When Honda enthusiasts travel to Japan - a summary of events.

[michaelbrat]

Our next stop was RAYS wheels.



It turned out to be the corporate office, and they didn’t have a showroom, so they referred us down the street to “RAY Bros”.



They had some wheels on display that you don’t often see in the US, and some interesting cars parked around the the shop.









These wheels would look good on a particular silver NSX.





Aggressive Honda Beat.



Before leaving, the RAYS representative wanted to show us his prized possession. We had mentioned we are NSX owners, since he had once owned a red NA1. Before parting with it, he kept this prototype Mugen wing. I’ve never seen this design before, but it’s pretty cool. Supposedly, there are pictures of the car floating around in older RAYS catalogs.



Back to the subway, browsing the food section.







Nice Alfa. These things were everywhere.



Cool little Honda N Wgn. The series includes the N One and N Box. I’d rock one.



Honda Fit Shuttle. Super cool.







We headed towards Osaka castle next. This was one of the buildings we saw first when exiting the subway. Planetary.









Swifts are plentiful in Japan.



Castle moat.



Strong gusts of wind rained down sakura pedals.



Really beautiful. They’re like super doves.







Osaka castle.





Sakura pedals cover everything.







Canon taking a picture of a canon.



We entered the castle. This really gives you a good idea of the size of the castle grounds. I could only imagine when this castle was built and standing atop, looking out at the land. It must have been amazing seeing so far and seeing so much green.



Wicked samurai helmet.





Osaka castle roof view.



Hide and go seek Colin.



Life springs from every crack.







Till the next post…

Mike B

 

[Ponyboy]

Awesome. Love it.

Did you guys have any issues with communication? I'm supposing one of you guys know Japanese?

 

[Jinks]

That castle looks amazing! Really love your documentation here guys. Thanks again for sharing.

 

[michaelbrat]

Awesome. Love it.

Did you guys have any issues with communication? I'm supposing one of you guys know Japanese?

Colin and I both know a handful of Japanese words, but not enough to hold conversation or ask most things. We still got by though, since a good amount of Japanese people know some english. In cases when we were stuck, I'd use a translation app on my phone. Just speak into the phone in english (or have them speak Japanese) and it will translate. Worked pretty well as a last resort.

The next time I visit though, I'd like to be able to hold a conversation in Japanese. It's just so much more convenient and they'll be much more willing to help.

That castle looks amazing! Really love your documentation here guys. Thanks again for sharing.

Absolutely. Glad you're getting a kick out of it! Colin will likely jump on here soon, to add some of his perspective and pictures. He's a better photographer than I am, so I'm sure you'll enjoy his stuff.

Mike B

 

[michaelbrat]

For the next couple of days, we continued exploring the Osaka and Kyoto areas. Kyoto is famous for its beautiful scenery, temples, and cherry blossom displays. It’s just a gorgeous area in general. We also took a side trip to Nara park, famous for its friendly wild deer.

We started in Osaka. This is the Dotonbori area, a cool place to walk around at night. Lots of food and shopping.





The alleys seem to go on forever. An endless amount of stuff.



Nestled amongst bright and flashy stores and restaurants.





We entered Nara park. The pictures will better describe the area.







Hungry koi.





Colin surrounded by green.













Camouflage.



A walk around the perimeter.













Some city intermission.







Dinner with Colin’s students and friends east of Kyoto. He taught English in Japan for one year in his younger days.





Cool Honda Spike.





Style.





Swift and mud nest.



Super cool Toyota Aqua (Prius C). You can buy it just like this from the dealer in Japan, though the optional parts are not cheap, which is probably why they’re not available here.



This day was one of the few sunny and warm days of the trip. We visited a local Kyoto temple which ended up being packed with tourists, so I ended up with a bunch of pictures of Japanese women in traditional attire.





















Prius with optional parts. So cool.



Strange VW.



Older gen Honda Spike.





Next will be our visit to Mugen and Spoon.

Mike B

 

[davidf]

Excuse my ignorance but why are so many wearing masks?

 

[The King]

Excuse my ignorance but why are so many wearing masks?

Vaporizers.

 

[michaelbrat]

Excuse my ignorance but why are so many wearing masks?

