Happy New Year from JNC

Posted on December 29, 2023 by Dan Hsu

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 of travel to get to, such as at a shrine, atop of a winding mountain road, or on an east-facing shoreline. Some even catch a flight to see it from the sky. It takes a bit of effort, but that’s the point. Here’s to a wonderful 2024. We think it’s a great tradition, especially if it involves a drive. Will you be viewing the hatsuhinode on January 1, 2024? Whether you go for an outing at daybreak or sleep in, thank you for reading, commenting, and being part of the JNC community. 新年おめでとう!

Image: Nissan

Posted in Holidays | Tagged , , , | 6 Comments

R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R tissue box will dry your nose super quick

Posted on December 28, 2023 by Steve Chang

If your home is anything like ours, this winter has been a revolving door of viruses. Tissues flow non-stop. But now at least there’s an entertaining dispenser to make blowing your stuffy nose a bit less of a drag. Behold this remarkably accurate R34 Nissan Skyline GT-R tissue box now available in Japan. Continue reading →

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Nissan’s greatest hits converge in 90th anniversary commercial

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Ninety years ago today Nissan Motor Co. was founded. It’s a momentous occasion for one of Japanese most prolific and beloved carmakers, and to commemorate the occasion Nissan has released a commercial gathering together all of their “greatest hits” over the decades. There’s a little something for everyone, from kei vans to luxury cars. Continue reading →

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QotW: What Subaru model is the most Subaru?

Posted on December 26, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Happy Boxing Day from JNC! Speaking of boxers, Subaru is the most prolific builder of horizontally opposed engines in the automotive kingdom. But if you had to distill the Subaru essence into one model from any time in the company’s history, what would it be? Perhaps a dirt chucking rally car, a funky all-wheel-drive wagon, or some kind of strange unibody pickup? Which car is most representative of the marque? In other words:

What Subaru model is the most Subaru?

The most entertaining comment by next Tuesday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What do you want from Japanese Santa Claus this year?“. Continue reading →

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Happy Holidays from JNC

Posted on December 24, 2023 by Dan Hsu

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!

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Hundreds of Honda SuperCub fans gathered to celebrate bike’s 65th anniversary

Posted on December 22, 2023 by Dan Hsu

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 for celebration than usual. Nearly 400 Super Cubs showed up to the two-day event, and even a bout of heavy rain didn’t stop riders from showing up on the second day. Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged , | 3 Comments

The Bridgestone Super R.A.P. aluminum wheel has been resurrected

Posted on December 21, 2023 by Steve Chang

It looks like a steelie, but the Bridgestone Super R.A.P. is an aluminum wheel. Introduced in 1987, it was designed to be “the ideal competition wheel”. This year marks the 60th anniversary of Bridgestone’s motorsport program, so the company has resurrected the Super R.A.P. to celebrate the occasion. Continue reading →

Posted in wheels | 5 Comments

R35 conversion turns Nissan GT-R into R34 Skyline homage

Posted on December 20, 2023 by Steve Chang

The R35 Nissan GT-R has always been an incredible performance machine, but it hasn’t been traditionally beautiful. In fact, it departed quite a bit from tradition by splitting off from its R32/R33/R34 predecessors to become its own thing. However, a company from the UK has an answer to the question, “What if the R35 design was more evolutionary rather than revolutionary?” Continue reading →

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Adorable Mazda Miata slippers are a fun last-minute holiday gift

Posted on December 19, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Looking for a last-minute holiday gift idea? These Mazda Miata slippers seem like an ideal way to keep your feet warm during the cold months. Who wouldn’t want to go sliding around their floors with a pair of NA MX-5s while their clutch and gas pedal pushers are ensconced in plush versions of the best-selling roadster of all time? Continue reading →

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QotW: What do you want from Japanese Santa Claus this year?

Posted on December 18, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Do you think Japanese Santa Claus is a rosy-cheeked, jolly old man with a fluffy white beard? No, he’s a chain-smoking mechanic in red one-piece coveralls with blackened fingernails and a perm. If you ask him the price of anything in his workshop he’ll say that it’s not for sale, but if you can prove yourself a worthy caretaker of the car/part/item he’ll gift it to you for free.

What do you want from Japanese Santa Claus this year?

