Dom's japan trip photo diary (Long post...But worth it)

A few weeks back i went to Japan for a holiday with a mate. He also likes cars (not really into vip, but at least he can appreciate it), so it was intended to be a trip to do car-watching, without all the touristy/cultural things we would do with our girlfriends. It was just a short trip, Osaka for 5 days, then Tokyo for 5 days
 
This was my first time to Osaka, so i was very surprised at how busy the city was, lots of young people (mmm Gyaruzu), and food was noticeably cheaper than Tokyo. It was also more concentrated fun, with most things accessible by walking, or a very short train ride. 
So here are some of the non-car things we did:
 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01179_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01175_web.jpg[/IMG] 
Yodobashi Camera
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01163_web.jpg[/IMG] 
Inside that building we found these... USB Sushi! 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01208_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01228_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01379_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0749_web.jpg[/IMG]

Anyway, enough of that... I was slightly disappointed that the "home of vip" didnt have as many vip cars as i expected. A celsior here and there, maybe a Y34... Quite a few vans, but nothing crazy... 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0703_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0738_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0739_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0962_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0965_web.jpg[/IMG] 


Maybe its because we were in the city - i suspect there is more in the countryside. I did notice ALOT of LS460s there though, like at least 4-5 a day (almost all standard).Unfortunately the schedule was a bit more rushed than i expected, because i had hoped to visit some of the famous vip shops while i was there (garage magical, JP boutique etc). But there is always next time 

[b][u]First stop on our itinerary: Toyota factory tour... [/u][/b] 
All the way in Toyota-city, near Nagoya... Umm... Not all that many pics because cameras are banned in the factory tour! Here is a random shot taken from the train there though: 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0981_web.jpg[/IMG] 
(the toyota tour was my friends idea... I dont know if the 3hr train ride was really worth a 2hr tour)

[b][u]Second stop on our itinerary: Vip event...[/u][/b] 
While checking the vip mags before i left, i discovered that there will be an event in Sekigahara (about 150km from Osaka), right in the time we were going to be there. It was the 25th D.S.U. Cup event, which was being held in the same venue as the infamous K-break "King of Sedan Festival" (Gravel carpark, out in the middle of the countryside) 

First challenge was how to get there. I could get to the general area by train, but how far was it from the station? Looking at a map of the region it didnt look easy to get to. The map in Vipcar was basic to say the least. 

So in the end my friend and i decided to rent a car for the day. 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0754_web.jpg[/IMG] 
Now, I can speak/read Japanese, but i'm certainly no native speaker. So working the GPS was a bit of a challenge. Luckily i could explain my predicament to the Rentacar guys, who entered in the town centre of Sekigahara (the location of the event wasnt listed). Then, with my Japanese comprehension, and my friend's chinese character skills (his family is from HK), we were able to get ourselves to the town of Sekigahara. 

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01272_web.jpg[/IMG] 
(that’s not the sign for sekigahara, but its one of the shots I took on the way

Once we were there, we saw a couple of slammed vans and cars on the road and quickly decided to follow them (assuming they were there for the event)... Bad move. After about 15 minutes of driving further into the country side we realised they were on their way HOME from the event! 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1319_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1320_web.jpg[/IMG] 

So after stopping at a servo and asking, we were finally on our way. 

The first car i saw when i got there... 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1084_web.jpg[/IMG] 

The rest of the pics are here, because i CBF uploading them then trying to post 300 pics 10 at a time... 
[b][url]http://www.onetongarage.com/dom/japan07[/url][/b]


While i was there i got to speak to Kida-san from Garage magical. After explaining who i was and that i was a big fan, he brought me over the the G.M. tent and gave me a pile of stickers, keyrings etc... The stickers were worth $10 each, and he gave me at least 15! 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1115_web.jpg[/IMG]

I also spoke to a couple of owners, who were more than proud to show me their cars. 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1180_web.jpg[/IMG]

One guy with a black 147 Aristo was very talkative. When i asked him about his car height he responded "I drive this height every day, even to work". When asked about driveways he responded "Oh, i just dont go up driveways" :) 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1291_web.jpg[/IMG]

The most amazing thing was that i was the [i]only[/i] foreigner there. And judging by the responses and comments i was hearing, its not common to see foreigners at these events (them: "Omg, look its a foreigner", me: "I guess you dont see many of us here huh?", them "oh no, he can understand us!") 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0832_web.jpg[/IMG]

At the end, I actually got interviewed by one of the journalists from Vipcar magazine! Not sure which issue it will go in, but should be interesting to see what they say... 

