A Tour of Three Prefectures - Japan 2015 (Day 5 is up!)

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18 November, day 4 (Tokyo, Kanagawa)

Part 2 - A Japanese Giant

After cruising our way on the Shuto Expressway to Daiba (where we went on our first night, with the killer S15 Silvia). We drove up to the Diver City Tokyo Plaza where the girlfriend wanted to do some shop browsing, and I some other kind of browsing.

Just another car park, but aren't the lighting and colours just great anywhere in Tokyo? I can hardly complain about the conditions I was shooting in on this trip.


Again, I saw a dear old pal, this one was rocking completely stock, factory parts.

Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 by Paul Li, on Flickr

I just love the details on this car

Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 by Paul Li, on Flickr

Very tidy car

Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 by Paul Li, on Flickr

Very tidy indeed

Nissan Skyline GT-R R32 by Paul Li, on Flickr
But that's not what I came to see, and I've seen enough of Skylines for 1 trip.

No, in hind sight, I can never get enough of them. The car park was also dotted with GT-86s of various colours, but nothing terribly exciting worth taking photos of, so we made our way into the mall and to the square at the front, where I was greeted with THESE:

Gundam RX-78-2 by Paul Li, on Flickr

You really have to be there to appreciate its scale. The Japanese don't take Gundam lightly, it's practically national treasure.

Gundam RX-78-2 by Paul Li, on Flickr

The sheer size and detail on this thing is unfathomable

Gundam RX-78-2 by Paul Li, on Flickr


Gundam RX-78-2 by Paul Li, on Flickr

I broke out the remote control app on my phone and snapped this, wifi function on this Fujifilm XT-1 really came in handy.

Gundam RX-78-2 by Paul Li, on Flickr

Time to say goodbye to this classic mech and to move on to more grown up fun...

Gundam RX-78-2 by Paul Li, on Flickr

because not too far from this mall is another very cool Japanese auto giant's lair...


More exclusive photos to come next...
 
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Good ol'Toyota was next on your list after Nissan, it seems... And I don't mind, but I hope there is some sort of LFA model hidden in there, that would be lovely.

And speaking of lovely, that GT-R and the real-size Gundam model are both great pieces of Japanese culture; yes, seeing a tuned Skyline is great and all, but some have to be kept stock to show future generations what the Godzilla could do without a single aftermarket modification. Same goes for the Gundam, funnly enough... :lol:

Out of curiosity, did you visit the Gundam Cafe and/or the Gundam Front store?
 
Dac_Xint
I might as well create a blog.
Click to expand...

Oh, please do!

I usually just lurk in here, but I have to thank you for taking the time to share this wonderful mini-series with us. I don't even know what I love the most: the cityscapes, the car photography or the culinary interludes? Either is great in itself; combined it is a visual feast (rivaled only by that delectable rice omelette ;))!

I would certainly hope there are is another post or two in the pipeline. Quality content.
 
Niku Driver HC
Good ol'Toyota was next on your list after Nissan, it seems... And I don't mind, but I hope there is some sort of LFA model hidden in there, that would be lovely.

And speaking of lovely, that GT-R and the real-size Gundam model are both great pieces of Japanese culture; yes, seeing a tuned Skyline is great and all, but some have to be kept stock to show future generations what the Godzilla could do without a single aftermarket modification. Same goes for the Gundam, funnly enough... :lol:

Out of curiosity, did you visit the Gundam Cafe and/or the Gundam Front store?
Click to expand...

The Gundam Cafe<-click to see inside the cafe was in another part of Tokyo (Akihabara, or the geek capital of Japan) so I didn't go. I did hop into the Gundam Front store, where you can see rows of Gundam scale models on shelves for sale. They also had a bunch of memorabilia for sale, however as I've outgrown this series many years ago, I left the store empty handed. For a brief moment though, while I was still in the store, I could picture a younger self going completely mental over the models on display. Now I definitely regret not getting something... a mug with a Zaku print on or something like that.

