Today, March 2, is Mini Day in Japan. It’s a play on the words mi (3) and ni (2), and celebrates all things small-scale. From diecast minicars to mini 4WDs to miniature pigs, today is the day that honors them all. Sometimes, the little ones can speak to us even more so than the 1:1 scale ones. How many of us got into real cars thanks to a Hot Wheels or Tomica, buildable plastic model, or radio control car?
Personally, this Matchbox Z31 Nissan 300ZX always spoke to me. The Fujicolor livery was so vivid, it really stood out from other Matchbox cars of the era. Plus, it had an opening hood that revealed a VG30ET inside. It was one my most beloved childhood toy and put me on a path of life-sized Japanese cars.
What’s your favorite automotive miniature of all time?
The most entertaining comment by next week will receive a prize. Scroll down to see the winner of last week’s QotW,”What non-car goods should you buy from Japan?“.
There were so many good answers to last week’s question it was almost impossible to choose a favorite. From a practical standpoint, Chris D ‘s recommendation of vintage cameras is an excellent one. Similarly, Alan suggested Japanese tools and hi-fi equipment, while TheJWT and Jonathon proposed the vinyl records play on it. And if you can fit it in your luggage take a page from Nigel and get Casio watches, Korg synths and Roland drum machines, or ra21benj and load up on CDs, kitchen appliances, audio equipment, and bike parts.
Of course, many of us are also toy obsessed, and BobbyC nailed it with a suggestion of kaiju figures and rare manga that can be very hard to find outside of Japan. We strongly agree with Banzai‘s pick of plastic or resin models and modeling tools as well. And Jeff Koch‘s reminder to fill up on Tomica and gashapon is as natural as tapping a Suica card. Jonathon also pointed out that retro consoles and miniature trains are also great takeaways from Japan.
Clothing is another area where Japan’s penchant for quality shines, as suggested by Negishi no Keibajo and streetspirit. ra21benj recommended watches and shoes, while Jonathon advised a nice Uniqlo jacket
The biggest category, however, was food. The many Japan-only Kit-Kat flavors were a favorite of brkr12002, Toyotageek, Jonathon, and Ian G. For TheJWT it’s Black Thunder chocolate. Taylor C. provided a laundry list of Japanese cuisines that are all superb, while Land Ark sang the praises of convenience store offerings, and @ye reminded us that Don Quijote has a wide range of snacks and meds. And if you get parched from all the chow, there’s Jim Klein‘s recommendation of Pocari Sweat or BlitzPig‘s suggestion of genmaicha tea.
Unfortunately there could be only one champion, and this week’s winner is dankan and his quest for an obscure potato chip:
Omedetou, your comment has earned you a set of decals from the JNC Shop!