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1274_web.jpg[/IMG]

[b][u]After that it was on to Tokyo![/u][/b] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0999_web.jpg[/IMG] 

[b][u]Next stop on our itinerary: Tokyo Motorshow...[/u][/b] 
Probably the only pics that people are interested in from the show: 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1507_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1530_web.jpg[/IMG] 
(yes, thats me in the foreground) 


[b][u]After that it was off to Odaiba...[/u][/b] 
... to Toyota Megaweb, where we had booked to test drive a few cars from the Toyota lineup. Of course i went for vip cars: 
180 Crown Majesta... This was NICE! felt like a real luxury car, with loads of power
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01560_web.jpg[/IMG] 

Toyota Century (V12, 5.0L).. Much more oldschool looking than the Crown. In fact it felt really dated, which is surprising since it was nearly twice the price of the Crown: 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1043_web.jpg[/IMG] 
Initially it felt like a boat. Really soft and sluggish. 
Then i found the transmission "sports" switch. Suddenly i could NOT take off smoothly, it just launched with the slightest tap of the accelerator, so much torque, was pretty cool: 

And for shits and giggles, i drove an Alphard... Damn it was a big car too... 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1048_web.jpg[/IMG] 


Next up, Super AutoBacs
Just doing some groceries... 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01593_web.jpg[/IMG] 
Got me some side tables, Coilover wrenches, some of that Squash air freshener everyone talks about, and other little gadgets... wish we had these stores in Australia :( 


Followed by a trip to Yokohama, to meet some Y34 owners i have chatted to on the net. 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1059_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1079_web.jpg[/IMG] 
I met 3 of them, and we went for some dinner where we chatted about cars. They were just as interested to hear about the vip scene from around the world, as i was in finding out about the Japanese scene. As expected, they weren’t retired drifters like a lot of us are, they just liked the style; hence they were willing to sacrifice comfort/practicality for the look (although one of them had children!)

The next day I went to visit Grant in Akirunoshi
Kind of a biotch to get to, considering I was staying closer to Chiba (opposite ends of Tokyo), but Tokyo public transport is quite efficient. 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1081_web.jpg[/IMG] 
Grant took me around EVERYWHERE, and showed great hospitality. We went down to Yokohama to see Daikoku Futo, but unfortunately nothing was going on there. Pretty cool place with big spirals of ramps to get there, before you reach this massive carpark where (on a good night) hundreds of cars gather to show off. Wont post the crappy pics I took there… better to see it on a good night

The next day, we went to heaps of secondhand parts places, but unfortunately my suitcase was already overweight and I didn’t see anything worth posting back. 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1084_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1099_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1127_web.jpg[/IMG] 

While driving around the backstreets, we also happened to stumble across a cool little VIP shop that had pulled off the most amazing fitment on a 5 series beemer out front…
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1090_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1093_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1097_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1098_web.jpg[/IMG]

We also visited the infamous Car Friend vip car dealership. At first they were telling me no photos etc, but when I explained to them that I would show my pictures to other people who might buy from them… they asked me to take lots of pics for you guys… so here are a couple. 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1120_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1111_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1106_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1121_web.jpg[/IMG] 

And then I had to rush back for dinner with other friends. The next couple of days were spent doing non-car related stuff so I wont bore you with those pics. 

But as you can see, I had a lot of fun, and got to see another side of Japan that my previous trips had not covered. One thing I can confirm though: When Grant says Japanese roads aren’t all that great, its TRUE! Highways are about the same as Australian highways. City streets are, well ok.. but certainly not made of glass! And there are a lot of steep driveways just like the rest of the world. When we were coming back from the vip event, we were in a line of about 20 cars stuck behind a crazy low celsior that was doing about 15mph on this shitty country road. So now, when I see lowered cars over there, I know that owner must put up with a lot to have a car like that...

