Author Archives: Dan Hsu
Happy 510 Day from JNC!
Kick back and grab an ice cold Calpis because it’s Friday and 510 Day. You deserve to have your thirst quenched with Japan’s favorite lactic acid bacteria drink. And yes, it tastes better than it sounds. Kanpai!
Posted in Holidays
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Electric FJ40 Toyota Land Cruiser restomod runs on batteries, keeps original gearbox and good looks
Resto-modding a Toyota Land Cruiser is nothing new. People have been putting Tacoma V6es, J80 1FZs, or SBC in them for years, but a UK company is now building them to run solely on electric power. The outfit is called … Continue reading
Ultraman Dyna‘s Machine Zellet — Guess the Tokusatsu Car!
Welcome back to JNC‘s “Guess the Tokusatsu Car” series. This should be a relatively easy one. For those unfamiliar with the term, tokusatsu shows are Japanese programs for kids that usually revolve around superheroes, robots, and giant monsters. Power Rangers, … Continue reading
Honda to open motorsports museum at Suzuka Circuit
Add another destination to your next trip to Japan, because Honda will soon open a new museum at Suzuka Circuit dedicated to motorsports. The Honda Racing Gallery’s grand opening this spring will coincide with the company’s 60th anniversary in Formula … Continue reading
Honda celebrates Collection Hall reopening by revving classic race engines
We can’t think of a more Honda way to open a museum than revving the crap out of some classic racing machines. Recently, the Honda Collection Hall in Japan reopened after a months-long remodel, and Honda held an opening ceremony … Continue reading
Kawasaki Ninja’s 40th anniversary colors are awesomely retro
Real ninja, the silent assassins of feudal Japan, date back to the 15th century. The iconic Kawasaki Ninja, however, turns 40 years old this year. The moniker debuted in 1984 as a rebranding of the GPZ900R, a groundbreaking sportbike that … Continue reading
Toyotafest 2024 date and location announced
Public Service Announcement: Toyotafest 2024 will be held at the Marina Green in Long Beach, Calif. on Saturday, June 8, 2024. This will mark the 28th annual All-Toyotafest, which welcomes Toyota, Lexus, Scion, and Toyopet vehicles. Vendor registration is already … Continue reading
Posted in events
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Happy TE27 Day from JNC
The great-grandfather to the AE86, the Toyota TE27 still isn’t that well known among car collector circles. We spotted this one in with glorious glass-smooth paint in the parking lot outside the Tokyo Nostalgic Car Show in 2010. A VW … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays
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Honda’s new “H” logo looks a lot like the one from the 1970s
Honda revealed a new logo today, and it looks a lot like one from decades ago. The new “H” mark removes the square frame that has surrounded the logo for the last 43 years. The framed H was introduced in … Continue reading
Posted in News
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Happy New Year from JNC
The Japanese tradition for New Year’s is getting up early to watch the hatsuhinode, or first sunrise. By watching the inaugural dawn you’ll be starting the year off right. The preferred viewing spot is usually somewhere that requires a bit … Continue reading
Happy Holidays from JNC
Happy Holidays from JNC! We hope Japanese Santa Claus gave you everything you wished for. QotW will be back on Tuesday. メリークリスマス!
Hundreds of Honda SuperCub fans gathered to celebrate bike’s 65th anniversary
This year marked the 65th anniversary of the venerable Honda Super Cub. It also happened to be the 75th anniversary of Honda Motor Co. As such, the annual Cub Cafe Meeting at Honda’s headquarters in Tokyo had even more cause … Continue reading
Marvel at Honda’s 1962 motorcycle manufacturing prowess, now in English
A few weeks ago we shared a wonderful 30-minute Honda promotional movie from 1962, just one year before they started building cars. The film went deep behind the scenes in Honda’s motorcycle manufacturing facilities, showing how raw steel and plastic … Continue reading
Honda engines of street and circuit sound off at 75th anniversary event
As part of Honda’s 75th anniversary festivities this year, the Honda Collection Hall in Japan invited guests to listen to the sound of engines. Taking a series of classic motorcycles, cars, and racing machines from the museum, curators fired them … Continue reading
Posted in Video
Tagged Benly CB92, C100, Civic 1G, honda, honda collection hall, Honda Dream 2E, McLaren Honda MP4/5, McLaren Honda MP4/6, N360/N600, NR750, NSX Type S, ra272, RC143, RC213V, RC213V-S, S500/S600/S800, t360
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Honda’s behind-the-scenes motorcycle manufacturing doc from 1962 is a must-see
Honda has released an astounding documentary from its early days of motorcycle manufacturing. The 34-minute This is Honda dives deep into Honda’s factories, depicting every step of the production process, from raw steel to finished bike. Arguably the most amazing … Continue reading
Yamaha’s miniature SR400 fuel tank marks over 40 years of production having ended
In 2021 we reported on the sad end of the Yamaha SR400, a beloved motorcycle that had been in production for 43 years. Not only did it have a long life but Yamaha kept it remarkably faithful to the 1978 … Continue reading
JCCS Preview: A Toyota Celica Supra is the first ever JCCS “Event Car”
The Japanese Classic Car Show has always had great memorabilia, from dash plaques to T-shirts to stickers. This year the JCCS crew have come up with something truly special, their first “event car”. It’s a 1982 Toyota Supra in TRD … Continue reading
JCCS Preview: Sam Mitani’s Red Mist book signing
Are you revved up for the 2023 Japanese Classic Car Show yet? If you’re going, we have a special announcement that you might be interested in. Sam Mitani, former International Editor of Road & Track, will be a the JNC … Continue reading
Honda Motocompo revived as Motocompacto electric foldable bike
Honda has revived its foldable Motocompo city bike for the modern era. It’s called the Motocompacto, as trademark filing in 2020 revealed, and it’s a little bike that folds into a tidy rectangle. This time around, it’s electric. The original … Continue reading
