No idea, but Japan is of course the land of amazing things. Every day contains a surprise of some sort... I saw this apparition three times in just over a week, and have not seen it since. Planning a three-day weekend to Mikawa so will be sure to keep an eye out for other weirdly out-of-place cars then too. Neko.

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

In summer, the narrow road is closed entirely to cars. Allowing only pedestrians, and horse-drawn carriages to pass. In the off season though Yamanashi-ken's Shosenkyo Gorge's narrow roads are one way up, and one way down. While the place must be crazy crowded in summer, off-season mid-week the roads are empty, the tourists non-existent, and you can spend lazy hours wandering around, or just sitting in one of the local restaurants chatting.





The spectacular gorge was even more so this last fall with the leaves turning.



















With Gojira for company we enjoyed a quiet lunch and coffee as the only patrons in a restaurant.



Only one kyusha was spotted on this excursion, this time curiously perched on a shelf above one of the local car parks...

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

Awesome shots, some beautiful scenery! Godzilla double fisting ice cream cones!

... and tanuki!

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

tanuki creepy ..

Soft-cream or not, no way I was going to rub his testicles! Neko.

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

You're saving that for the tanuki holding a Hako...

hahahaha

Fantastic slice of japan again. Thank you so much

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'92 Mitsubishi Delica Super Exceed
'89 Mitsubishi Starion 2.6 Widebody
'87 Honda Civic Silver GT
'85 Honda Civic Gold DX with Brown Top
'79 Mitsubishi Celeste GSR
'78 Mitsubishi Sigma GE
'74 Datsun Laurel

Thanks! From the archives - A few years ago, we spent a lot of time exploring the 'wrong' side of Fuji-san. While the east side is populated with tourist attractions and well-known destinations like Hakone and the Five Lakes, the west side has an entirely different isolated feel about it. The east side has maintained its attraction for locals and tourists alike, whereas the wrong side has seen a steady decline in popularity with the onset of offshore Japanese tourism. In the 1960s everyone stayed at home...



Into Shizuoka-ken, the roads are less traveled, and the landscape has an entirely different feel. With thatched roof houses a couple of hundred years old, and roads nearly too small to drive. We explored one area into Shizuoka-ken one rainy day.





Starting down in the valleys, we wound our way up into the mountains, with no particular destination.



Through shutter-towns and past less traveled locations.



Working class danchi underneath mist shrouded mountains.



Seen here before too, one slightly populated town held an interesting garage.



The occupant, wearing original issue period license plates.



A few other locals also equipped to enjoy the local touge.



Roads getter smaller still, this a two-way up and over one mountain pass.



The top of which still held a mountain house with an original 1970s' Nissan calendar (see earlier entry for full color page details).



Local mountain stores selling hot cans of coffee for the occasional visitor.



Nearby, the local kei distributor amasses previous sales roadside.



Mountain dams operated by TEPCO (boo hiss) generating hydro power.



A long-bed sanitora awaits its driver at the bottom of one hill.

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

Had to look up Tanuki ---AWESOME! Thanks for the pictures Neko

Another roll of film taken years ago in the same area - I think anyway, as it ends in the same place. With no notes, not really sure. I cannot even ID the cars... I think I recognize the mountain in the last one though. Neko.

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

These fantastic picture just fill my head with questions. How did they get there? What happened to cause all that destruction? Why were they deserted there?
Very peculiar and very very interesting.

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'92 Mitsubishi Delica Super Exceed
'89 Mitsubishi Starion 2.6 Widebody
'87 Honda Civic Silver GT
'85 Honda Civic Gold DX with Brown Top
'79 Mitsubishi Celeste GSR
'78 Mitsubishi Sigma GE
'74 Datsun Laurel

Indeed! Such questions fill my head regularly too, and I suppose I should take the time to document what we do know... In this case, the first two were part of a large river bed, where even in Japan seeing cars dumped on public land (as opposed to left on your own property) is not a common sight, so these two stood out.