Anyway there you have it. It took me a while to get motivated to do this, since i literally had thousands of pictures to go through. I also have video, but i havent even looked at that yet

looks like an awesome trip!!  thanks for sharing...

For those that missed the link in amongst all the pics i posted... all my vip show pics have been uploaded here!!!

[url]http://www.onetongarage.com/dom/japan07[/url]

quick question.. never been there but how did u find out what places are good to visit there? i kinda wanna know as wanna make a trip there soon. by the way sweet pics!

Lots of info on the web but it helps a whole lot if you have:

1. friends or family
2. speak japanese

Nice pics Dom.

Thanks for all the pics Dominik.
 
VIP owners look like cool dudes.

WOW! GREAT PICS!!!!!
Makes me want to go 100X more than I already did!!!! :biggthumpup: 
LOVE the VIP COverage!!!! This Y33 is SO GANGSTA!
[IMG]http://www.onetongarage.com/dom/japan07/images/CIMG0770.jpg[/IMG]

Yeah, alot of the stuff is from reading vipcar magazine. I speak Japanese, so its not hard to find my way around. Upcoming VIP events are shown in vipcar and vipstyle magazine; if you read or know someone who can read they will be able to tell you where each one is at.

I have to give alot of credit to Grant though; in Tokyo he took me to all the cool secondhand places lol

The little vipshop was completely random though; we were mucking around with the GPS in Grant's car when we found that

Awesome photo diary dom, that 5 series is clean.
I bet you were excited as hell when you arrived at the Vip event.

I was holding my video camera as I walked in… I believe I was saying “oh my god… oh my god… oh my god”
I have to say though, seeing so many vip cars in one place was almost overkill… If I saw the plainest most boring car at the event, out on the streets of Osaka I would have dropped to my knees and thanked the lord

But after walking around the show for a bit I was like “meh, another widebody celsior…“

It was so cool to all see the cars I had previously only ever seen on the net or in mags though… the cars are amazing to see in person

[quote=Dominik;112019]I was holding my video camera as I walked in… I believe I was saying “oh my god… oh my god… oh my god”
I have to say though, seeing so many vip cars in one place was almost overkill… If I saw the plainest most boring car at the event, out on the streets of Osaka I would have dropped to my knees and thanked the lord

But after walking around the show for a bit I was like “meh, another widebody celsior…“

It was so cool to all see the cars I had previously only ever seen on the net or in mags though… the cars are amazing to see in person[/quote]

I think my heart would've stopped if i saw all those great cars.

dom.. pics are simply amazing

Thanks for the great pics.  Almost makes me feel like I was there again.  I only saw a couple of VIP cars in Osaka when I was there.  Love the pics of the vans!  


That looks like the garden at the bottom of the Umeda Sky Building?
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/DSC01175_web.jpg[/IMG]

Your pics of the Dotonbori/Minami area were great.  I used to hang out there almost everyday.  My mother-in-law runs a bar there.
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0749_web.jpg[/IMG]

Looks like you had a awesome trip, I wanna go too :)
Man those japanese guys are running some crazy ass negative camber.

arigato! cool dairy!  man I wish I can ship my car there and just roll, and kick it with the vip guys there!

Superb pix Dom... Great stuffs.

If this pix isn't taken in Japan and all... I'm sure there's gonna be comments like "Oh, they need to step up the fitment game" "Go low or go broke..." LOL

[img]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0962_web.jpg[/img]

thanks for the pics Dom, makes me want to go there even more now. First task, learn Japanese. lol.

Jake

Gohkal, yes that is correct... Bottom of the skygarden building. To be honest, i had a hard time finding a pic that didnt have cars in it, that would capture the feeling of my holiday. Got more pics on top of skygarden of course, but up there its just another city, buildings and stuff...
 
Dotonburi was awesome! Though seemed like more tourists than in Umeda. Should have mentioned my trip before i went - i didnt actually visit any bars while i was there (my travel partner wasnt into drinking etc, i had to make do with a bunch of drinks purchased from the convenience store lol)
 
And yes it was an absolutely wicked trip. I still dont know what its like to be there and not speak any Japanese, but alot of my friends have done it and they all had fun. I guess more people there speak english than i realise (i dont ask, i just butt in with my japanese).
 
