Almost getting kicked out of Japan up and Re Amemiya
So, after the buzz of Japan in a van, right in the middle of editing the series and getting it online at the height of COVID, I decided to book another trip to Japan. Rob suggested that I buy an AE86 and drift it on a track, and that’s what we planned for this trip in September 2020. I sent money and got my hands on a rough-and-ready door, Levin, privately sold to me through Koizumi. Rob drove to Nagano to pick it up, and we hoped this COVID stuff would blow over real fast. Unfortunately, the world had other plans.
The pandemic only got worse, and we had to put the 86 into storage Stack in Osaka; as time passed, I felt like the borders would never reopen, but somehow, in early 2023, they said travel would resume as long as you were vaccinated. Most of you coming here will have seen episode one of our series by now, so I won’t part too much of what was said in the series on here. Looking back at these photos, reliving the emotions playing as we did the long flight is funny. Travelling from Ireland to Japan usually takes about 20-plus hours due to getting up at a weird time, driving to the airport, and then flying. We landed 35 hours into this and got thrown into quarantine. We had less than half an hour to comply and book the hotel. Here are some photos from the first few days in Japan. Covid messed up the plan, but Andrew Joyce came to the rescue, and we tried to salvage what we could.
Sad nights looking out at Kamisu’s intersections, waiting to see if something interesting would drive past.
Once we were free, we went straight to RE-Amemiya; this little side quest quickly made up for the three days we had been locked up.
A fresh build from the owner of Re, triple rotor goodness
Flip is literally in heaven here. We all were; the lock-up made this first visit so exciting, and Andrew could talk to the workers, only to find out that the mechanic watched our YouTube channel. So good!
This RX7 had peak Japanese styling. The colour matched RPF1’s lambo doors and tan interior. On paper, this shouldn’t work.
Japan has always found the sweet spot for wild style. This would look at home in an old 2000s magazine, but it still stands the test of time.
The FD’s simple shape, complimented by some sporty backlights, makes it one of the most beautiful cars ever made.
Another gem parked out the front, awaiting treatment; I could stare at these cars forever.
I loved the look of this time-attack monster nestled between the rest.
Another shot of this, what an absolute beauty!
It’s hard to beat the iconic look of a proper RE car. They always have awesome wheels and very tasteful parts, and it’s great to see the shop is still thriving.
A happy Josh!
I love the little RE detail on the door handle.
A dream combo, the lesser-used PF01 is complemented by Endless callipers and rotors.
Two yellow FDs grab our attention out of the very front.
What a view! The sign with a Cosmo and another blue shop was built.
This FC had all sorts of goodies, including the Model 6s and pearl paint. It was a long-time customer’s car.
An old auto salon relic is on the back.
Inside the shop, I was frozen in time! Plenty of cool bits are on display, such as old trophies and model cars.
We grabbed the cliche image and some items. This was a proper happy photo because of the misery we had to endure for the three previous days.
We decided to hit up Top Secret because Josh had never seen it. This spot isn’t as friendly because of the foot traffic they’ve had over the years, but it’s always cool to see.
This ae92 used to belong to the editor of Option 2 magazine, and he was killed at the Yatabe test arena; being good mates with Smokey, I think the guys keep it for sentimental value.
What an iconic front sign for Top Secret’s rather casual-looking premises.
We theSecret our way to Crystal; the EG9 race car outside was a welcome treat.
Inside, the KunnyZ D1 machine was perfectly frozen in time. This was an absolute treat to see in the flesh, and it was insane to see it just sitting upstairs in a shop.
It was almost impossible to get good shots of it, considering how tight the space was built. Either way, we spent some time around it to appreciate the best era for style.
Around the corner, shelves of rare and old wheels have been sitting there for over 20 years.
I wonder how long this RB has been sitting here in the window.
Back to the D1 machine for another look; we couldn’t stop appreciating every little detail.
I’ve always been a massive e fan of this kit, and look, the Do Luck wing is 12/10.
I love the Rzimage logo, too; I love that the plate is still on it.
Check out some of these gems on the shelf behind the chaser.
It makes you wonder how long this stuff has been sitting here and what the story behind it is. Display models, I assume, make you wonder what will happen to all this stuff in years to come.
After we left Crystal, we headed to Autobacs at Odaiba for a quick look. I love seeing fully modified Vans like this, Noah.
The Odaiba Autobacs car park is usually packed with very interesting machines. This S2000 was wearing a Flandre Itasha livery. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen this in a couple of Noriyaro videos.
The Apexi Demo cars were on display in the car park; this was my first time seeing the new 86 fully modified, along with a GR Yaris next to it in a similar style.
Both cars were hitting the spot. Seeing them with TE37’s big brakes and choice parts was a real treat, considering how new these were and how few of them we will see in Ireland.
I have to throw this little Daihatsu Move in here, too. The thing was slammed and static on RP01s, which was incredible.
We had to pass through Shibuya for Josh, as he had never seen it before, and to try to make up for the last few days of sadness.
Shibuya Crossing is always worth a visit. It’s one of the coolest intersections in the world.
Eventually, we reached Andrew’s shed, where he was putting his Altezza together. His shed was small but very cool. Andrew has a parts service called Firstt Joyce, which is definitely worth checking out if you need stuff quickly from Japan.
Those Advans on the front are so good. Im going to leave this one here. I wanted to get these out sooner, but it didn’t work out. Im will put out all these blogs over the next week to compensate for lost time. For the people who still enjoy the photos and reading this stuff, it’s much appreciated! Cheers