It’s been nice being at home. I still have a bit to show you from our last trip to Japan but yeah, it’s been really nice settling back into a normal routine here in California. After Nostalgic 2Days in Yokohama, we still had a couple of stops in Japan before hopping on a plane back to the west. Once I got back, it was time to unpack and figure out how to display all these new collectibles I got. While that was happening, I was also presented with an opportunity I didn’t think would ever happen. I guess you can say it was an offer I couldn’t refuse. Here’s to a whole new adventure ..read more

Back when I decided to buy this thing, I had nothing. No job, no direction, no money. I had sold ..read more

By this point in the trip, I had already been in Japan so long that I felt like I lived there and my friends were just visiting me. Attack Tsukuba was coming up and it was time for us to head back to Tokyo. Before that however, we go model car hunting and stop by one of our favorite shops in Osaka, Car Make Across. It’s always good to see Joe and I was surprised I hadn’t seen him my entire trip. We love seeing all the cool stuff at the shop and I had a gift for him so I really wanted us to go see him before we left Osaka. One we got to Tokyo, I had to take everyone to all the model car shops I ..read more

Back in high school I used to know a girl who had two older brothers who were big car guys. This was in ‘99 so the import scene was still very much in its infancy compared to what it is today. I guess you can say those were the most fun of times though because we didn’t know what was out there yet. Anyways, the brothers had some pretty nice cars, even the the sister had an Integra that was nice. I often saw it the parking lot at school. Before she could drive though, I would occasionally see her brothers come by to pick her up. One of them was named Lawrence and he had a Z32 with a crazy body ..read more

It was starting to feel like I had been in Japan forever. I’d say I was missing home but Osaka is basically my second home so they only thing I was really missing were my friends. That is, until they finally showed-up! It was good to see their faces and spend time with them again because Yasu might have been getting tired of just seeing me every single day. Osaka Auto Messe was fast approaching and everyone arrived just days before. Nana showed-up first after visiting some friends in Gunma, then Der and Kristian landed early morning in Osaka. We grabbed some food, walked around the city, and t ..read more

During Auto Messe weekend, we always try to host a gathering somewhere in Osaka because there are so many people in town for the show. It just makes sense to bring everyone together for some post-show activities. That way it maximizes the experience for those who come to the Kansai region and it allows them to get a taste of true Osaka car culture. It’s not unlike Tokyo, when the masses all link up at various night meets in the city. This is just on a smaller scale but with a completely different vibe. If you enjoy cars, you already know that Osaka will be thriving that weekend. On this partic ..read more

A couple months ago, Yasu acquired an old EK4 Civic race car that had spent much of its life competing in the Suzuka Clubman one-make race series. The car physically was still in pretty good shape but you can tell that it had been raced a lot. It just had a lot of wear and tear, you know? He wanted to do more circuit racing and time attack events this year using this newly-acquired EK4 so he asked me to design a livery for it. I don’t know why he thinks I’m capable of it because I’ve actually never done a full livery on a real car before but I figured I’d give it a shot. He owns a body shop so ..read more

I always try to make my way to Type One every time I go back to Japan. In year’s past I’d message Aaron from Spoon Sports USA to see if it was okay if I went over there, worrying we’d get in the way or something. Better to ask than to feel unwelcome, you know? Sometimes Aaron would even be there to show us around. Give us a full tour and show us some stuff the public doesn’t have access to. My friends and I have created some great memories at this place over the past decade. Nowadays I’ll just send a quick message to Jomoto from Spoon to let him know I’m coming by to say ‘hi’, no matter how br ..read more

After a few weeks in Tokyo, it was time for me to head to Osaka to hang out with Yasu and catch-up on all the happenings over in the Kansai region. There’s always something happening out there but I also enjoy Osaka because it feels like a second-home. Life seems almost normal when I’m out there and I’ve developed a normal routine out there, which is important to me. One of the first big things I had lined-up with Yasu was heading back to Kansai’s famed Central Circuit to check-out the Central Time Attack Challenge, a racing event that has become a regular stop for me during my winter and spri ..read more

they’ll tell you that every visit is a unique experience. Kanjozoku culture is a staple here, though it may not be the most accepted, and often people ask me how they can experience it. Please don’t ask. I don’t want to put your life in danger or put you in a position that could get you in any trouble. It looks fun but there are so many inherent dangers that come with it. 100% of the time when people ask about it, I try to warn them about it and express that I would rather they not be involved. Just enjoy it from a distance. On this particular night, a few friends had an incredibly rare opport ..read more