The vippers i met over there were very cool. Just like any car enthusiasts really, but it was the first time i had met with Japanese car nuts. I will definitely be doing this again though....

Kaizer, i actually thought that myself. But it wasnt a showcar, just a random car i saw on the street. The only really hot cars i saw were at the show :(

wow so lucky man. i hope i see some VIP in europe hahahahha =p

how did you get to meet up so many vip car ppl. did you have a contact?

[QUOTE=vzuptnguyen;112130]wow so lucky man. i hope i see some VIP in europe hahahahha =p

how did you get to meet up so many vip car ppl. did you have a contact?[/QUOTE]

I wouldn`t count on it. VIP is an unknown term here.

I knew a few people through Minkara, its sort of like a Japanese version of Cardomain. I organised to meet them before i left and then i went from there...

[quote=Dominik;111960]
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0703_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[/quote]
 
 
[SIZE=3]Ahh is it just me, or is that a left hand drive?[/SIZE]

Dude thats soo awesome, makes me want to go to Japan even more now.  Time for me to start hittin up some friends and planning a trip for the 09 Tokyo Auto Salon. :idea:

DOM, That is great.... I really enjoyed all your photos .....its like I was there.
 
 
It must have been very exciting when you found the place you see so much in pics. ( that car event @ asco)
props to you.
 
seems like the carlife is all about family. you see alot of wife and kids hanging out at the event?
 
 
oh, and also, do they not care about all the dirts and gravel....what do they wipe their cars down every 5 min???

[QUOTE=Dominik;112117]Kaizer, i actually thought that myself. But it wasnt a showcar, just a random car i saw on the street. The only really hot cars i saw were at the show :([/QUOTE]

I'd be sweating palms just to see a Majesta in real life man. Isn't Majesta a JDM only vehicle? Luckily u saw that 'EXE' styled Majesta 1st before u went for the VIP meets. If u saw it after, I bet u wouldn't even snap the pix eh?

Don't ge me wrong... I'm not talking bad bout that Majesta man.

DAMMMMMMMM Take me with you next you go....I'm down
 
[IMG]http://www.onetongarage.com/dom/japan07/images/IMG_1099.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://www.onetongarage.com/dom/japan07/images/IMG_1096.jpg[/IMG]

lucky you!!!!

Sweet pics Dom.  The Majesta you guys have talked about is what 90% of VIP cars rolling around town look like over there, moderate drop, at least what I see over there anyhow.  I rarely saw slammed ones.  I think like you said, the really low ones are mostly the show cars.  Anyhow, yeah, looks like you had a blast.  Took great and many pics!  I hardly took any pics the last time I was there, I  think I'm over the "wow" aspect.

Kaizer, i actually drove a majesta at the Megaweb facility... If i had that kind of money i would seriously consider one - its such a nice car to drive!

MKIVPWR, there are alot of LHD cars there, mainly the european cars and luxury cars. Its considered a status symbol to have the genuine LHD model of some cars (i.e. that Lexus would probably be worth more than a Celsior of the same year, even though it has lower specs than a Celsior)

Gato, I might be going to Japan for work soon, and if so i will be there for the K-break event. Maybe we should organise a VSC get-together in Japan! :D

As for the dust, i didnt see anyone wiping down their cars; I did see a few with dirty wheels etc, as if they just rocked up, parked and left it at that. There wasnt actually all that much dust at the place, considering the location.
Actually i really wonder why they chose that place. Its very old and rundown. Not much parking available (probably more parking for showcars, than for visitors), and its in the middle of NOWHERE. I can only guess its because the venue is free...

Falk, to be honest, alot of the "wow" pics were taken after my friend said "wow look at this". The rest of the pics were just me trying to make sure i had something to remember the trip by. We took 2200 photos and 2hrs of video in 10 days, i am not going to forget this in a hurry :)

Nice pics but I see you werent able to get many Estima pics. :pat: Only from CarFriend. Its all good though. =p

Unfortunately Estimas were few and far between! Most people seem to go with the Alphards or Elgrands in the City, and at the vip show there were no vip wagons (except that ugly 2-tone purple/pink one at the back). I took a pic of one that was outside the event (all garson-ed up), but I did think to myself at the time "Mike is going to be really disappointed with this" :)

That's it!!! I'm gonna fit a trip in my schedule for 2008!

