Five years ago, waves from the devastating tsunami that struck Japan’s eastern coast swept Masayuki Watanabe’s 1971 Toyota Corolla from its garage. Today, he got that car back. Continue reading
GRAND TOURING: Tohoku, Part 02
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 article was originally published on October 23, 2012.
In Part 01 of our Grand Tour through Japan’s Tohoku region we headed north from Tokyo, past tsunami-devastated villages and deep into Aomori Prefecture. Normally on such trips the nostalgics we encounter are the most beloved — Skylines, rear-drive Corollas, Honda S-cars — but this time we’d been pleased to cross paths with machines less often seen. We pick up Part 02 as we trace Mutsu Bay on the northernmost tip of Honshu, Japan’s main island. Continue reading
Posted in Grand Touring, honda, isuzu, kei, mitsubishi, nissan, toyota
Tagged 117, 280zx, 300zx, 520, 521, aomori, b120, barikan, cedric, corona, cr-v, datsun, debonair, fairlady z, fukushima, gloria, Grand Touring, honda, isuzu, iwate, jeep, kei, life, mitsubishi, Mutsu Bay, nissan, rt40, s130, sanitora, sunny, t40, tohoku, truck, y30, z31
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How Subaru became masters of AWD
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 event’s aftermath. Another version of this article was published on July 9, 2015. Here it is with minor updates.
The story of how Subaru became masters of AWD is one of pure chance. In 1969, Tohoku Electric Power Co., northeast Japan’s power company, was looking for vehicles to replace their fleet of Land Cruisers (in some versions of this story, the vehicle is described as a “jeep-like” truck, which could refer to a Mitsubishi JH). Employees often had to venture into rugged and snowy terrain to repair power lines. The trucks were deemed too uncomfortable and inefficient, especially in winters, when their canvas tops would let cold air in. 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 article was originally published on October 17, 2012.
For the last year or more, most of our visits to Tohoku have been single minded – helping with the recovery efforts. This trip was a chance to relax, tour the glorious countryside, meet people and, of course, capture some glimpses of nostalgic cars in the wild. For this we traveled northward from Tokyo as far as possible, all the way to the Aomori coast on the northernmost tip of Honshu. Continue reading
VIDEO: Check out this Honda Head’s massive collection
In a video titled Honda Kokoro (Honda Heart), a collector welcomes viewers into his incredible collection of Honda memorabilia. If the wall of valve covers didn’t clue you in already, it is a collection of epic proportions, from bikes to Hot Wheels, generators to Honda-branded gym socks. Lance isn’t just an otaku, though. He works for the company as well. Continue reading
Consider the Following: The third-generation Honda Accord is a great buy
With the prices of the most popular models entering unattainable status for a lot of younger JNCers, we felt it necessary to highlight some painfully overlooked — often for no good reason at all — yet still affordable (for now) nostalgics. Consider the following: The CA Honda Accord. Continue reading
VIDEO: A key part of Japanese industry now lost
Here’s a video, perhaps in the same grade-school documentary series as the one about Japanese industry in the 1970s. It has no cars, but you can still learn a thing or two. In particular, there’s a scene showing a family-owned sewing business (6:19 in the video below the fold). In the small home, a family might live in one room, while a “factory” occupied another. It is difficult to describe the scale of such an operation without visuals. Continue reading
EVENTS: Marikina Old Schoolers East meet
Perhaps unbeknownst to most Americans, the Philippines has an incredibly strong tradition of classic car enthusiasm, especially with Nihon steel. Due to the nation’s proximity to Japan, it was one of the early export markets and received many models that would be popular with JNCers today. The Old Schoolers East are a club composed of owners from the eastern side of Metro Manila who are into vintage cars, mostly ones that were common in the capital city during the 70s and 80s. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged corolla, e20, Greenhills Style, kp61, lancer, mitsubishi, Old Schoolers East, Philippines, starlet, te27, toyota
14 Comments
EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 03 — This is Japan
A life-size Gundam robot towers above the trees. Giant windowless shopping centers operate like small cities. In this snapshot of a hyper-futuristic metropolis floating on a man-made island in Tokyo Bay, tradition comes in the form of a parking lot teeming with zokusha. This is Japan. Continue reading
Posted in events
Tagged 510, a10, a20, bluebird, bosozoku, c10, c110, carina, celica, chaser, cherry, cosmo, cresta, crown, daruma, datsun, e10, EVA, Fukuoka Style, Gundam, gurachan, gx71, Hakosuka, honda, kaido racer, kenmeri, life, Luce Legato, mark II, mazda, new year meeting, rx-5, skyline, ssr, toyota, x70
21 Comments
Happy International Women’s Day from JNC
Posted in jnc
Tagged daihatsu, datsun, mazda, mitsubishi, nissan, subaru, suzuki, toyota
15 Comments
VIDEO: Watch loads of JNC goodness in this documentary about Japan in the 1970s
The video you’re about to watch is what American schoolchildren were taught about Japan in the 1970s. Throughout it all, there are brilliant scenes of Showa Era Japanese streets and the cars that populate them. Continue reading
QotW: What’s your best tale of JNC indestructibility?
