Category Archives: Grand Touring
GRAND TOURING: Mt Fuji and the Toyota 2000GT, a meeting of Japan’s icons
Mount Fuji holds a unique position in the minds of both Japanese and visitors alike. There is nothing else quite like it anywhere else in this world, and even many of those who have never visited the country are aware of … Continue reading
Posted in Grand Touring
Tagged 2000gt, cappuccino, fto, galant gto, honda, mark II, mazda, Mazda Hakone Turnpike, miata, Miata ND, mitsubishi, mt. fuji, s660, suzuki, toyota, x70
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GRAND TOURING: Isumi Matsuri
If there’s one thing that gets carriage-loads of people enthused, it’s trains — especially in Japan, where everyone loves trains. So, combining a wide range of Showa Era kyusha with a summer matsuri (festival) and organizing it at the most famous … Continue reading
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Tagged 310, b10, B360, bellett, bluebird, cappuccino, cony, corolla, corolla levin, crown, daihatsu, debonair, e10, Expo '70, gemini, gloria, Hakosuka, hijet, hino, honda, Insight, Isumi Matsuri, isuzu, Kurogane, Leo, mitsubishi, nissan, publica, s120, s40, s800, skyline, sprinter, sunny, Taxi, te27, toyota
24 Comments
GRAND TOURING: Chubu and Kinki, Part 02
Part 01 of our grand tour through central Japan took us to Toyoma, a city that revealed not only castles but a trove of classic Toyotas. After prying ourselves away, we headed inland.
Posted in Grand Touring
Tagged cr-v, fairlady z, fc3s, Grand Touring, honda, kei, mark II, mazda, minica, mitsubishi, nissan, rx-7, s30 z, suzuki, swift, toyota, toyota 86, trucks, x70
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GRAND TOURING: Mazda Hakone Turnpike and Izu Skyline
While living in Tokyo has many problems, finding a place to go for a drive is not one of them. There are countless skylines, touge, and turnpikes, all challenging and spectacular roads within a short distance of the capital. For this … Continue reading
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Tagged Ebina PA, fd3s, gt-r, honda, Izu Skyline, JSDF, mazda, Mazda Hakone Turnpike, Mega Cruiser, nissan, porsche 911, r35, rx-7, S500/S600/S800, touge, toyota
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GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 10
On the final day of our cross-Japan trip, we woke up in Okayama with a decision to make. If we stuck to the back roads, we’d end up having to travel straight through the heart of Kobe and Osaka. On … Continue reading
GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 09
With just two more days to go, our trip was winding to a close. We had just crossed from the southern island of Kyushu to Shikoku, the smallest of Japan’s four main islands. Now were were headed back onto the … Continue reading
GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 08
In the previous installment of our cross-Japan trip, we began the northeasterly journey back home, but on a different route that would hug the southern coast of Japan. As such, we’d voyage from Kyushu to Shikoku, two of the four islands that … Continue reading
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Tagged 117, 280zx, all-trac, b120, celica, Celica GT-Four, corona, daihatsu, datsun, fairlady z, Fellow, ferry, Grand Touring, isuzu, kei, mitsubishi, Mitsubishi Jeep, mr2, nissan, r30, s130, s30, sanitora, skyline, st165, sunny truck, sw20, T120, toyota
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GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 07
In the last installment of our cross-Japan trip, a life-long personal goal was achieved. I had driven from the northern Hokkaido on one end of Japan to southern Kyushu on the other. However, the journey was far from over. We and our … Continue reading
GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 06
As our compatriots in California enjoy themselves on the Touge California this weekend, we do a little driving of our own, in the sixth installment of our cross-Japan tour. On Day 05, we stowed our 1978 Isuzu 117 Coupé to explore Nagasaki on … Continue reading
GRAND TOURING: Godzilla invades New York — Behind the scenes of the NY Auto Show with a Hakosuka GT-R
There is no US city more hostile to the automobile than New York. Most of its 8.5 million residents don’t own cars. Here, they are nothing more than 3,000-pound accumulators of parking tickets and dents. Some of the city’s roads aren’t even paved. Then we … Continue reading
Posted in Grand Touring
Tagged c10, gt-r, Hakosuka, kpgc10, nissan, ny auto show, skyline
11 Comments
GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 03
During Day 01 and Day 02 of our road trip across Japan, it rained constantly. On the morning of Day 03, the weather finally broke. As the clouds departed to the north, we were headed south, and that meant nothing but … Continue reading
GRAND TOURING: Tohoku, Part 01
Today marks the fifth anniversary of the twin disasters — a magnitude 9.0 earthquake and devastating tsunami — that struck Japan off the coast of Tohoku in 2011. In remembrance, we are re-running a series of stories that relate to the event’s aftermath. This … Continue reading
GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 02
In Part 01 of our once-in-a-lifetime road trip, we set out from Nagoya and headed to Maizuru City via Lake Biwa. Our car was an Isuzu fresh off of a head gasket change, and while Day Two was yet another day of … Continue reading
Posted in Grand Touring
Tagged 117, Grand Touring, Hakuto Jinja, isuzu, Tottori Sand Dunes
30 Comments
GRAND TOURING: Driving across Japan in a JNC, Day 01
In 2015 we took a once-in-a-lifetime road trip across Japan behind the wheel of a proper Showa Era icon. The chariot of choice was an Isuzu 117 Coupé, and it would serve as our trusty steed for 10 days and over 2,400 kilometers before … Continue reading
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Tagged 117, ae86, corolla levin, Grand Touring, isuzu, Lake Biwa, toyota
21 Comments
GRAND TOURING: The Onsens of Yamagata Prefecture
Having toured Aomori and Iwate Prefectures previously and discovered many interesting sights along the way, we decided to again return to the northern coasts, this time to explore the Prefecture of Yamagata and the Sea of Japan Coast Road.