Btw...thanks for the 4 J-Complete pics!

awesome pics!!!

Mike, I saw that Jag and said “I gotta take shots of this for ElPres”. There are actually 3 more pics that didn’t make the cut (shots of the front of the car no idea why I took them). PM me your email address and I will send you the original pics of you want (not resized)

I also took a few shots of this car for Rich (Zion_97). Looks like someone beat him to it:
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1232_web.jpg[/IMG]

^^^^^^^:smiley-rofl: :smiley-rofl: :smiley-rofl: 
And do I see a truck w/ curtains?????!!!!
VIPstyled maybe! :smiley-rofl:

a group vsc trip to japan would be great.  


D.

Dom looks like you had a blast you did exactly what I would have loved to do as far as hitting some shops and the second hand spot I did go to the Megaweb but again you one up'd me by actually setting up drive time...nice:biggthumpup:and the pics are incredible just looking at them took me back and made me realize how much I really want to go back thanx a bunch for sharing.

Yos i'm just jealous about the UP-GARAGE visit. I'd be like a kid doin the TOYS R US shopping spree. Runnin down the isles w/ one arm on the cart and the other clearing out the shelves!:dance:

Yo that truck had a bit of an identity crisis: 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1230_web.jpg[/IMG]

Benz grill, Q45 headlights, drift style dildo shift knob, and of course curtains. Dont forget the model rail track in the back...

Thanks for all the comments guys, it was alot of fun, and if i didnt have the 25kg limit  for baggage on the way back i would have gone nuts while shopping. As it was, i was 28.5kg, with the bag partially resting on the metal plate!

Notice the hottie checking you out in the backgroud:biggthumpup: 
 
 
[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/VIPq45/CIMG0824.jpg[/IMG]

Thanks for sharing and uploading all those pics

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1230_web.jpg[/IMG]
 
 :nos_smile:  :fatasspsychod: 
 
I have no comment

WOW !!!! dom looks like you had a blast, I love the pics. 

Peace

Shane

[QUOTE=jstyle;112369]Notice the hottie checking you out in the backgroud:biggthumpup: 
 
 
[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/VIPq45/CIMG0824.jpg[/IMG][/QUOTE]

Hottie? :slap:  You should get your eyes checked. lol

Ever been to the Autobacs Secohan (Second Hand) Really nice deals there too but not as great a selection as Up Garage.

^^^^^That inteior looks pretty Sick
Don't know about the chicks but that guy in the corner looks like he about bust a cap in you for lookin at his gurl! 
:smiley-rofl:He's even biting his bottom lip so you know he's pissed!:innoutrofl2:

Being the only gaijin at the event meant that everyone was looking... I just smiled and waved back when i could. Not sure if i would classify her as a hottie though...
 
Actually this dude scared me. I was trying to take pics of his car, but he kept giving me filthy looks
[IMG]http://www.onetongarage.com/dom/japan07/images/CIMG0941.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a130/VIPq45/CIMG0824.jpg[/IMG]
Looks like hes reaching for something:crunkahameha:

dude, modified kei-trucks (that pickup truck you guys are laughing at) are getting bigger and bigger in japan.  shows you that VIP cars has a deep root in BEF of Japan and not in the cities.  

and I never knew megaweb let you drive a Century....

glad you had a good time in Japan!

[quote=Dominik;112488]
 
Actually this dude scared me. I was trying to take pics of his car, but he kept giving me filthy looks [IMG]http://www.onetongarage.com/dom/japan07/images/CIMG0941.jpg[/IMG]


[/quote]
  hahaha, he's got the sandals & the socks.

[quote=bOosty.ViP;112504]hahaha, he's got the sandals & the socks.[/quote]
 
Thats why he didnt want Dom taking pix of him

looks like you had a lot of fun. thanks for sharing the nice pictures. do you plan on selling any of the garage magical stickers?