Oh, and since you mentioned the LFA, that spoiler is from an LFA.
 
Dac_Xint
The Gundam Cafe<-click to see inside the cafe was in another part of Tokyo (Akihabara, or the geek capital of Japan) so I didn't go. I did hop into the Gundam Front store, where you can see rows of Gundam scale models on shelves for sale. They also had a bunch of memorabilia for sale, however as I've outgrown this series many years ago, I left the store empty handed. For a brief moment though, while I was still in the store, I could picture a younger self going completely mental over the models on display. Now I definitely regret not getting something... a mug with a Zaku print on or something like that.

Oh, and since you mentioned the LFA, that spoiler is from an LFA.
Click to expand...

Hmm, I did not remember that, the Cafe is in a whole separate place away from Gundam Front. Well, regarding the second part, it's obvious that our inner child will differ from person to person, and yours is clearly far less obvious, so you cannot be as excited as your younger self would be over Gundam memorabilia. But at least it gave you good memories, and you didn't buy something as silly as a Zaku mug. If it ain't red, it ain't worth it, I always say. :lol:

And boy, then I'll really be looking forward to those Toyota pictures...
 
Come to think about it, there might have been a Gundam Cafe in that mall, but it was quite late and I'm not certain if it would still be open when I went.
 
18 November, day 4 (Tokyo, Kanagawa)

Part 3 - Another Japanese Giant

So after visiting the humongous mech, we drove down the road to another interesting establishment, but another cultural icon - Mega Web of Toyota. This is a massive modern building exhibiting some of the latest and classic Toyota cars. Vehicles on display ranges from concepts to race cars, vintage cars to the latest innovations. The cars never stay for very long so it's always refreshing to visit. On this particular day, we have the following cars on display on the main showcase floor.

The big brother

LEXUS LFA - Gazzo Racing 24H Nürburgring by Paul Li, on Flickr


LEXUS LFA - Gazzo Racing 24H Nürburgring by Paul Li, on Flickr


LEXUS LFA - Gazzo Racing 24H Nürburgring by Paul Li, on Flickr


LEXUS LFA - Gazzo Racing 24H Nürburgring by Paul Li, on Flickr


LEXUS LFA - Gazzo Racing 24H Nürburgring by Paul Li, on Flickr


20151118-DSCF04777.jpg by Paul Li, on Flickr

The little brother

GAZOO Racing Toyota GT86 by Paul Li, on Flickr


GAZOO Racing Toyota GT86 by Paul Li, on Flickr

The siblings

LEXUS LFA - Gazzo Racing 24H Nürburgring by Paul Li, on Flickr

A really nice kit by TRD

Toyota GT-86 14R by Paul Li, on Flickr

A rather interesting use of that small space for a wing

Toyota GT-86 14R by Paul Li, on Flickr

Free to sit inside and check out the interior

Toyota GT-86 14R by Paul Li, on Flickr


Toyota GT-86 14R by Paul Li, on Flickr


Toyota GT-86 14R by Paul Li, on Flickr

Awesome rear window modification

Toyota GT-86 14R by Paul Li, on Flickr

TRD also gave the Mark X a similar treatment, but I wouldn't call it pretty...

Toyota Mark X GRMN by Paul Li, on Flickr


Toyota Mark X GRMN by Paul Li, on Flickr

Another concept model by Gazoo Racing

Toyota GRMN 86 Concept by Paul Li, on Flickr


Toyota GRMN 86 Concept by Paul Li, on Flickr


Toyota GRMN 86 Concept by Paul Li, on Flickr


Toyota GRMN 86 Concept by Paul Li, on Flickr


Toyota GRMN 86 Concept by Paul Li, on Flickr

Gazoo Racing also did some quirky mods for the iQ. I remember seeing quite a lot of these running around Italy a few years ago, really great little city cars.

