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JDM Sight Seeing.
A lot of us are stuck at home more than normal, and something I've started doing when I'm bored is looking up shops/significant places in Japan. A lot of these places are being run by older guys who aren't going to be around forever. It's fun to pull back the curtain and see where all this stuff we love so much comes from. To me, It's made it much more grounded in reality. These places aren't some far away magic land, but just normal shops that have ups and downs like we all do. Feel free to contribute, even if no one posts on this thread, I'm going to keep updating it until I run out of places to visit on Google Maps.
Yashio Factory.. https://i.ibb.co/Lky5ZvT/Yashio-Factory.jpg Top Secret.. Look close and you can see the famous R34 GTR parked https://i.ibb.co/n0BzWNn/topsecret.jpg Signal Auto.. https://i.ibb.co/grGG9fH/Signal-Auto2.jpg Signal Auto's Body Shop, Show-up.. https://i.ibb.co/Z1kQ1RL/Signal-Auto1.jpg Mine's.. https://i.ibb.co/mBTHbFR/Mines.jpg Garage Defend.. https://i.ibb.co/mqdgkFt/garagedefend.jpg Side street of Garage Defend.. https://i.ibb.co/Vp4RFsD/garagedefend2.jpg |
Veilside..
https://i.ibb.co/tmchyjH/Veilside.jpg Awesome to see Veilside is still doing it's thing, even in times when they aren't super popular right now.. https://i.ibb.co/YZ2DbfY/Veilside2.jpg Tsukuba Circuit. So amazingly Google Maps street view went on the track, but they had to be escorted by a safety car! Great thing is it's an S15, is it a Spec-R or Spec-S? https://i.ibb.co/hCSBQ6B/Tsukuba-S15.jpg TRA Kyoto (rocket bunny, etc.) https://i.ibb.co/44f42PF/TRA-Kyoto.jpg This photo is an older one, it's cool because he's got the foam in bags sitting on top of the infamous s13 coupe. That's how he used to shape his kits, I think now he uses design software. https://i.ibb.co/R0kWSmV/TRA-Kyoto2.jpg Top Fuel..pretty amazing shop. https://i.ibb.co/QbfdvMd/Top-fuel.jpg Tom's.. https://i.ibb.co/sQ93J9c/Toms-1.jpg The fact that Tom's had a supra in their side garage couldn't be better.. https://i.ibb.co/CKSx0t0/Toms-2.jpg Mind Control Racing Factory..Their neighbors must hate them. Looking through the shops history, it looks like it's always very busy looking. https://i.ibb.co/4dhy2r5/MCR-Factory.jpg |
So finding this one took a little work. This is the old location of Kid's Heart, the originators of the Sileighty. They closed their doors a few years ago, and their address isn't something I could find easily. I used articles by Driftworks to help pinpoint where it used to be.
https://i.ibb.co/wYF3yqY/Kids-Heart-RIP.jpg This building was built on the corner of the Kid's Heart lot. I'm thinking its still owned by someone who was involved with the shop, based on the name. https://i.ibb.co/nMvkMLz/Kids-Heart-RIP2.jpg HKS Technical Factory. This is where, as a customer, you go if you want to deal with HKS directly, and not through one of their dealers. This is the side of the building, as there is a big tree in the front and it's hard to see from the street. https://i.ibb.co/tLDrf6n/HKS-TF-1.jpg HKS's main factory, ad the bottom of Mt. Fuji. Pretty amazing. They own a ton of land, all surrounded by this green fencing. The factory only sits on one side of it, and they have some random strips of road..maybe for testing?...covering the rest of the grounds. https://i.ibb.co/7nq9jBY/HKS-Fuji-1.jpg The main entrance to HKS is the only place you can really get a good view of the facilities. https://i.ibb.co/QMwPJdy/HKS-Fuji-2.jpg Fat Five Racing, Daigo Saito's shop. HKS liveried GT86 sitting on a container, no biggy.. https://i.ibb.co/QpgdWty/Fat-Five-Racing.jpg Down the street is HeyMan Products.. https://i.ibb.co/MZD5hC0/Hey-Man-Products.jpg This is behind Garage Defend. I believe this lot is for USA bound cars.. https://i.ibb.co/ft9pn49/Garage-Defend-USABound.jpg Car Modify Wonder.. https://i.ibb.co/fvdt1HS/Car-Modify-Wonder.jpg Charge Speed..it's in a really congested area. https://i.ibb.co/M8jz1x0/charge-speed.jpg Bomex, it's the building in the back, it was hard to find a good angle of it, this was the best I could do. https://i.ibb.co/yBsPzLn/Bomex.jpg This place is connected to 326 Power, but I don't think it's the official shop. The 86's made it post worthy IMO. https://i.ibb.co/ZfR2QZ5/326-power.jpg |
BN Sports. The street view had an empty lot, but the closest satellite shows a PACKED lot.