The next four, down to the 4WD under the sakura, were part of an air-soft range, so had been consciously positioned there to act as part of the skirmish and CQB games.

The Isuzu truck with the Fuji-san period plate is in a barn on a farm near an old village. So, technically not abandoned. But certainly unloved.

What is left of the toaster-tanked motorcycle (likely a late 1970s machine) is behind a disused series of summer cabins in the woods. Possibly one of the creepiest places I've visited. Not Sea of Trees creepy, which is quite serene really, but House of the Living Dead creepy.

The truck off the side of the road near the lake had slid off on some ice at the exit to a tunnel. The driver had got it crossed up on the road, and it went through the rail backwards, flipped sideways, and he exited the passenger side intact. His work colleagues were surveying the scene when we passed, and it was cleaned up before lunchtime on the same day.

The last one is a handfull of rental pedal boats, that may or may not still be used. But we've been back many times, and they shuffle about so perhaps friends of friends take them out sometimes. Regardless, they keep me coming back. See ya! Neko.

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

That's really kind of you to take the time to share those experiences. The creepy cabins must have been quite a rush.

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'92 Mitsubishi Delica Super Exceed
'89 Mitsubishi Starion 2.6 Widebody
'87 Honda Civic Silver GT
'85 Honda Civic Gold DX with Brown Top
'79 Mitsubishi Celeste GSR
'78 Mitsubishi Sigma GE
'74 Datsun Laurel

amazing photos i could look at them all day great job thank you

great shots as always Neko.

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occasional blog: http://ewokracing.tumblr.com

Brought to you by me as I browse Geocities webpages using Netscape Navigator while listening to Jam & Spoon.

Biwa-ko (Lake Biwa), Japan's largest fresh-water lake. It looks like a sea from the shores, and supports the usual Japanese seaside industry - fishing, restaurants, resorts, amusement parks, and classic car shops.

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

In looking at kominka, we've been taking some slow trips into the countryside. At the weekend we came across this little town, and a local Honda dealer...



In their front window, a rather nice nostalgic Honda:





Needing only a little work (ha ha), this kominka one of the few in the area still with its original roof:



The interior too in reasonable condition, pending modern insulation, and new tatami:



Optical fiber internet running out the front, crossing an otherwise pleasant country view:



Coming home we were tailed by a neat 117:



An earlier sample of stuff:



I think it was a Nissan once...



Pulling into a car park, this tasty 86 made a good companion:



The same car park a bit later made a great set of nostalgics all in one place:



See ya! Neko.

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

A sunny Sunday, and a few errands to run, so it was out into the wilds of Tokyo in the Hachi... Filling up next to this similarly dual tail-piped machine I looked for the driver as I was taking the photograph, but could not see him. He was taking a photograph of my Honda and we both looked at each other rather embarrassed at the same time.



The first errand included passing the old broker houses:



Then a popular classic in Japan (like the 2CV also is):



Though I've never spoken to him, my neighbor enjoys a few classics as well:



This guy was having one of those parking moments we all seem to get tied into sometimes (but how he ended up reversing down the sidewalk is anyone's guess):



Side pipes on anything sound good, and here they sounded glorious!



Dropping someone off at the park, I waited for a clear spot, and joked with the driver we could both fit in the one spot, as he was likely driving the only car smaller than mine in Harajuku that day:



This guy was not only making more noise than me, but his hair was the same color as his car, Mohawk and all:



A garden lunch:



A black shark:



Taisho building:



Taxi rank:



Relatively clear roads for a quick blast home:



See ya! Neko.

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The Black Cat - S800M Coupe.

_________________
'92 Mitsubishi Delica Super Exceed
'89 Mitsubishi Starion 2.6 Widebody
'87 Honda Civic Silver GT
'85 Honda Civic Gold DX with Brown Top
'79 Mitsubishi Celeste GSR
'78 Mitsubishi Sigma GE
'74 Datsun Laurel