JNC “25 Year Club” Decal now available

JNC 25 Year Club decal 01

UPDATE: These are now available in the JNC Shop. We at JNC like to come up with something new each year for JCCS, and this year we’re proud to introduce a new, interactive decal. The JNC “25 Year Club” decal honors cars that have passed that magical quarter-century mark to become official Japanese nostalgic cars. 

Daruma Doll

The main motif is a daruma, a Buddhist symbol of good luck. In Japan, wooden daruma are typically sold with two blank eyes. The owner fills in the first eye when a goal is set (starting a project, training for a race, etc). The second eye is left blank until that goal has been completed. With the second pupil drawn in, both eyes are “open,” and that means the goal has been realized.

Toyota Celica

Toyota enthusiasts might recognize daruma as the Japanese nickname of the first-gen Celicas. That’s because its sunken grille and headlights remind Japanese people of the way a daruma’s face is recessed into his red body.

We think it’s a noteworthy occasion when a car turns 25 years old, and it’s high time we recognize those that have crossed the threshold.

However, we don’t want to leave out JNC fans with a car that’s not quite there yet. That’s why one eye is blank. Everyone is free to rock the decal but we simply ask, using the honor system, that you don’t “open” the second eye until the car is 25 years old. Of course, those with a car 25 years or older can fill in the eye right away with some black paint.

Why 25? When we founded JNC, it was an easy way to distinguish old from new. In most states, cars are eligible for historic plates, certain inspection exemptions, and collector car insurance once it turns 25. It’s also the age at which you can legally import a classic car into the US. It’s been a rolling marker for what makes a car nostalgic, and so this year the cutoff is 1989.

JNC 25 Year Club decal 02

The first row of black kanji says kyuusha, Japanese for “classic car.” The characters in white circles say kokuhou, or “national treasures.”

The 25 Year Club daruma will debut at our booth at the Japanese Classic Car Show this Saturday, September 27 in Long Beach, California. Look for a red tent. After the show these decals well be available in the JNC Shop.

Daruma Photo: Masaki Ikeda

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33 Responses to JNC “25 Year Club” Decal now available

  1. cesariojpn says:

    I rather have the Pokemon Darumaka on the label.

    http://bulbapedia.bulbagarden.net/wiki/Darumaka_%28Pok%C3%A9mon%29

  2. Louis Fong says:

    My car turns 36 this year so I’m guessing I’m good!

  3. buckedy says:

    Amazing! As an Australian, all I can do is wait impatiently until these babies appear in the online shop.

  4. Michael McDonald says:

    If 25 is “Classic”, why is JCCS limited to 1985 or earlier only? Why not add the “missing” 4 years to 1989?

  5. JHMAB2 says:

    What if your car’s generation began in ’88 but your specific vehicle is a ’91? Does it still count?

  6. Cedu says:

    Super cool! Maybe you guys should do a check at JCCS… look at the person’s key or something. If its got like Autolock on em or something, they aint qualified.

  7. pstar says:

    That decal is pretty dope.

  8. JDMSeikoNeko says:

    My ’90 Celica’s 25 next year, I guess I’ll have to get this sticker!

  9. Michael McDonald says:

    I personaly will wait 3 more years for the 50th year Daruma. Maybe it should be in Gold as in the 50th wedding anniversary?

    • Ben Hsu says:

      That would be great!

      • Michael McDonald says:

        My wife and I recently celebrated our 52nd wedding anniversary and I am waiting for 2017, [actually 2018 when I bought it from the dumb ^&* dealer who let it sit on his lot over a nasty Montana winter while the 510 series debuted] for my 50th anniversery of my 1967 RL411! If not, I know how to use software to “modify” the Daruma! We still drive it weekly, but not as often as while I was not retired. I have only 1600,000 miles on it!

        • Michael McDonald says:

          Make that 160,000 miles! Use it, don’t abuse it! Or as the Datsun ads used to say”Buy it for the long run” and I did!

  10. mister k says:

    got me some!

  11. Kuroneko says:

    It is a very neat design, that’s for sure. The 25 year thing more of an issue in the US, but who cares? Kakoii regardless:

    https://flic.kr/p/pejC95

    • John M says:

      Cool box. Noticed the Shinagawa plate. Been catching up on Seibu Keisatsu – often Shinagawa plates. My wife mentioned the status associated with them. Not sure if JNC has done a write-up on Japanese plates, but would be interested…

    • Ben Hsu says:

      Beautiful tool box, KN.

      I would love to do a writeup on JDM plates but I’m not that well versed in them.

    • Dave Yuan says:

      That’s a beautiful tool box indeed! My favorite sticker on it has to be the Japan Air Lines DC-10 one…after the Daruma decal, of course ;P

      I don’t know when was the last time I flew a DC-10, but I was in a JAL 747 when my mom took me to Japan as a kid. In the best Japanese tradition, they passed out plastic models of the 747 to all the kids! It was a snap kit but was actually quite detailed, w/ landing gears and peel-off decals and all. And then as I was nosing around, I actually found the closet where they kept all the model kits, and I took like three more!

  12. Clovis Lopes says:

    Dear colleagues,
    you could send a patch of these, for me
    Here in Brazil ?

  13. Lloyd says:

    I need a 35 yr version Ben 😉

  14. Fernando O. says:

    I’ve been trying to purchase but the “add to cart” button is not working, please help!

  15. Bryan Kitsune says:

    Yes, I’m replying to a 3 year old post!

    My Datsun Sports 1600 Roadster is 50 this year. Do I just rock two of these filled in? 🙂

    • Paulo says:

      Yes, I’m replying to a 1 year old comment on a 4 year old post… not because I have anything to add, but just because I can. Gotta love the internet.

      • Bryan Kitsune says:

        Well, if we want to keep this up, I’m replying to a nearly 5 year old reply to a comment that I made over 6 years ago.

        Too bad I sold the Roadster almost 3 years ago, never having had the privilege to rock a daruma on it (it wasn’t driveable).

        It’s almost time to be able to put one on my 7th gen Celica though, which doesn’t seem possible.

        I’m so old.

  16. Russell Jones says:

    Sent a couple out to the UK for a couple of my friends 240Z’s, sporting one on my Z as well.
    Thanks for the cool stickers.

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