Archive for ‘Vlogs’

Exploring Life & Car Culture From All Over Japan…

Exploring Life & Car Culture From All Over Japan…

This one felt like we went everywhere from Osaka to Tokyo, then to Gunma, Saitama, and back to the Kansai region to hit Central Circuit yet again. It was a hell of a busy trip this time around. I really wanted to have new experiences exploring different places and showing you whatever I could while I was in Japan. There was a lot more footage of us just doing random things but I didn’t want to overwhelm you guys. I’d say this trip was unique from the last one because I really didn’t go into it with a plan. The goal was to explore—and that’s exactly what we did….

Pit-Walk At A Honda One-Make Race In Kansai!!…

Pit-Walk At A Honda One-Make Race In Kansai!!…

After Wekfest Japan and Doridore, we had a day-off to just do regular life, touristy things. Obviously I’ve been to Osaka many, many times but Nana had yet to fully experience what Osaka was all about. So we spent a day just showing her around before waking-up early the following morning to go to Central Circuit. Zerofighter was hosting one of their Honda One-Make races there and it looked to have a pretty solid collective of competition cars. Things get super interesting later in the day when it starts to rain pretty heavily but overall, it was another fun day out in Japan doing car stuff. Enjoy!…

DORIDORE Might Be One Of The Coolest Events Ever!!…

DORIDORE Might Be One Of The Coolest Events Ever!!…

I actually found out about this event last year when I was in Japan during Golden Week for Wekfest. I just couldn’t go. “Doridore” is one of those events dedicated to “Shakotandori” vehicles that just sounds fun to be at. It’s drifting but not so much a competition fueled by profit. The event is based more on style where enthusiasts drive the shit out of slammed cars that just look good and aren’t necessarily created to be competitive drift cars. Like, take the strict rule sets out of professional drifting and replace it with super slammed show cars that don’t care about winning. It’s a real visual spectacle. Winning is looking good while driving or parked. Style is everything. Sounds rad right? After hearing about it and seeing some photos from past events, it seemed super fun. I just didn’t have enough time to go so I had to miss it last year. When I heard it was happening again and the event itself was going to be bigger than ever, we decided to wake-up early to check it out. Boy did it not disappoint. I might have to make this a regular event to attend annually.

Back To Japan For Wekfest!!…

Back To Japan For Wekfest!!…

Well, it may seem like I just got back from Japan but here I am, back on a plane again to Osaka! The Wekfest event out in Nagoya is an event I try to attend every year so there was no way I was going to miss this one. There’s been some major changes this year with the event itself but the biggest, most obvious, change is the brand new venue! This place is huge! Before that though, we had some prep work to do and some adjustments after landing back in Japan. Enjoy!

Finally! Some Major Progress On Der’s Civic Build!!…

Finally! Some Major Progress On Der’s Civic Build!!…

It’s been a while but we are back with some major updates! After coming back from Japan, I took some time off just to recover and get back into the swing of things here at home. There wasn’t a whole lot going on so I just stayed lowkey and hung out here at the shop. Before Der met up with me in Japan, he actually was at the shop every weekend working on his Civic. A lot of big changes happened while I was gone so when I came back home, I came back staring at almost a completely different car! Over the last two weekends, we finally started on something that he had been dreading; installing his Safety21 roll cage. The main thing was getting all the parts over the to shop but once we did, Der tore his whole Civic apart again so we could fit the bolt-in cage. I thought it was easy but I also spent most of the afternoons watching sports and only jumped in when he needed a second hand, lol. If you’ve been wanting to see what’s new with Der’s EK, this is the episode you need!