Good question actually. It's definitely not something you ever see in America.
Masks are commonly used to stop the spread of sickness. So if you're sick, it's good manners of you to wear a mask. I expect it works the opposite way too but I haven't gained a consensus. Either way, it's just part of society in Japan. Kinda cool if you ask me.

Mike B

 

[davidf]

Good question actually. It's definitely not something you ever see in America.
Masks are commonly used to stop the spread of sickness. So if you're sick, it's good manners of you to wear a mask. I expect it works the opposite way too but I haven't gained a consensus. Either way, it's just part of society in Japan. Kinda cool if you ask me.

Mike B

Yes it is. Kudos to those with good manners.:wink:

 

[michaelbrat]

I wanted to break in with some random shots and short videos of Japan, from my phone. There are times when the phone is much faster and easier to pull out and capture a moment. Some of these moments I really enjoyed, and really want share with you all.

Colin and I playing Initial D 8, with our true to life NSX battle combo (sebring silver and grand prix white)

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/BhtdE4dshHE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Rotating parking system. Really saves space and adds convenience.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KBkgzBsKmKY" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>

Cold soba noodles. Delicious.





Beautiful architecture.



Fireman’s sewer cover.



Standard subway train control.



First time I’ve ever seen this combination. Moving walkway + escalator.





Micro habitat. One of my favorite shots. The scale of the picture looks almost standard size, until you notice little things like the flower bulbs.



Clean DC2 Integra Type-R.





Hike up Mount Kurama.



Inside a Mount Kurama temple.







Japan has the coolest vans. Period.





AWD Honda with Mugen kit.



Honda Fit Hybrid. They used to be called the Jazz, but switched to the Fit for recent models.







Smart spider.



Sneaker laundry.



Shabu Shabu.



Umbrella style.



Kyoto.



Class photo.



Beauty in circle and drops.



<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bCusXVEP7fs" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>



Toyota Aqua (Prius C)





Micro habitat.











Sakura (cherry blossom) pedals litter the ground.



Prius.



Sakura ice cream with vanilla/greentea in a cone.





Cutest donuts ever.



Only in Japan…





Lite cones. Smart.





I don’t know what it’s doing, but I like it.



Gold Honda Fit.





Honda Beat modded.



McDelivery.

 

[phryxis]

Adding a spacer so more great pics and vids can be seen!

 

[michaelbrat]

Fairlady Z.



Skyline R34 GT-R.







<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Xb--qCYQgQ0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>







These are found throughout the streets of Japan, especially around the subways. They’re used by the blind to more effectively find their way around. The bumps seem to indicate changes of direction.





Water source sewer cover.



Beautifully painted sewer covers like this one can be found in the more frequented areas of Japan. The one belongs to the Osaka area.



Lucky cat, set into the ground. Dotonbori, Osaka area.



We need tow trucks like this in the US. The bed lays flat to accept lower vehicles without causing damage.





Nara park sewer cover.



Nara park deer warning. I experienced Bite, and a boy next to me experienced Knock Down.







Micro habitat.







Mugen and Spoon visit next.

Mike B

 

[davidf]

Price me a GT One Version 6 Ti like Phryxis has. Bring it back with you.:smile:

 

[Jinks]

Dude, my server is trying to keep up loading all of these high quality pictures. I'm an all American guy, football, baseball, bbq. But I seem to get so envious at how clean and organized Japanese cities are. I work in many California cities daily, we have homeless by the whord's and streets so filthy you feel as if your cheating on your tires driving on them. But I guess that being, "the new world" we should expect such things. But WOW, your documentation of this trip only further fuels a desire to visit someday. Thank you.

 

[BTL3.0]

Awesome pix. Love it. So beautiful there. Would love to visit some day.
Thanks for the pix.

 

[michaelbrat]

Price me a GT One Version 6 Ti like Phryxis has. Bring it back with you.:smile:

We're already back from Japan. Sorry!

Dude, my server is trying to keep up loading all of these high quality pictures. I'm an all American guy, football, baseball, bbq. But I seem to get so envious at how clean and organized Japanese cities are. I work in many California cities daily, we have homeless by the whord's and streets so filthy you feel as if your cheating on your tires driving on them. But I guess that being, "the new world" we should expect such things. But WOW, your documentation of this trip only further fuels a desire to visit someday. Thank you.