Toyota iQ GRMN Supercharger Prototype by Paul Li, on Flickr


Toyota iQ GRMN Supercharger by Paul Li, on Flickr

Another popular SuperGT contender, you might recognise this livery


ENEOS Lexus SC430 (2009) by Paul Li, on Flickr


ENEOS Lexus SC430 (2009) by Paul Li, on Flickr


ENEOS Lexus SC430 (2009) by Paul Li, on Flickr


ENEOS Lexus SC430 (2009) by Paul Li, on Flickr


ENEOS Lexus SC430 (2009) by Paul Li, on Flickr

After seeing all the sports cars, I went to check out some of Toyota's other vehicles. I have to admit, they were rather boring. Amongst the dozen or so Echo, Prius and Crown. There was this:

Land Cruiser Series 70
20151118-DSCF04784.jpg by Paul Li, on Flickr
Why is this 30 year old Land Cruiser special? Because for 1 year this year, Toyota will be remaking the most rugged Land Cruiser of them all. It's the mjolnir of war hammers; The Keith Richards of drug using rock stars. More info

And as we come to the end of this tour, in the spirit of Japan's favourite robot anime Gundam, Toyota brings you this bizarre looking thing.


As I said before, the Japanese take Gundam really seriously


Anyway, after we finished at Mega Web, we drove back to Yokohama city centre where I had to make a stop at Yodobashi Camera. If you haven't been to Japan, then I'll be brief - this is a massive mall catering to all your electronic needs. From video to audio, camera to mobile phones. This place has it all, and at extremely competitive prices. If you are a foreigner, bring your passport because they will do tax rebate over the counter; and if you pay with VISA, you get another few per cent's discount.

This was where I wanted to buy the much sought after Voigtländer lens I was looking for. A brass Nokton 50mm f1.5. This lens retails for around $850 US dollars, whereas shopping for the same lens or the slightly more expensive brass one at Yodobashi as a tourist only cost me $670 - a massive saving of nearly $200 dollars. Due partly from being tax free but mostly because it happened to be the store's 40th anniversary.

I was so excited after finding out about the deal, so I made plans to get the lens there. But little did I know, this turned out to be quite a disappointment. No, its not that the lens was sold out, because I made sure to check their stock on-line before I went, and I knew they had just 1 brass one left. But luckily, as I inspected the lens, I noticed a rather obvious, pitch black dust particle dead at the centre of one of its elements mid way through the lens. This lens and I was not meant to be, and I was glad I checked it before I purchased it.

So, now that it was too late to go to another one of Yodobashi's branches, the store clerk checked its Akihabara branch and found out they still had stock of the brass version, but only a few. I asked if they would be so kind as to hold it for me to pick up the following day... no, they couldn't promise me that. I will just have to try my luck.

As hunger took over us once more, my girlfriend and I retreated to a nearby hole in the wall where we enjoyed some of the most amazing soba and tempura we've ever had. I cannot describe how good it was, simple divine...





 
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Well, you started off hot, with those two Gazoo Racing cars... esoecially the LFA, that is quite the beast. Shame that Lexus has yet to bring something that can match the pure yet agressive edge of that car, their current high-performance offers are ungainly and not exactly pretty on the eyes either.

And I was not aware that TRD used the side badge area of the GT86 to place a mini-wing, now that is classic Japanese space saving measures for you. As for the Mark X, I am sure it actually looks good... just not from the front, really. And of course, to top it all off, the Zeonic Toyota Auris; if only Toyota gave it more proper engine parts, then it could actually be three times faster than a normal Auris. The detailing looks fantastic, but besides visual flair it doesn't have much more than that.
 
Dac_Xint
A rather interesting use of that small space for a wing
Click to expand...

Neat, should help cut down the drag from the mirrors.

Dac_Xint
Land Cruiser Series 70
20151118-DSCF04784.jpg by Paul Li, on Flickr
Why is this 30 year old Land Cruiser special? Because for 1 year this year, Toyota will be remaking the most rugged Land Cruiser of them all. It's the mjolnir of war hammers; The Keith Richards of drug using rock stars. More info
Click to expand...

Awesome truck, wish they sold these in the US. The new ones are nice, but just too big.
 