[quote=bOosty.ViP;112504]hahaha, he's got the sandals & the socks.[/quote]

thats a true gangsta :smiley-rofl:

I just gotta know, in american dollars, how much did a trip like this cost you? I wanna go one of these years to take pics and go to disneyland :dance: and get all the Koushure meals I can eat:shrug:

i have friends and famlies there, and i speak fluent japanese. lets go dom! ;)

Oh man, i would LOVE to go for a trip where i wouldnt have to translate everything back to English for others! Of course I had a great time with my friend, but it would be different with another Japanese speaker!
 
C4, all up including airfares and and various parts/accessories i bought (and an Ipod Nano for my gf), i spent about $2k USD. Mind you the airfares only cost me $450 (sale), and my accommodation in Tokyo was free (my old host parents from when i was there on Exchange).
In Osaka i stayed in a little hostel which although very comfortable and clean, was certainly no Hilton.
 
Japan is generally cheaper than Australia for just about everything. Actually, GOOD food is not cheap. like the Sushi place we went to with my old host parents. The bill for that was $400, but you are not likely to find yourself in a place like that unless you knew what you were looking for 
 
Disney land is not cheap either, but i guess it would be the same in the US. 
 
Coco-puffs, i'm surprised they still sell the century. Pricetag higher than an LS460, yet the interior looks straight from the early 90s. Not retro-funky 90s, but like an old car! Was fun to drive though, specially with the auto in Sport mode :)
 
I quite liked that mini truck tho. Sure the benz grill was a laugh, but it still got my attention!

[QUOTE=Dominik;112574]Oh man, i would LOVE to go for a trip where i wouldnt have to translate everything back to English for others!  
[/QUOTE]


great lol, sign me up.  I can see how being our group translator would ruin your trip! But we all can dream though.  What about offering tours if I bribe you a little lol. 

D.

Of course it wouldnt ruin my trip. It didnt ruin it when i went with my buddy, nor did it ruin it when i went with my gf... I'm just saying it would be cool to go with someone who could understand, since i havent done that before. :)

Of course, if someone was paying for airfares, i would be the best damn tourguide/translater there is!

hehehe

Looks like a fin trip...thanks for sharing.
 
VSC Japan trip 2008!!!

[QUOTE=Dominik;112784]Of course it wouldnt ruin my trip. It didnt ruin it when i went with my buddy, nor did it ruin it when i went with my gf... I'm just saying it would be cool to go with someone who could understand, since i havent done that before. :)

Of course, if someone was paying for airfares, i would be the best damn tourguide/translater there is!

hehehe[/QUOTE]

lol i will remember that promise.  I will get back to you when you least expect it! 

D

dom, wad a trip man..those 2nd hand auto markets its a must go! Maybe next time if i had a chance to go there, i might pm u to get those addresses (2nd stores) off u..how many 2nd hand stores did u actually went dom?as u were saying in the previous posts..there weren't really anything worth buying?

To be honest, i dont have the addresses of those places, but I could find out if you really need them.
 
Only problem is that they arent exactly near any train stations. Grant (YokotaS13) drove me around to visit them. 
 
Actually there was one which i went to on my last trip (last yr), Hasegawa, which was accessible by train, and full of secondhand vip parts.
 
 
The reason i said there wasnt much worth buying at the ones i went to this time, is because it was near the end of my holiday, and i had to start being picky on what i could bring back. Also, most of the really cool stuff (bodykits, wheels, suspension parts) was too heavy to bring back. There just wasnt much hand-carriable stuff :)

thank you Dom for the pics!  it made my day.... i looooove all your pics

No probs, i'm glad you enjoyed them! One of these days i'll get around to editing the video i took!

[QUOTE=Dominik;111963] 
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG1127_web.jpg[/IMG] 
[/QUOTE]
Haha that's Yokota's Cedric on the right. 

Anyways...

Dude you are so lucky! I'm envious haha. Thanks for sharing. :biggthumpup:

Yup! I purposely took the shot with his car in it... He took me around everywhere in Tokyo!

On a side note dom

Both my cars will be done and matching for K break, and any other shows you can find!!
Im determined to get my Huge amount of negative camber ass into a mag damnit

[QUOTE=widebody_Q;112390][IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/IMG_1230_web.jpg[/IMG]
 
 :nos_smile:  :fatasspsychod: 
 
I have no comment[/QUOTE]

in all honesty, if these trucks were in the USA, i'd buy one.  Look at the ones that Wald makes kits for.  They are nice. ... i think it's Wald...

