Category Archives: events

EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 02 — The Parking Area

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

In Part 02 of our New Year Meeting coverage, we delve into the parking area to unearth gems as good as anything inside the show. Some of them aren’t able to make it simply because of the age cutoff, others perhaps … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 280zx, 510, a20, b110, bluebird, cb400, celica, cressida, cresta, crown, daruma, datsun, dekotora, elf, fairlady z, gemini, Hawk, honda, isuzu, mazda, mirage, mitsubishi, new year meeting, nissan, rally, Rocket Bunny, rx-3, s110, s130, s30 z, Sera, Shakotan Boogie, soarer, sunny, suzuki, today, toyota, Wagon R, x70, z10, z20 | 15 Comments

EVENTS: The Mazda Ice Academy explains why Mazdas are so darn fun to drive

Posted on March 4, 2016 by Ben Hsu

The Mazda Ice Academy’s main reason for existence was to show off the Hiroshima automaker’s newfangled all-wheel-drive system. That was good, as we’d marveled before at how they managed to give a mid-size crossover better handling than many actual cars. We wanted … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged mazda, miata, mx-5, ND Miata | 4 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 01

Posted on March 3, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

The New Year Meeting is Tokyo’s premiere classic car show and it takes place at the end of January. You’ll likely never see a gathering of J-tin so diverse anywhere else, and the magic begins with a line of cars at the … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 117, 3K, 510, a20, bluebird, bosozoku, c10, c30, cedric, celica, corolla, corona mark II, daruma, drag racer, Farialdy Z, galant gto, h31, Hakosuka, honda, isuzu, kaido racer, kp47, laurel, le mans, leone, life, mazda, Mazda B360, Minica Skipper, mitsubishi, Musashi Crystal, new year meeting, nissan, porter cab, publica, Rilakkuma, S-Series, s30, skyline, soarer, starlet, subaru, t60, toyota, z20 | 9 Comments

EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 02

Posted on February 26, 2016 by Skorj

While Part 01 of our Old Car Heaven coverage concluded with a mob of rare Mitsubishis, we begin this installment along the perimeter of the show and a bevy of box vans. The Nissan Caravans were part of the Nissan Commercial Car … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 2000gt, 240rs, 330, 430, 935, barikan, bus, c10, caravan, cedric, cedric 130, city, civic, corona, cosmo sport, crown, csp311, daihatsu, e20, f40, fairlady roadster, fairlady z, Fairlady Z432, ferrari, ff-1, gloria, gto, Hakosuka, honda, honda z, HopeStar, Initial D, isuzu, Junior, kenmeri, KITT, kpgc110, Lotus Europa, mark II, Mazda T1500, midget, nissan, piazza, pontiac, porsche, prince, r30, s110, s30 z, s54, seibu keisatsu, shelby, silvia, skyline, skyline sport, subaru, t40, toyota, wagons, x30 | 18 Comments

EVENTS: Old Car Heaven, Part 01

Posted on February 24, 2016 by Skorj

Recently I was invited to accompany the Prince Driver’s Club to Kyuusha Tengoku, or Old Car Heaven, on the outskirts of downtown Tokyo. With many cars expected, we were asked to assemble on site at 06:00 in the morning. The early … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged a20, b110, c10, celica, cherry, clipper, colt, crown, datsun, e10, e70, F30, galant gto, gloria, Hakosuka, hiace, honda, kujira, lancer, leopard, masterline, mazda, mitsubishi, ms75, nissan, Old Car Heaven, porter, prince, rally, s10, s54, s60, safari rally, sambar, silvia, skyline, skyline sport, sprinter trueno, subaru, sunny, toyopet, toyota, vamos, wagon | 29 Comments

EVENTS: Initial D World meet

Posted on January 29, 2016 by Dave Yuan

If people are willing to dress up as country squires, high-mannered butlers, and Maggie Smith for Downton Abbey season premieres, then why not an Initial D-themed car meet? As the most popular work of Japanese automotive fiction of all time, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 3000GT, a20, a60, a70, A80, acura, ae86, celica, corolla, e70, fc3s, fd3s, honda, Impreza GC, Initial D, legacy, mazda, Miata NA, mitsubishi, MX5, nsx, rx-7, s14, silvia, st205, subaru, supra, toyota | 13 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 04 – JNC Staff Picks

