

Method 1 – Fast Travel to Wind Farm Cross Country Race

The fastest way to reach it is by fast travelling to the Wind Farm Cross Country Race and driving north into the nearby forest. Once you are past the wind farm, look for the dirt path cutting into the tree line and follow it northeast. The daisugi cedars will come into view once you are on the trail.

Method 2 – From Ito Airfield

Find the local airfield runway and then follow the dirt paths northeast. The airfield is easy to spot on the map as the long rectangular road strip in Ito. From there, head up the dirt track until you reach the tree icons on the map and the forest opens up around the landmark.

Method 3 – From the Coast Near Legend Island

If you have already discovered the Seabed Road nearby, you can also approach from the coast and navigate inland northwest toward the forest. The Ito region is compact enough that all three methods land you within a short drive of the trees.

For unlocking more fast travel points to make these trips quicker, check our how to fast travel in Forza Horizon 6 guide.

How to Identify the Kitayama Big Daisugi Trees

Once you are in the right area, the trees stand out clearly from the surrounding forest. Look for a tree that has a very singular, vertical structure with multiple stems sprouting from a singular point. It will stand out as being “designed” rather than just a random piece of foliage.

It looks like a tree with other trees growing out of the top of its branches. When you see it, you will understand what I mean. There is nothing else in the game that looks quite like this – the multiple straight trunks shooting upward from a single base are unmistakable once you know what the Daisugi shape looks like.

A blue stamp should appear on your HUD when you get close enough to confirm you have found the right location.

How to Complete the Kitayama Big Daisugi Photo Challenge

Taking the photo is straightforward once you are at the trees:

1. Park your car near the cedar cluster.
2. Open Photo Mode – press Up on the D-pad on controller, or P on keyboard.
3. Frame the towering cedars in the background of your shot.
4. Take the photo.

The photo does not need to include your car, or be a particularly good photo. As long as the Big Daisugi is in the frame, it will count.

You will know that you have completed this photography challenge, as after taking the photo, “Kitayama Big Daisugi” will appear under the “Discover Japan” section in the top-left corner of the screen.

Once taken, Kitayama Big Daisugi appears under the Discover Japan section in the top-left corner of the screen, and you bank 100 Discover Japan points toward your exploration rank.

If the photo is not triggering even with the trees in frame, try moving slightly closer or adjusting the camera angle. Some photo spots sometimes do not trigger even if you get them in the shot, so you might need to move around and take photos of the side or back until it triggers.

For more about how photography fits into the wider collection system, see our Discover Japan stamps guide and photo mode guide and best locations.

What the 100 Discover Japan Points Unlock

Completing this challenge earns you 100 points towards your Discover Japan exploration rank. Increasing this rank unlocks more barn find locations for you to track down, and is tied to some of the game’s achievements.

The Discover Japan system is one of the main progression tracks in FH6 outside of racing. Points feed into your Stamp tier, which gates barn finds, reward cars, and wristband milestones. Every photography location you complete pushes that rank up. For a full breakdown of how it all connects, check our Wristband progression system guide.

Bonus: Hidden Barn Find Just South of the Trees

This is the extra reason to make the trip out here even if you have already completed the photo challenge previously.

Directly south of the Kitayama Big Daisugi label, a small gravel path branches away from the main trail. Follow it to reach a barn that holds the 1983 Nissan #11 Tomica Skyline Turbo Super Silhouette.

There is an important catch: This barn find is locked behind the top Discover Japan stamp tier. You need to reach Master Explorer before the rumor spawns and the car physically appears in the barn.

So if you visit and the barn appears empty, you simply need to keep building your Discover Japan Points across other landmarks and challenges before returning. The full list of barn find locations and how to unlock each one is in our Forza Horizon 6 barn find locations guide.

What Is Daisugi? The Real Story Behind the Trees

Playground Games did not invent these trees. The Kitayama Big Daisugi is based directly on a real Japanese forestry practice with a long history.

Daisugi is a centuries-old forestry technique developed in Japan as a way of cultivating the highly-prized Kitayama Cedar without actually using any land. The process involves the heavy pruning of a mother cedar tree, with tall, thin saplings encouraged to shoot upwards – like a bonsai, but on a large scale.

After about 20 years, the now massive shoots can either be harvested as exceptional Kitayama lumber, or replanted to repopulate forests. Not only that, but this ingenious forestry technique also results in Kitayama lumber that is 140% as flexible as regular cedar, as well as 200% as dense and strong.

Although daisugi mostly is used in gardens or bonsai today, it originally was developed to combat a seedling shortage when the demand for taruki, a type of impeccably straight and knot-free lumber, was high. The technique dates back to the Muromachi period in the 14th century and the trees in the Kitayama hills near Kyoto are the most famous examples still standing today.

Seeing them recreated inside FH6 is one of those small details that shows how much Playground Games cared about getting Japan right.

Other Nearby Discover Japan Locations to Visit

Since you are already out in the Ito region, here are other discovery landmarks and photo spots worth grabbing on the same drive:

• Seabed Road location – 25 Discover Japan Points and a hidden XP board
• Short Circuit daily challenge – win the Eclectic Domestics Festival Event
• Minamino Golf Course location
• Ohtani region treasure hunt guide
• Minamino region treasure hunt guide
• Tokyo Tower location and photo challenge
• Shibuya Crossing location guide
• Sky Lanterns location guide
• Tanabata Streamers location guide
• Wakana Yamazaki mural location
• Dragon 76 mural location
• Daikoku Parking Area guide

Common Mistakes When Searching for Kitayama Big Daisugi

• Driving on main roads only: The trees are down a dirt path. If you are sticking to paved roads in the Ito region, you will never stumble across them. Switch to the dirt track that cuts into the forest and follow the tree icons on the map.
• Mistaking regular cedars for Daisugi: The Ito forest has plenty of tall trees. The Daisugi are distinctive because multiple straight trunks shoot vertically from a single shared base – once you know what the shape looks like, they are unmistakable.
• Taking the photo without the trees in frame: Make sure the distinctive cedar cluster is actually visible in the shot. A photo of the surrounding forest without the specific trees in frame will not register.
• Visiting the barn before unlocking it: The barn find will not appear unless your Discover Japan progress is high enough to trigger the barn rumor. If the barn looks empty, keep grinding discovery points and return later.

Final Tips for Finding Kitayama Big Daisugi

• Fast travel to the Wind Farm Cross Country Race for the quickest approach.
• Look for the dirt trail with tree icons on your map – it runs east-to-west through the forest north of the wind farm.
• An off-road or SUV car handles the approach path much better than a low-slung sports car.
• The trees look like multiple straight trunks growing from a single base – different from every other tree in the game.
• You do not need your car in the photo. Just frame the cedars and shoot.
• After the photo, follow the gravel path south to find the barn holding the Nissan Tomica Skyline Super Silhouette – if your stamp tier is high enough.

Kitayama Big Daisugi is one of the most rewarding stops in the whole FH6 map. The trees are genuinely beautiful, the 100 Discover Japan Points are among the highest you can earn from a single location, and the hidden barn find attached to the area makes the detour doubly worthwhile. Take the time to find it properly and you will not regret it.

Play Forza Horizon 6 on the official Forza site, get it on Steam, on PlayStation, or on Xbox.