Chris

Ain't crash worthy in the States... Even the smallest family saloon car is bigger than this. It's more suitable on asian roads, these cute cars.

i just saw ur thread dom....its taken ages to read through it all! But daym worth it.  I'm very envious of all that eye candy u got to see with your own eyes.  Im sure photos just dont do any justice to everything u took....daym!!

[quote=VIPCel;114973]i just saw ur thread dom....its taken ages to read through it all! But daym worth it.  I'm very envious of all that eye candy u got to see with your own eyes.  Im sure photos just dont do any justice to everything u took....daym!![/quote]
 
Thanks! it took me ages to write it!!

Yeah of course photos are just static reminders of the real experiences. There were alot of things we didnt take pictures of, and no photo is ever going to capture the feeling of eating Sushi made by a 4th generation sushi master. But its all good, i should be going back next year too. And i will definitely be going to more car shows in the future!

Great write up! Love all of the pics. I wish I came around here more....

Glad to see you had fun!

Dude! So I finally found a place to buy VIP car magazines in san diego so I bought my first one the other day. I was looking at it and i saw you in it. I was like i have seen this guy somewhere and i finally remember reading your post. But yea dude you gotta check it out. You have your own little column and shit. You were wearing that pink shirt.

[quote=IceT;117337]Dude! So I finally found a place to buy VIP car magazines in san diego so I bought my first one the other day. I was looking at it and i saw you in it. I was like i have seen this guy somewhere and i finally remember reading your post. But yea dude you gotta check it out. You have your own little column and shit. You were wearing that pink shirt.[/quote]
 
 
Mitsuwa???
I've been gettin mine there for over a year!!!
They also sell that glanze car freashner! :dance:

[quote=chrisngo;114894]in all honesty, if these trucks were in the USA, i'd buy one. Look at the ones that Wald makes kits for. They are nice. ... i think it's Wald...
 
Chris[/quote]
 
Dont get me wrong, its a really well done up truck and I respect that but it just looks really funny

[QUOTE=Dominik;111960]

[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/Japan07/CIMG0738_web.jpg[/IMG]

[/QUOTE]


Hey Dominik,

Actually, this is one of our co-wroker's Q45... LOL
Hope you enjoy your stay here in Japan... But didn't get a chance to visit us???

- Shuji

Hi Shuji!
 
Thats funny that i saw your co-workers car... Was he allowed to park there??
Unfortunately it was hard to get to the Junction Produce boutique without a car. And the day that i rented a car (to go to Sekigahara), Junction Produce was closed! I did say hello at the Junction Produce stand at the Event though!
 
Actually, i think you and Taketomi-san were in LA at that time, for the SEMA show. But its ok, i will be going back to Japan this year again, and i will make sure i visit :)

Good to hear you had more fun on this trip then you did the last one.....:biggthumpup:

I sure did! And the next one will be even better :)
 
Got the latest vipcar mag, look what i found on page 252!
[IMG]http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v257/dbloemhard/VIP/Domvipcar.jpg[/IMG]

were gonna hit all the mags this year Dom!!!

awesome pics looks like you had a good time, thanks for sharing!

oh damn you made the mag! lol

[QUOTE=Dominik;117393]Hi Shuji!
 
Thats funny that i saw your co-workers car... Was he allowed to park there??
Unfortunately it was hard to get to the Junction Produce boutique without a car. And the day that i rented a car (to go to Sekigahara), Junction Produce was closed! I did say hello at the Junction Produce stand at the Event though!
 
Actually, i think you and Taketomi-san were in LA at that time, for the SEMA show. But its ok, i will be going back to Japan this year again, and i will make sure i visit :)[/QUOTE]

Yah, its funny and he is actually not allowed to park there...LOL
Actually its okay, we will see you sometime this year when you come back or maybei will try to be in Australia in near future :P (shhhhh to Taketomi)...

:bowdown: :bowdown: :bowdown: :boweek5: Veery good content.... THANKS!!