Posted on January 25, 2016 by Brandon Kelley

For our final installment of our 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon coverage, we asked some of our JNC team Tokyo staff to identify the coolest whips they encountered at the annual mega-fest of Japanese automotive excess. Here’s what they came up … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged aqua, bluebird, bosozoku, fairlady z, Flex Auto, Free Style, gran turismo, H200, H50, hiace, kawasaki, Leg Motor Sports, LM55 Vision Gran Turismo, mazda, mazda roadster, miata, NATS, ND Miata, nissan, prius, prius c, s30 z, star road, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, trd | 7 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon Spotlight – RE Amemiya’s Inspired 7 and Super Chantez, a return to legendary tuner roots

Posted on January 23, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

There are few rotary tuners more prolific than RE Amemiya. Founder Isami Amemiya has been at it since 1974, building all manner of bonkers pistonless demons. Typically, his Auto Salon booth is lined with a column of powerful FD3S RX-7s, poised like they’re … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged chantez, mazda, re amemiya, rx-7, sa22, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon | 2 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 03 – Tunertopia

Posted on January 22, 2016 by Ricky Silverio

When it comes right down to it, the Auto salon is all about tuning. Sometimes, that can be downright cringeworthy when it comes to the classics we know and love. Other times, the result is inspired. And sometimes it’s just about … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 2000gt, 240z, c10, fairlady z, Fujitsubo, Garage Saurus, gt-r, Hakosuka, jun auto mechanic, Kojima Engineering, Kojima KE007, lexus, lfa, nissan, r30, r35, rocky auto, s30, skyline, star road, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, toyota, toyota 86 | 7 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 02 – Callbacks

Posted on January 21, 2016 by Ben Hsu

One of our favorite types of customization is when a new car references something old, whether its Japanese motorsports history, an ancestor in its lineage, or just a general obsession with nostalgia. Here’s all the cars that are rolling inside … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged Alto GT-RR, Alto Works, c10, fairlady z, ft-1, Hakosuka, Hello Special, J100, J70, land cruiser, mazda, nissan, rotary engine, RX-Vision, S-FR, S-FR Racing, s30 z, skyline, subaru, subaru 360, suzuki, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, toyota | 7 Comments

EVENTS: Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 01 — Old School Cool

Posted on January 20, 2016 by Ben Hsu

As one of the most important auto shows on the Japanese calendar, the Tokyo Auto Salon is a showcase of Japan’s latest and greatest tuning trends. With every customization style imaginable on display, however, old school cool is not always easy … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged bosozoku, c10, c110, cedric, Cedric 31, civic, Civic EF, fuji speedway, Glow Star, Hakosuka, honda, kenmeri, nissan, osaka jdm, Prince R380, publica, skyline, soarer, star road, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, toyota, toyota 7, up10, z10 | 10 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon Spotlight – Liberty Walk S30 Z

Posted on January 18, 2016 by Ben Hsu

It’s understandable that most non-JNCers would recognize Liberty Walk as the purveyor of trendy widebody kits for Ferraris, GT-Rs and other assorted supercars. In his heart of hearts, though, founder Wataru Kato is an old school bosozoku.

Posted in events | Tagged bosozoku, c10, fairlady z, Hakosuka, kpgc10, liberty walk, nissan, s30 z, skyline, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, wataru kato | 4 Comments

EVENTS: 2016 Tokyo Auto Salon, Part 01 — A Preview

Posted on January 15, 2016 by Ben Hsu

The Tokyo Auto Salon kicks off this weekend, and that means it’s time for the craziest builds the Japanese aftermarket has to offer. While gold-plated GT-Rs and VIP vans are still very much a part of it, looking past the glitz this year … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 180sx, ambulance, bluebird, Bluebird 810, bosozoku, caravan, copen, d1gp, daihatsu, kei, mark II, NATS, nissan, shooting brake, sienna, Spirit Rei, SuperGT, TAS2016, tokyo auto salon, toyota, X100, x70 | 20 Comments

MOTORSPORT: The Super Silhouette Nissans that inspired a generation of bosozoku

Posted on January 8, 2016 by Ben Hsu

One of the biggest treats from the NISMO Festival at Fuji Speedway the display of Nissan’s Super Silhouette racers from the late 1970s and early 1980s. Developed for Group 5 specifications, their extreme aero styling inspired a generation of bosozoku and kaido racers.