One of the greatest things about owning a JNCs is its reliability. Think that’s boring? Well, while macchine nostalgico Italiano owners are leaking vital fluids, Deutsch nostalgischen auto owners are trying to figure out why you need to remove the transmission to change a bulb, and British reminiscing motorcar owners are studying for Master’s degrees in electrical engineering, JNC owners are out there driving their cars. We’re so cocky, we sometimes even willfully abuse our cars, knowing they’ll just roll with the punches.
What’s your best tale of JNC indestructibility?
What say you, dear reader? As always, the most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What once-common car has suddenly disappeared?” 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 pure rain, a quick look at the weather radar showed it’d be the last foreseeable shower for a while. Regardless, we weren’t going to let our spirits be dampened by dampness! So we hopped back in the 117 and hit the road again, out of Maizuru, sticking to Japan’s northern coastline. Continue reading
Posted in Grand Touring
Tagged 117, Grand Touring, Hakuto Jinja, isuzu, Tottori Sand Dunes
30 Comments
KIDNEY, ANYONE? Mazda RX-7 rally car with Group B power
It’s been said a thousand times: Group B race cars are among the most iconic, exciting, and outrageous in motorsport history, tearing through dirt or tarmac in outlandish style and manner. However, fans of Japanese sports cars may feel a bit shortchanged by this legendary era, as few Group B racers were homologated from the land of rising sun. The most famous example may be the Nissan 240RS, based on the S110 Silvia. Keen JNCers might also point out that there existed a Group B Mazda RX-7. And now, you can have one such example (sort of) in metaphorical exchange for your kidney. Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 02 — The Parking Area
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 have owners who don’t necessarily care about showing off their cars. In any case, being greeted by a row of gorgeous Bubble Era Soarers is reason enough to go exploring. 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
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 to learn the secret, but by the end of day two the academy had turned into a session of drifting Miatas on a snow-covered mountaintop. With the top down. In below-freezing temperatures. As it turns out, the two are more closely related than you think. Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 New Year Meeting, Part 01
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 show’s gates. Right off the bat there’s a 1960s H31 Nissan Cedric, Sunny, Subaru Leone wagon, and a daruma Celica all queued up. 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
KIDNEY, ANYONE? The finest replica of a Mugen CRX SCCA GT4 race car is in France
In the early 1980s, Honda wanted to show the appeal of its high-performance vehicles to American enthusiasts. It set about building a racing car with the help of its tuning and racing division, Mugen, to compete in the SCCA GT-4 class. The weapon of choice? The Honda CRX. It debuted in 1985 at Road Atlanta, was campaigned all the way through 1990, kicking butt and taking names for the entire 6 years it ran. Honda had America’s attention. But they also caught the attention of an enthusiast from France. Continue reading
DESIGN: Nissan VP reveals challenges of designing with DNA
We recently had the chance to glimpse into the the mind of someone who spends every day thinking and making decisions about the cars we buy, drive, and love. Taro Ueda is Vice-President of Design at Nissan Design America, the automaker’s studio in southern California, and he and his team were actually able to make the 2016 Sentra look good. Continue reading
VIDEO: Watch the R32 Skyline GT-R lap the Nürburgring
Nowadays, for any performance car worth their salt, a Nürburgring lap is a spec sheet staple, right there under horsepower, torque, and 0-60 time. But the Nissan Skyline GT-R was doing it before it was cool. Way before. Back in 1989, to be precise, when Best Motoring took an R32 GT-R to the Green Hell and clocked an 8:22. That’s nothing compared to the 7:08:69 of the R35 NISMO GT-R, but it was absolutely mind-blowing 27 years ago. Continue reading