Attack Tsukuba Is Tuning Car Heaven!!…

Attack Tsukuba Is Tuning Car Heaven!!…

Ask any of my friends who have been to Attack Tsukuba before and they’ll tell you with certainty that this is their favorite event in Japan. It’s literally tuning car heaven and everything you could ask for if you’re a Japanese automotive enthusiast. There’s no other place where you can combine some of the fastest cars in the country with the style that we’ve grown-up appreciating. The quality is top-tier and the execution so unique on so many of these competition vehicles. It really needs to be witnessed in-person to truly be appreciated. You just have to be there at the famed Tsukuba Circuit. For those of you who have never been, don’t worry, I’m here to show you guys a little piece of why this event is so interesting. This year, I didn’t have any particular group of people or specific car to follow so my friends and I just tried to consume as much of Attack as we could. Der and Kristian came later on in my trip to Japan this year just so they could go to Attack, they almost didn’t care about seeing anything else—and I showed them all kinds of stuff!

Japanese Racing Legends At Fuji & A Visit To Spoon Sports!!…

Japanese Racing Legends At Fuji & A Visit To Spoon Sports!!…

On our quest to see new things in Japan, we arrived in Fuji at the brand new Fuji Speedway Hotel! This scenic, and epic, hotel is situated right on the premises at the famed Fuji Speedway. This place has an incredible racing heritage so it only made sense to have a full collection of Japanese racing vehicles inside the hotel! “The Unbound Collection” was a sight to behold and the hotel itself was filled with some many fine details that every car enthusiast could appreciate. After exploring the hotel thoroughly and staying an evening there, we made our way back to Tokyo to visit Spoon Sports Type One. It has been a couple years since we have been back to Type One so we were excited to see what was new. Of all the videos I’ve put together during this 40-day long Japan adventure, this one is visually my favorite….

Suzuka Adventures With Top Fuel Japan, Voltex & More!!…

Suzuka Adventures With Top Fuel Japan, Voltex & More!!…

Well, as sad as it may sound, the Osaka portion of our journeys have come to an end. I’m glad it ended the way it did but it was time for us to move back over to the Tokyo-side of Japan. As we approach our final major event at Tsukuba Circuit, we stop by over in the Mie prefecture to pay a visit to Top Fuel. If you watched my videos from my last visit to Japan, I had the opportunity to see Top Fuel for the first time. It was such an epic visit that I made sure to go again so that Der and Kristian could see this place for themselves. After Top Fuel, we made a stop at a local restaurant that we had previously frequented multiple times before. The food was always good considering it’s the only restaurant out in the middle of nowhere. Since the pandemic, however, it’s changed a little bit—to say the least. Eating there was an adventure in itself…

Always Up To NO GOOD In Osaka…

Always Up To NO GOOD In Osaka…

Well this was a fun one. After Der and Kristian arrived in Japan, it was time to get Act 2 of my adventures in Japan going. I had a lot planned but didn’t want them to miss out on anything so I waited for them first. Kristian had never been to Japan before to do strictly car-related things so it was important to provide him with the best experience. Being that it was the weekend of Osaka Auto Messe, and the boys were in town, we decided to host another late night meet. I didn’t want to risk getting in trouble again with over 300+ cars showing up to a parking area so we moved the event outside of the city to the quiet island of Awaji. The longer distance made for some fun driving and of course, any time you throw a bunch of straight-piped Civics into an area that’s supposed to be peaceful, a little bit of chaos comes into play. Let’s just say that we were up to “no good” again in Osaka…

Is Osaka Auto Messe Really BETTER THAN Tokyo Auto Salon??…

Is Osaka Auto Messe Really BETTER THAN Tokyo Auto Salon??…

The age-old debate continues…which is better? Tokyo Auto Salon or Osaka Auto Messe? Both parts of Japan are so different in so many ways that it always brings about this question—but can the two really be compared? Tokyo Auto Salon is a much larger show in terms of scale and relevance, but there’s just so much character and style that Osaka has to offer. Since I went to both shows this year, I am able to provide a first-hand account of the cars that were showcased. Join my friends and I as we explore the wonderfully colorful annual car show mega event that is the one and only, Osaka Auto Messe!! And decide for yourself which one you prefer. Let me know what you think in the comments!!…