Posted in events, motorsport | Tagged bluebird, Bluebird 910, dr30, gazelle, group 5, haruhito yanagida, K10, Kazuyoshi Hoshino, march, masahiro hasemi, Matchy Kondo, NISMO Festival, nissan, r30, s110, s12, silvia, skyline, super silhouette | 7 Comments

MOTORSPORT: How Nissan thwarted Toyota in the golden age of the Japan Grand Prix

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Ben Hsu

By 1968 Toyota had had enough of losing their home country’s biggest race — the annual Japan Grand Prix — to Nissan. They had just debuted the nation’s flagship sports car in the 2000GT, but it was getting trounced by the Prince/Nissan R380, a … Continue reading →

Posted in events, motorsport | Tagged NISMO Festival | 7 Comments

EVENTS: Walking the paddocks at the 2015 NISMO Festival

Posted on January 6, 2016 by Ben Hsu

A celebration of all things Nissan and racing, the annual NISMO Festival held by the Nissan mothership in Japan. For one late November day, legendary racing machines are dusted off and emerge from their Zama hibernation to roar across the hallowed tarmac … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 2011 nissan silvia, 24 Hours of Daytona, 24 Hours of Le Mans, fuji speedway, NISMO, NISMO Festival, R390 GT1, R91P, skyline | 5 Comments

EVENTS: Hachimaru Meeting at Fuji Speedway

Posted on December 23, 2015 by Ben Hsu

If it wasn’t for its glorious motorsports history, Fuji Speedway would be just about the worst place to hold a car show. It rains seemingly half the time there, and while that makes for cool photography, it can’t be pleasant for the … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 430, acty, ae86, c210, carry, corolla levin, crown, datsun, dr30, f31, gloria, Hachimaru Meeting, hiace, honda, infiniti, Infiniti G20, J80, land cruiser, leopard, mark II, nissan, P10, Primera, r30, r31, r32, s120, s130, skyline, soarer, sprinter trueno, suzuki, toyota, utilitas, vanette, x70, y30, z10 | 16 Comments

EVENTS: 2015 Mooneyes All Odds Nationals

Posted on December 18, 2015 by Ben Hsu

If you’re looking for high-powered GT-Rs and the like, Mooneyes shows are probably not for you. The cars you find at a typical Mooneyes event celebrate the art of customization, whether it’s on kei cars or commercial trucks. The vehicles here less about racing than … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged a30, A80, All Odds Nationals, autozam, b210, barikan, carol, cedric, cedric 130, cedric 230, cedric 430, civic, corolla, corona, crown, debonair, e10, e20, ef, fj60, gloria, hilux, Homer, honda, kujira, land cruiser, mazda, Might Boy, minica, mitsubishi, mitsubishi 360, mooneyes, n10, nissan, porter, s130, s40, s50, s60, shuttle, sunny, sunny excellent, supra, suzuki, t40, t50, tateguro, toyota, wagon, wagons | 5 Comments

EVENTS: Finnish Japanese Auto Extravaganza

Posted on December 15, 2015 by Mika Latvala

Today’s guest writer is my friend Mika Latvala from Finland, who sent an event report from the Finnish Japanese Auto Extravaganza. Enjoy! —Ben The Finnish Japanese Auto Extravaganza, or FinnJAE, is for all Japanese car enthusiasts in the country. All cars are welcome, no matter … Continue reading →

Posted in events | Tagged 230, a10, a20, b210, brat, c110, carina, cedric, celica, cherry, corolla, crown, datsun, FinnJAE, gloria, kenmeri, ms51, nissan, s40, skyline, subaru, sunny, toyota | 19 Comments

EVENTS: SevenStock 2015

Posted on November 24, 2015 by Ben Hsu

Mazdafarians far and wide came to the recent SevenStock 18, the premiere showcase of rotary-powered Hiroshima heroes. Held at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, California, the all-day festival mixed a car show, track day, and basically anything that was Mazda rotary-themed.

Posted in events | Tagged 808, fc3s, fd3s, imsa, mazda, r100, repu, rotary, rx-2, rx-3, rx-4, rx-7, sa22, sevenstock | 21 Comments