Just a quick update on this thread. I'm really sorry about the long absence. I have more content to follow but I'm going through a rough patch in life right now. 2016 is really not shaping up to be a good year so far.

On top of it all, I also just got rear ended this past Monday while riding on my motorcycle. I was left UN-injured, and the bike only suffered minor damage to the exterior, while the frame and structural integrity was left unaffected. Miraculously, I didn't get knocked over, so the bike stayed standing.







I've since fixed most of the bike while counting my blessings, so I just want to let you all know that I'm still committed to bringing this thread to a close with everything I originally intended.



Just bare with me while I get my life back together.
 
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Glad to hear you're ok. Be safe out there, those minibus drivers can get crazy.
 
It lives! It must the kami's miracle...

Joke aside, I am looking forward to the grand finale with great anticipation. Seeing Porsches, beautiful leafs and scenic views already fills me with eagerness to see all the pictures in their real form. Good luck!
 
19 November, day 5 (Kanagawa, Gunma)

Part 1 - Leaving Kanagawa

This was our last full day in Japan and we were really hoping to get some decent weather for where we were going that day. If the weather turned out to be poor, we would have scarped our plans and stayed in Yokohama to do something else entirely...


Fortunately, the gods were on our side, and we awoke early this Thursday morning to a glorious view out the window, there were clouds gathering to the west but it was vastly better than what we anticipated. We got freshened up, grabbed my camera gear and dashed to our car park across the road from the hotel.


A quick stop when I spotted this Honda S660, then hurried up to get our car and some on the go breakfast.

Toyota Mega Cruiser by Paul Li, on Flickr
After a quick stop to Family Mart, we left Yokohama city heading north west past Tokyo prefecture towards Saitama. Along the way a small military convoy drove past us. I was only able to snap this, a Toyota Mega Cruiser! This is the Japanese answer to the almighty Humvee, a slight smaller package and more efficient engine.


After about an hour's journey in the slow morning traffic, we stopped at a convenient store for some coffee for our breakfast. This was a pork cutlet sandwich we got the evening before. It's best served fresh, but just fine when its chilled. It's about $3.80USD, and its delicious with a coffee.


Nevermind that I was drooling like a famished fool. My girlfriend insisted on taking another photo before we destroyed it. It's a thick cut deep-fried pork cutlet sandwiched with shredded cabbage and a special BBQ sauce. Did I tell you it was delicious?

Then, a surprise that blew my mind!


Now, I had no idea that along the 160km trip we were doing this faithful morning will allow us to make a pass on one of the most renowned Honda tuners in existence - Spoon!

At first, I wasn't even looking to my passenger side of the road, it wasn't until we slowed down due to traffic when my girlfriend said "Hey it's the little Honda you took a photo of this morning" did I look over and saw the famous TYPE ONE sign on the corner of the building did I recognise this fairly unassuming establishment. I immediately told her to snap these photos. You can see their famous 2 storey showroom, the ground floor is their main workshop and the top floor with the NSX Type-R is a sparking clean display room filled with Spoon's best kept secrets.


Another view of the Honda S660 and the building.


Slowly moving along with the traffic, we saw another NSX parked in the workshop


The workshop that some of you petrol heads may recognise, note the S2000 F20C / F22C1 blocks being worked on. And the mechanic was also a familiar face from the photographs I've seen online.

Location of Garage One - Google Map

I would have loved to stop and take a closer look, maybe even talk my way into a quick tour, but this is Japan where formality is highly regarded, and we had a long day ahead of us.


So, on we went. Clouds were definitely gathering up ahead, but the weather was still fine where we were. I've stitched together the clips from the dash cam - Yes I have dash cam footage of this day!


The video hasn't got any voice over or editing. So you can hear exactly what we heard, spotify, navigation lady and our silly conversations from time to time. Most of the time though, the girlfriend was just dozing off in the mid morning sun, leaving me to concentrate on the road.


On the highway, roads are so well built and maintained it absolutely spoiled it for me everywhere else.

