Category Archives: media
Sam Mitani put Tuner Era dream machines into the mainstream
If you grew up in the pre-internet age, “buff books” like Road & Track were your bible. Magazines of its ilk were the only reliable sources of automotive news, but they were mostly concerned about cars that came fresh off … Continue reading
Posted in media
Tagged accord, fc3s, fd3s, greddy, Hakone Turnpike, hks, honda, integra, M2, M2 1028, mazda, miata, mitsuoka, mugen, mx-5, nissan, r32, re amemiya, rx-7, Sam Mitani, skyline, supra, The Prototype, tokyo auto salon, toyota, Veilside
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The heartwarming tale of strangers rescuing a Datsun wagon from the desert
There is a B310 Datsun Wagon that has been baking in a remote corner of the Mojave desert for over 20 years. The car was abandoned there when the owner died in a freak accident, but now, in a heartwarming tale … Continue reading
JNC THEATER: A review of Velocity’s JDM Legends
The premiere of JDM Legends on Velocity Channel premiere is old news by this point, but as a watcher of many automotive-themed TV shows I wanted to sit down and actually think about how I feel about the program. As the first TV series … Continue reading
Posted in media, Video Games
Tagged 240z, ae86, corolla levin, datsun, jdm legends, nissan, s30 z
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NEWS: Bosozoku magazine Champ Road suspends publication
It was announced on September 5 in Japan that Champ Road, the last bosozoku tuning magazine, is suspending publication. The so-called “Bad Boy Bible” has been in print for 29 years, showcasing the bikes, cars, and fashion of Japan’s rebel youth. The November 2016 … Continue reading
An interview with NeoClassic Japan’s editor-in-chief
Japan’s Kousoku Yuen magazine recently celebrated their 50th volume. Written for fans of all the lesser loved, non-Skyline, non-2000GT specimens of the Japanese automotive kingdom, it is perhaps the most otaku title of the JDM magazine world. To mark this momentous occasion, as well … Continue reading
Posted in japan, media
Tagged cedric, cressida, crown, gloria, kousoku yuen, mark II, NeoClassic Magazine, nissan, toyota
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Hachimaru Hero ranks the top 80s Japanese cars
Hachimaru Hero (80s Hero) is the Bubble Decade’s counterpart to Nostalgic Hero. Both come from the same publisher but nowadays interest in 80s Japanese cars is picking up speed. Recently the magazine put out a reader survey asking for the … Continue reading
Posted in media
Tagged 430, 80s, a60, a70, ae86, aw11, cedric, city, f31, fairlady z, fc3s, gloria, Hachimaru Hero, honda, Infiniti M30, isuzu, leopard, mark II, mazda, miata, mitsubishi starion, mr2, mx-5, nissan, nsx, Piazza/Impulse, r30, r31, r32, rx-7, s130, skyline, soarer, supra, toyota, x70, z10, z20, z31
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MEDIA: JNC on the Petersen Museum’s CarStories Podcast
Last week our intrepid editor Ben Hsu was invited to the Petersen Museum‘s CarStories podcast. The topic was classic Japanese cars in general. The producers thought it would be a good followup to the landmark auctions at the Monterey Historics. Recent guests … Continue reading
MEDIA: 1987 Isuzu Impulse Turbo RS Limited Edition in Hemmings
If there’s one marque that does not get the love it deserves in classic car circles, it’s Isuzu. Despite never producing a 510 or Civic, a car that really took the Japanese motoring world by storm, vintage Isuzus are ripe … Continue reading
Classic & Sports Car pits Toyota 2000GT against UK and US counterparts
The June 2014 issue of the UK’s Classic & Sports Car pits a Jaguar E-Type against a 1965 Corvette and a Toyota 2000GT to see which continent produced the best sixties sports coupe. Long-time readers know what’s coming next: A genuflecting ode … Continue reading
Mazda Cosmo Sport and Toyota 2000GT in this month’s Hemmings
A Toyota 2000GT and a Mazda Cosmo 110s will both grace the cover of the upcoming April issue of Hemmings Sport & Exotic Car. The pivotal pair of shiro historic flagships was garnered together by our buddy and fellow J-tin enthusiast Jeff … Continue reading
Posted in media
Tagged 2000gt, 510, bluebird, cosmo sport, datsun, hemmings, mazda, toyota
7 Comments
Automobile realizes old Japanese cars are pretty cool after all
Well lookee here. Automobile, long the bastion of if-it-ain’t-Euro-it’s-crap has suddenly discovered the awesomeness of classic Japanese sports cars. Are we in the bizarro world? Their March 2012 issue even manages to review four cars — Honda S800, Mazda Cosmo Sport, … Continue reading
New York Times reports on vintage Japanese cars
A few months ago Koji and Terry Yamaguchi of the JCCS, Jun Imai of Mattel and I were interviewed by a reporter from the New York Times about the growing collectibility of vintage Japanese cars. This is the article. Nothing in … Continue reading
Best Motoring & Hot Version Era Comes to a Close
The renowned Japanese automotive video series Best Motoring and its spinoff publication Hot Version have been canceled. According to its publisher 2&4 Motoring, the parent company Kodansha could not justify its continued existence citing declining sales figures for the past … Continue reading
Posted in japan, media
Tagged best motoring, hot version, juichi wakisaka, keiichi tsuchiya, kodansha, manabu ori
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The Periodic Table of Sports Cars
Car & Driver posted this humorous take on the Periodic Table where the elements are sports cars instead. It looks like some nostalgics are represented, albeit in the “Reliable Transportation Metals” category. Better than the Poseur-oids, we suppose! Click on … Continue reading
The Slow Car Movement
You’ve heard of the slow food movement. How about the slow car movement? This article in GQ by Jamie Lincoln Kitman describes perfectly why old school is most cool. New cars are so fast and packed with electronic gizmos that driver … Continue reading
July 9 Is Collector Car Appreciation Day
There is no shortage of oddball Awareness Days celebrating everything from the bean to the penguin. But there has never been a day honoring the classic car, until now. SEMA has somehow convinced the US Senate to pass a resolution … Continue reading
Gasp, Foreign Street Rod! Anyone who’s been to Toyotafest or JCCS has seen the Mooneyes Toyopet Crown V8, but once upon a time it was a cover car for Custom Rodder magazine. However, the entire article is spent defending the very … Continue reading
Posted in media, toyota
Tagged crown, custom rodder, mooneyes, s30, street rod, toyopet, toyota, v8
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Rust in Peace: J's Tipo Ends Magazine Publication
Sad news from Japanland today. It’s the end of the road for J’s Tipo magazine. The publishers have announced that Issue 180 will be the last for the long-running automotive periodical. They covered mostly new cars but always had a … Continue reading