The most entertaining comment by next Tuesday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “Do you treat your JNC different than your daily?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 18 Comments

Mazda Luce owner is part of multi-generational rotary family

Posted on December 15, 2023 by Ben Hsu

With the rollout of the rotary engine’d Mazda MX-30 underway in Japan, Mazda is doing a video series on owners of rotary-powered cars. The first is Mr Shimzu, who drives a second-generation Mazda Luce, known as the RX-4 in the US and as the 929 in some parts of the world. It’s a car he’s loved since childhood, as his grandfather purchased it the year he was born. Continue reading →

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Drive a classic Toyota Supra when you stay at the Fuji Speedway Hotel

Posted on December 14, 2023 by Steve Chang

If you’re planning to visit Fuji Speedway soon, you might want to look into the Supra Winter Festival. The program lets guests of the Fuji Speedway Hotel drive a Supra during their stay. While the main purpose of the promotion is to get people who can afford to stay at the very fancy hotel behind the wheel of new Supra for an extended test drive, there are a very small number of slots in which guests can drive a classic Supra as well. Continue reading →

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Marvel at Honda’s 1962 motorcycle manufacturing prowess, now in English

Posted on December 13, 2023 by Dan Hsu

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 was turned into transportation. The only problem was that it was only in Japanese, but there’s good news. Honda has released an English version. Continue reading →

Posted in Motorcycles | Tagged , , | 3 Comments

Honda engines of street and circuit sound off at 75th anniversary event

Posted on December 12, 2023 by Dan Hsu

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 up for the crowd. The Collection Hall takes great pride in the fact that all their vehicles not only look good, but run as well. Continue reading →

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QotW: Do you treat your daily different than your JNC?

Posted on December 11, 2023 by Ben Hsu

I have a confession to make: I treat my daily driver poorly. With my JNCs, cars I intend to keep forever, I park far away from other cars, institute a strict “no food or drinks” policy, and spend hours detailing them. With my daily, currently a 4-cylinder automatic XV10 Camry sedan, I park anywhere there’s a spot, let my son eat whatever he wants, and go months without washing it. It’s not a car I plan to keep, and the basic non-V6, non-MT spec means no one will ever care about preserving it. Its next owner will likely be a student or someone that just needs a reliable commuter with cold a/c. Should I care more? If I had a nicer daily like a Lexus LS400 or even a same-gen Camry Wagon, I might.

Do you treat your JNC different than your daily?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What car would you show an alien to help them appreciate cars?“. Continue reading →

Posted in News | 11 Comments

How ‘Honda Red’ became the marque’s official color

Posted on December 8, 2023 by Ben Hsu

This year marks Honda’s 75th anniversary as a company, and they’re celebrating in a very unique way. Honda is offering a colored pencil that is the exact shade of their official “Honda Red” corporate color. It’s the same red that’s used in the Honda logo and in many of the company’s products, from motorcycles to lawn mowers. However, to even get this color on his cars, Soichiro Honda had to fight an unexpected battle. Continue reading →

Posted in Design, News | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Toyota continues teasing Celica revival from official channels

Posted on December 7, 2023 by Ben Hsu

Toyota just can’t help itself from dropping not-so-subtle Celica hints all over the place. Last week it once again teased a revival of its beloved sports coupe from one of its official channels. When was the last time a car company talked this much about a car it had no intention of releasing? Continue reading →

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The Subaru Legacy turbo wagon had one fatal flaw

Posted on December 6, 2023 by Steve Chang

Long before the WRX was even a glint in the eye of Subaru USA’s marketing team, Fuji Heavy Industries was offering a turbo wagon in the US market. The first-generation Legacy Sport Wagon was the most athletic wagon Subaru had brought to America, but it was also one of the rarest. It was sold for only two years — its inaugural year of 1993, which was mid-way through the generation, and 1994, the final year before the second-gen’s debut. Continue reading →

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Toyota MR2 reportedly returning at the expense of mid-engine GR Yaris

Posted on December 5, 2023 by Steve Chang

A rumor out of Japan says that not only is Toyota reviving the MR2, but that it will have a purely gasoline-powered engine. In fact, the mid-engined runabout is likely to be the last combustion-only Toyota sports car ever made. The car may also have the GR Yaris to thank for its existence. Continue reading →

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QotW: What car would you show an alien to help them appreciate cars?

Posted on December 4, 2023 by Steve Chang

Today is ET Day in Japan, commemorating the day in 1982 when the movie E.T. The Extraterrestrial was released there. Using that as a jumping off point, let’s say you encounter a curious and benign life form that has traveled millions of light years to our little backwater pre-warp planet. The humanoid being knows nothing about cars, as their civilization is so advanced that they just teleport everywhere and thus have no concept of wheeled transport. But just because they’re unnecessary doesn’t mean they’re not interesting. We still marvel at the pyramids, after all. Clearly this species is missing out on the fun, beauty, and engineering that automobiles offer.

What car would you show an alien to help them appreciate cars?

The most entertaining comment by next Monday will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW, “What car-themed series should we binge over the holidays?“. Continue reading →

Posted in Question of the Week | Tagged | 2 Comments