In Pixar's Cars 2, the opening World Grand Prix race is held in Japan.
The first race takes place in Tokyo, where Lightning McQueen competes against international racers including Francesco Bernoulli. The bright city setting establishes Cars 2 as a much more global adventure than the original film, whose main action centers on Radiator Springs and the surrounding desert highway.
Mater accompanies Lightning to Japan and becomes involved in an espionage story after being mistaken for an American agent. The Tokyo sequence introduces the film's combination of racing, comedy, and spy-film elements. It also sets up the controversy surrounding the Allinol alternative fuel used by the competitors.
Japan is sometimes confused with Italy because Porto Corso hosts the second race. London hosts the third and final World Grand Prix event, so the race order is Japan, Italy, then England.