https://i.ibb.co/YyDzPy1/BN-Sports.jpg https://i.ibb.co/cvxwkDm/BN-Sports2.jpg Blitz.. https://i.ibb.co/DbhQSXv/Blitz.jpg Blitz back lot.. https://i.ibb.co/0yXM2Hw/Blitz2.jpg Bee R.. https://i.ibb.co/N33vc2m/Bee-R.jpg Side entrance of Bee R.. https://i.ibb.co/bQkgMbY/Bee-R-2.jpg 4 Heads (for those who follow NoriYaro) https://i.ibb.co/jbTbHLw/4Heads.jpg And some random R35 widebody I found sitting at a light.. https://i.ibb.co/Ks2tP7f/Rando-R35.jpg |
Dude this amazing to see. Thanks for doing the work. There’s so many names in here I haven’t thought of in years.
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I should have traveled to more tuner places when I was stationed out there. I only have a few pics from Superautobacs I'll have to dig up. This brings back feels man. I miss those Lipton milk teas and Coco's something fierce.
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unless you have an invite or a person bringing you, don't walk in. Most of these places are not that easy to get to and it is a gigantic waste of time to see if you can get in or not.
Like Toyota Technocraft. Sure you can go to the address in Yokohama, but unless you have an invite the security guard will flat out refuse to let you in. places on the list of any automotive enthusiast should always start with the easiest places to go with the largest number of cars to look at: Nismo Omori Factory (showroom open most days) Nissan Zama Heritage Collection (by advance reservation only, free) Nissan Engine Factory (next to Omori Factory) Honda Collection Hall (at Twin Ring Motegi), open but Motegi charges a gate fee to enter the premises) it's almost much easier to just see the shops and cars at Auto Salon or Auto Messe. |
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It makes me beyond happy to see that Yashio Factory is still around. Don't really hear much about them these days.
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Sent from my SM-N986U using Tapatalk |
Cool stuff. I've done a fair bit of scouting maps in Japan, I like doing it the hard way and have found some pretty cool small shops. Typically I search via satellite through countryside outside of urban areas for lots of parked cars. Occasionally you'll find yourself upon a boneyard of Schassis, corollas, etc. Pretty fun when you're bored.
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RWB..
https://i.ibb.co/Bygfk9c/RWB.jpg Tein Manufacturing Plant.. https://i.ibb.co/MZD7wp5/Tein-1.jpg Kazama Auto.. https://i.ibb.co/VB6XZh3/Kazama-Auto.jpg So this one is a little sad to see, These first few photos are of Do-Luck from 2012 (ala Speedhunters), and they look like they are no longer there. I look for other locations, but all I can find is a corner storefront of a strip-mall with a sticker on the door. I always loved their GT-R builds. https://i.ibb.co/HPxDYJJ/Do-Luck-Shop-064.jpg https://i.ibb.co/6Ys7PTK/Do-Luck-Shop-070.jpg https://i.ibb.co/nBSMDr1/Do-Luck-Former2.jpg https://i.ibb.co/N9mcHnw/Do-Luck-Former.jpg |
Is this post for updated pictures or pictures of old school shops?
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I'm posting the most recent that google street view has. If the shop is no longer there, I'll still take a photo, and just add some context..maybe some photos of what it was.
