1988 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix

  1988 Japanese Grand Prix

Race details
Race 1 of 15 races in the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season
Date	27 March 1988
Location	Suzuka Circuit
Course	Permanent racing facility 5.864 km (3.644 mi)
500 cc
Pole position Rider Tadahiko Taira Yamaha Fastest lap Rider Kevin Schwantz Suzuki Podium First Kevin Schwantz Suzuki Second Wayne Gardner Honda Third Eddie Lawson Yamaha
250 cc
Pole position Rider Toshihiko Honma Yamaha Fastest lap Rider Sito Pons Honda Podium First Anton Mang Honda Second Sito Pons Honda Third Masaru Kobayashi Honda

Pole position
Rider	Tadahiko Taira	Yamaha
Fastest lap
Rider	Kevin Schwantz	Suzuki
Podium
First	Kevin Schwantz	Suzuki
Second	Wayne Gardner	Honda
Third	Eddie Lawson	Yamaha

Pole position
Rider	Toshihiko Honma	Yamaha
Fastest lap
Rider	Sito Pons	Honda
Podium
First	Anton Mang	Honda
Second	Sito Pons	Honda
Third	Masaru Kobayashi	Honda

The 1988 Japanese motorcycle Grand Prix was the first round of the 1988 Grand Prix motorcycle racing season. It took place on the weekend of 25–27 March 1988 at the Suzuka Circuit.

Tadahiko Taira was on pole of the 5-column grid (it became 4-columns in 1990). Wayne Rainey got the start and lead through the first turns, with Kevin Schwantz, Wayne Gardner and Christian Sarron behind. Schwantz took the inside of the hairpin, but Rainey dove back under and got him back on the exit; Schwantz succeeded in taking the lead on Spoon.

At the end of the 1st lap, it was Schwantz and Gardner, then a gap to Toshihiko Honma (riding #46) and Sarron. Gardner and Schwantz swapped the lead many times.

Eddie Lawson and Niall Mackenzie moved through the field to 3rd and 4th. Norihiko Fujiwara lowsided at the hairpin.

On the last lap Gardner ran off the track and stayed on, but lost any chance of winning the race.

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