I know what you mean. Every time I come back to California, I miss the refinements that Japanese people have created in their culture. The respect they show towards others and the uniformity and quality they put into most everything they do. I love California and America, but I take into my heart the best of both worlds, and try to weed out the worst.

Traveling to other countries and experiencing other cultures broadens our perspectives and helps us to better ourselves and others. I wish that everyone would make the effort to travel to far away places. I really believe we would have a much easier time understanding each other. I hope you'll visit Japan sometime soon!

Awesome pix. Love it. So beautiful there. Would love to visit some day.
Thanks for the pix.

You're very welcome!

Mike B

- - - Updated - - -

Sorry for the slow updates. I was dropping the motor out of my NSX
http://www.nsxprime.com/forum/showthread.php/189030-Dropping-the-motor-tomorrow-Advice

Our next stop was Mugen and Spoon.





Full electric race bikes. I believe these are used on the isle of man.





Mugen GP wheel.



Mugen CR-Z RR







Their showroom was lined with late Formula race motors.











Remote control cars.



S15 Silvia.



Random golf shop.



Randomly came across Gruppe M.









Random garage.



Sweets.





At Krispy Kreme. They have us beat...



Train looks like a Gundam.



Spoon!















Customer NSX tucked in the corner. Painted in a custom pearl white, special order from Honda. Looked similar to Tsuchiya’s (Drift King) custom NSX Type-R color.

















Spoon race S2000 and Fit.







Spent the evening in Shibuya. The rain stops no one.



I think you guys will get a kick out of the next round of pictures. Includes driving some canyon roads of Japan.

Mike B

 

[Gansan]

Great pictures! I just came back from a two week trip to Japan, but sadly I didn't get to see cool car related stuff. I did get to explore places like Kumamoto, Osaka, Nabari, and Nagoya though. I think the best part about the smaller cities is the integration with nature that you feel when you walk through the quiet neighborhoods. You don't feel like you are in a concrete jungle, but rather there are just little concrete bits added where needed.

Regarding masks--yeah it's completely normal to wear a mask when you're sick so that when you cough, you don't spread it. Imaging being trapped next to someone on a crowded subway car and he's coughing right in your face. That would suck, but if he had a mask on your chance of getting infected is a lot lower. It's just the civilized thing to do. I noticed they sell "cool" masks with colorful designs if you're a woman or a black one if you're a guy.

 

[michaelbrat]

Great pictures! I just came back from a two week trip to Japan, but sadly I didn't get to see cool car related stuff. I did get to explore places like Kumamoto, Osaka, Nabari, and Nagoya though. I think the best part about the smaller cities is the integration with nature that you feel when you walk through the quiet neighborhoods. You don't feel like you are in a concrete jungle, but rather there are just little concrete bits added where needed.

Regarding masks--yeah it's completely normal to wear a mask when you're sick so that when you cough, you don't spread it. Imaging being trapped next to someone on a crowded subway car and he's coughing right in your face. That would suck, but if he had a mask on your chance of getting infected is a lot lower. It's just the civilized thing to do. I noticed they sell "cool" masks with colorful designs if you're a woman or a black one if you're a guy.

Thanks, I'm glad you like them. I agree with the integrated nature. It helps that they get so much rain there. Stuff just grows on everything. Sounds like you explored some cool places!

Mike B

 

[darock]

awesome pictures ... thanks for sharing with us!

BTW, this strange VW is a VW UP! and its also available in Europe. Does not mean its any good though

Bernhard

 

[Ritesh]

Thank you again for the detailed blog and pics of your trip. I nominate this thread for thread of the year!

How much time did you spend in Japan? Did you stay in hotels or just use Airbnb? How much time did you spend in Tokyo Vs. the other cities?

 

[michaelbrat]

awesome pictures ... thanks for sharing with us!

BTW, this strange VW is a VW UP! and its also available in Europe. Does not mean its any good though

Bernhard

You're welcome Bernhard! Thanks for sharing the VW name. They get all the cool name overseas!

Thank you again for the detailed blog and pics of your trip. I nominate this thread for thread of the year!

