Tag Archives: sunny
EVENTS: 2017 Japanese Classic Car Show, Part 04 — Shakotan Sleds
We’ve shown you the JDM rarities, competition machines and museum pieces of JCCS, but we know what you really came here for — Nihon sleds slammed on some vintage barrels. It’s the quintessential Japanese modified car look, and there was plenty of it on … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2017 Nissan Jam, Part 04 — Nissan Forever
Why do people love Nissans so much? Our final installment of our Nissan Jam coverage, offers an explanation. Perhaps it’s the sheer diversity of not just the cars from the factory, but that of the custom styles they inspired. Speaking of inspiration, the … Continue reading
NIHON LIFE: Stumbling across random car shops in Tokyo
It’s easy to get lost in Tokyo. The streets aren’t laid out in a grid and often have no signs on them, or if they do, they’re in Japanese. As a car otaku, the problem is compounded because rather than looking at … Continue reading
VIDEO: Custom Nissans used for baseball promos
Any baseball fans out there? It’s not uncommon for Japanese automakers to sponsor their home city teams. For years, Nissan sponsored the Yokohama Baystars and donated parade cars for the teams to use. As is the custom, Nissan would chop to the … Continue reading
EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2017, Part 08 — Leaving in Style
The New Year Meeting is an magical festival of vehicular awesomeness, but what happens when the party’s over? Most owners drive their cars home, but sometimes you want to ship your precious cargo. With many areas of Japan more crowded … Continue reading
MOTORSPORT: Tomiko Yoshikawa, pioneer in Japan’s racing world
In honor of International Women’s Day, this is the story of Tomiko Yoshikawa, a race car driver and pioneer in the Japanese racing world. Born in 1954 in an Aichi Prefecture, Yoshikawa was a self-described furyou shoujo, a “bad girl” … Continue reading
EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2017, Part 05 — Nissan & Mitsubishi
This year was a special milestone for the New Year Meeting, as it was the show’s 40th year. It was quite a milestone for the event, which started in 1977 at the Tokyo Prince Hotel, a much smaller venue. Back then, no one would … Continue reading
EVENTS: New Year Meeting 2017, Part 02 — Club Scene
In Part 01 of our 2017 New Year Meeting we spent the morning wandering around the swap meet, browsing everything from old car parts to old posters to model cars. After filling up with an early lunch, it was time to look … Continue reading
VIDEO: A Datsun 240Z is the hero car in this 1979 chase movie
1970s Los Angeles was an automotive paradise. Not only did you have a diverse mix of Detroit land yachts, European compacts and heaps of Japanese runabouts, but its freeways ran long and wide. Back then, before the 405 was one giant parking lot, … Continue reading
EVENTS: 2016 NISMO Festival at Fuji Speedway
For 20 years, Nissan’s motorsports division has put on an annual gala for followers of its many racing machines and successes. The NISMO Festival is a Burning Man for Nissan nuts, a mecca for fans of Sunny and Skyline alike. Best of all, … Continue reading
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
EVENTS: 2016 Nissan Jam, Part 02 — All Odds
In the first installment of our 2016 Nissan Jam coverage, we focused on the most popular of the Nissan family tree. The “cool kids” club included Skylines, Zs, 510s, 620s, and Fairlady roadsters, but Nissan has a deep history of other models that … Continue reading
EVENTS: Okutama Sunday Meeting
A short time ago, we were invited to attend the monthly Okutama-ko Sunday kyusha meeting. Loosely organized by the well-known Isuzu shop Eagle Sports, it always attracts a wide range of cars. This weekend was special though, as GT-B driving … Continue reading
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.