Nissan President by Paul Li, on Flickr


At the end of that video, we pulled into a highway stop for two much needed breaks - restroom and more caffeine. But not before this petrolhead gets his fix around the car park.


The Japanese LOVES Porsche, and I'm a bit bummed I haven't seen more on my trip. This 993 was the first Porsche I was able to snap.


A middle aged businessman pulled up in this cool looking Toyota Mark X 350S GS


If you thought you knew Japanese vending machines, think again. This was a coffee machine with about a million options by the looks of it. Not only did it grind beans inside, it also had a screen (top centre in this photo) where it played a LIVE FEED of your coffee being prepared from start to finish. From grinding, steaming, pouring, fitting a lid AND an anti-spill plug, it is all displayed in real time till it is lowered to the middle of the machine behind the small hatch ready for you to grab. The mechanics behind it was INSANE!


And the coffee was pretty damn good.


Oh, and why am I taking a photo of this? As I said before, the Japanese doesn't do anything without reason and thought. This was the parking spot right in front of where I was parked, a handicapped spot. You can see how massive the space is, to allow easy boarding or exit from the vehicles which can sometimes be minivans or minibuses. Naturally, it is sheltered so those disabled or wheelchair users don't get wet from the weather, and the handicapped restroom is directly behind the parking spot. It goes without saying, I was hugely impressed.


After the quick stop, we were back on the highway heading towards the mountains up ahead... Ooh you'll love what's coming up next.

This was a day for all you Initial D fans...
 
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Welcome back, Dac! It's good to see you back in business, and with another great writeup to boot. Shame that you weren't able to visit Spoon's HQ properly, but I guess you were not planning an itnerary which featured a tour of one of Japan's best known Honda tuners... And it's rather ironic that just before that happened, you had spotted a brand new S660 alongside a (why not the) Honda Fit. Honda was calling before you even realized it! :lol:

That coffee machine did blow my mind much like it blew yours, I can tell you that much. I have seen real-life footage in coffee factories, and I have seen coffee vending machines. But a vending machine that allows its user to see the actual cup of coffee being made in real-time? The level of technological development necessary to create such a gizmo is immense to say the least! Nice call on the pork cutlet sandwhich too, it looks great, plus BBQ sauce is a personal favorite of mine. If only I could have had a slice before you and your loved one laid waste to it... :lol:

Looking forward to the Initial D event, looks like you found one of the show's golden roads...
 
Thanks for the warm welcome back, you're definitely living up to your title as GTP's Friendliest Chap of 2015. The next few updates will be packed with photos and videos of the road trip. I will also include the Google Map directions of the exact routes I took, so if anyone wants to try this in the future can make good use of them. The roads are really pretty, not to mention incredibly nostalgic for those who enjoyed the anime.
 
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Dac_Xint
Thanks for the warm welcome back, you're definitely living up to your title as GTP's Friendliest Chap of 2015. The next few updates will be packed with photos and videos of the road trip. I will also include the Google Map directions of the exact routes I took, so if anyone wants to try this in the future can make good use of them. The roads are really pretty, not to mention incredibly nostalgic for those who enjoyed the anime.
Click to expand...

Must be the very first time someone has adressed my by that nickname, haha. Still, you're welcome, and thank you for the kind words at the same time. 👍

As for the Google Map directions, nifty idea. It makes for a good game of "follow Dac's trail", although it will take time for me to even get the means to travel to Japan... If the roads are pretty, then that makes the journey even more alluring!
 
Um... hello friends,

I noticed it has been a while since my last update. So first, let me say an apology to those who held you breathe hoping to see the rest of my trip in Japan and all cars related content, I'm sorry I didn't get to finish what I started. Long story short, I was traveling down memory lane recently and arrived at the photos I took during this period of time, and I remembered I hadn't given this thread the proper ending it deserves, which is a real shame as there are some exciting stuff to be shared with my old friends here at GTP.

So, would you care to travel down memory lane with me in the coming days to see the rest of my content from this trip?

Paul
 

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