How much time did you spend in Japan? Did you stay in hotels or just use Airbnb? How much time did you spend in Tokyo Vs. the other cities?

Thanks for the nomination! Haha.

We were there for 2 weeks. We stayed in airbnbs the entire time, with the exception of one night. We rented cars for 2 days, so the first night was just finding a place wherever we ended up. It's part of my next post, so I'll mention it then.

I used to travel to Tokyo ever year for Tokyo Auto Salon, but I had never traveled outside of that area. This trip was meant to explore more of the scenic and nature side of Japan, so most of our time was spent in Kyoto, Osaka, and other more rural areas. I personally enjoy visiting the less populated areas of countries. You tend to experience the culture a little more deeply, and see the things that aren't in the brochures. Tokyo is amazing, but it's mostly man made stuff like any other city. Lots of stores and consuming.

Mike B

 

[michaelbrat]

The next two days were reserved for one purpose. To drive through the canyon roads of Japan. We just jumped on Google maps and looked for the twistiest lines we could find. Here’s one area we set as a destination.



Started with a long, crowded train ride.



Cool driveway, with color matched Honda K car.



We arrived. We originally tried to rent a GT-R, but it was not available for the days we needed. Next time…



Some wrecked cars in the back of the rental place. Sad.



We rented an FD RX-7 and DC5 Integra Type-R for 2 days. We decided to switch off the next day. My ride for the day.



We were off to the wet twisty roads of Japan. It rained all day, so vtec engagement was rare. Still had a blast.





Colin’s ride for the day.







I once dreamed of owning this car. I had an RSX Type-S in my younger years, and this Integra Type-R was always the dream (much like the NSX-R for so many of us). I’m so glad to have experienced it.



We came across this foggy and rainy lake. It felt like we were on a different planet.



Pic by Colin.



<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/F8KTSe5QEY4" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>





Our residence for night. We ran across this area by accident. One of the roads we wanted to drive was closed, so we dead ended at this little onsen ski resort. Onsen roughly means “hot spring”. Japan is known for having lots of these. It was the hottest liquid I’ve ever been in… but incredibly relaxing.



Dinner was included in our stay. Needed some courage to consume this one.



They had some nicely designed lighting.



The next morning, I woke at 4am to hear it pouring rain still. Back to sleep until 5am, and it was quiet. Stepped outside to this sight. It was the first real clear day of the trip. It felt truly magical.



Part of this lake was fed by a natural hot spring. It was beautiful and stinky.







To my surprise, the fish thrived in it.



It was higher elevation here, so snow was still present.









I spent a couple hours walking around the lake. Simply beautiful.





The day continued with me behind the wheel of the RX-7. The roads were dry, and a lightweight turbo rotary car was all I could ask for. This thing was fast, though being a Honda guy, turbo lag is not what I’m used to. Regardless, once the boost hit… a smile like that couldn’t be faked. Along with the occasional giggle.





Colin in the rear.





RX-7 vision.



To end our 2nd day of driving, we made a quick stop at Tsukuba Circuit. If you ever played Gran Turismo or watched Best Motoring, you’ll be very familiar with this course.



Parked among other spectators.



The event running seemed to be a private session with Formula cars. No spectators. Just car guys.





<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6tJa9pQROZE" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>





Rocking TE37s.









Dunlop corner.





I can’t wait to drive on Tsukuba circuit. Someday.



The late drive back. Rain graced us again, but it felt nice.





My next posts will conclude our trip. It was the best way to end it though, by exploring the Honda Collection Hall at Twin Ring Motegi. All the motor vehicles I would ever want are in that building.

See you soon.

Mike B

 

[solidol]

This is amazing. How much did it cost to rent each car?

 

[michaelbrat]

This is amazing. How much did it cost to rent each car?

It was $450 for both cars, 48 hour rental. Included insurance and one GPS.

Mike B

 

[Jinks]

It was $450 for both cars, 48 hour rental. Included insurance and one GPS.

Mike B

I hope I am Japanese in my next life. The cities look clean, sterile, beautiful, and the craftsmanship of even the most smallest details are superb! Screw my condo in Maui, I want one in Japan!!!!