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Google translate your car/ drifting related term or description to Japanese, and search that. I find a lot better content using that method ^^^ Super cool thread, but definitely a bit sad. The drifting and Japanese tuner scene is dying, relatively quickly. Heightened by immense price gouging and regulations. This is a world wide problem, not exclusive to Japan, but I think much of these will be memories in the next decade. The hyper-inflation of drifting cars, products and "tuner parts" in the last couple of years within the states has had a massive affect globally and especially in Japan as their car prices are becoming too high for youth to get into the sport. Greed will contribute to the end of a very long term hobby for many of us here. / end rant |
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Damn, this is taking me back!
Also MCR Factory is the wildest place to see... the most random parts just kicking it. |
Some of you nerds may know this place. They do a lot of high performance engine builds in Japan. Years ago, they used to make some pretty great parts for the SR, RB, etc.. not sure if they still do or not.
https://i.ibb.co/1vvwHxT/Naprec-1.jpg Powerhouse Amuse. Pretty humble shop for doing some amazing things. That white GTR looking a little ignored did over 370kph on the Nardo ring in Italy a few years ago. https://i.ibb.co/jz56YkH/Powerhouse-amuse.jpg I liked this. Under the pedestrian bridge is where Powerhouse Amuse stores all the factory exhausts they take off. https://i.ibb.co/BNhHnx3/Powerhouse-amuse-2.jpg Phoenix's Power.. Looks like they were closed that day. https://i.ibb.co/yn38bd3/Phoenixs-Power-1.jpg Nismo Omori Factory.. https://i.ibb.co/gSL9HTS/Nismo-Omori.jpg https://i.ibb.co/Smq1LHY/Nismo-Omori-2.jpg Koguchi Power.. Street view only has it from the highway, there is a service road that runs right next to it, but they didn't drive that close. https://i.ibb.co/sFh4wFd/Koguchi-Power.jpg INGS+1.. Not their manufacturing, just a business office, very unassuming considering the level of work that they do. https://i.ibb.co/BCtR53J/Ings-1.jpg JIC Magic.. https://i.ibb.co/jHtWmKF/JICMagic.jpg This was a nice find. If you go up the road to the other end of JIC's factory, you will find two guys playing golf. If you look in the background, you'll see the guys clubs standing behind his K-van :bowrofl: https://i.ibb.co/wpqWqzP/JICMagic-Golf.jpg Hope you guys enjoyed the latest! |
Thank you for posting & updating this thread! Very cool :drool:
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NAPREC is doing all custom stuff. Under Suzuki TA S15 is all NAPREC. They still have all dry sump system and some heads and stuff
Yashio right now is impossible to get an appointment. They are expanding their workshop and now do a rental drift car service based on their YT channel. Yeah I had a friend tried to get their Silvia worked on and basically they don't even bother talking or calling him back. LOL There is also Yasuyuki Kazama (Best drifter in my opinion) still has his shop https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mWlGRJrBBuA Kind of underground but still does some amazing things..... |
I've gatta make up some general guidelines, I'm trying to keep this just to google maps photos only, unless you have photos you've personally taken and aren't on the internet.
I feel like its always more fun to see photos where nothing is posed/cleaned up. If the place is always immaculate, that's cool, if not, that's cool too. Love the photos of all the skyline stuff, I never heard of those shops! Glad to hear that NAPREC is still going strong, I'm sure they still do some of the best work. Every time I watch one of Sammit's videos, I'm amazed they get anything done in Yashio Factory's shop, that place is PACKED..it makes sense that they need to expand.. |
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This is Bell Deer, AKA Suzuki Alto Works Racing from WAYYYY back when Suzuki's were racing...
AKA, Miracle Next Bar maker... I've also been there and they had a Silvia N1 Car for sale with 10km on the clock unmolested. https://i.imgur.com/Pe976cz.png |
130R Yokohama. Max Orido's new full service shop with racing simulator and coaching from Max himself.
https://i.imgur.com/xVrTPok.png |
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