Art & Inspiration Kustom Japan

OMG!
That samurai style pinstriping is sooooo cool!

I lived in Japan for a few years when my old man was in the service, and as such, I'm stuck with a head full of Datsun/Nissan hot rodding tricks

The Japanese are some of the coolest, most polite people you could ever meet. We here in the west dont have an appreciation for what it takes to "go against the grain" like that, to own a traditional American style roadster or hot rod in such a conformist society.

It would be like one of us having a space ship in our garage.

My hat is off to the Nippon Rodders... Banzai!!!

 

I was just going to mention that pinstriped HANYA mask....RAD! As for those crazy whacky Japanese people, they are always putting out quality shit that takes it to a whole other level. Paint work is second to none on their bikes and bellflower customs.

 

Okay, so why were the cards in China? Was it because they were printed there, as are many other car oriented things, such as Rodder's Journal and many of the books we all love. Or is it because there is new generation of Chinese being born who dig old cars? Not trying to be an ass, just curious...

 

The Japanese seem to take traditional hot rods, mix in a little "crazy Asian", & kick out some killer stuff. They don't build much that I don't, at least, find interesting.

Also, I've gotta have one of these bear claw necklaces....

 

FUCKIN A! MAN! We got us some brethren across the pond!

how do we get em on to the hamb? i wanna know their stories and where
they learned to wrench.

 

Japanese people have been into US and Western culture since forever, and their car scenes over there are pretty sharp. I remember seeing a '76 Coupe Deville in Kanazawa, it was about twice as long as every other car on the road back then.

 

'The general assumption is that there are two types of people: 1) Those that are into cars and 2) those that are just into the culture and fashion of the time. However, this reasoning fails to recognize the people that are just lost in it all.'-Ryan


That has needed pointing out for a long time,and I'm sure that there's a lot of us here on the board that will thank you for it.It's not a lifestyle,it's our way of life.We are everywhere,all over the world.Always have been,and always will be,regardless of what the current 'trend' may be.
Paul

 

awesome, japanese people kill it at everything they do. Music, guitar, cars, bikes, education, being different. thanks for sharing that, they get it.

 

Those pics are rad. I love the bucket and the pinstriping is very cool. Just goes to show you we are taking over the world.

 

Here's a Japanese blog that I check out all the time, done by Nash. He's good people.

He does BURNOUT and Hardcore Rod & Kustom magazine:

http://nash.kustomkulture.jp/

here's the parent site:

http://www.kustomkulture.jp/

Dunno if he's on here yet or not, but i'd love to see more stuff by guys like him and Makoto, Mr. G and Grimb on the HAMB, for Friday art shows, etc...

 

What perfect images and ideas expressed. As someone who has studied Japanese Design (primarily architecture) and visited the country... it has alwas struck me that where design is concerned, their culture seems to be adept at expressing or impossing so much meaning into their design process, moves and expressions... There seems to be an embodied spirituality in a lot of Japanese design (not related to religion).. there's just something to the culture that produces some pretty cool stuff, designs that embody an essence of whatever the building, vehicle, image is... And I think that's pretty neat... and is worth looking at as well...

For instance look at the last image of the far out orange/yellow roadster... it's so outside of the box, yet, I think it still manages to embody the essance of what a hot rod roadster is, was, and always will be, and that's pretty damn cool.

 

cool chit.. I'd like to see more of this:

 

oh wow for once we're shipping our stuf there?? LOL

cool ass pics.

 

I love the Japaneese work. They took an idea and ran with it! They are sooo far ahead of what we are doing here. I get a lot of inspiration from them. For exsample the Mooneyes show I saw a pic of 55 or 56 chevy truck which imo are kinda boring. But the paint scheme and late sixties styles were awesome. The paint was deep shiny black with a silver and rootbeer brown kandy metal flake roof. I thought it was very original and well thought out.

 

The Japanese 'kulture' approach to building cars and bikes (especially bikes!) has always blown me away. At first glance, it seems ironic that one of the most technologically advanced regions would embrace more mechanical and utilitarian design, but it actually makes sense.Rebelling against ultra-modern, streamlined, and obviously-computer-aided design necessitates a return to the ways of old... or even exaggerated variants of the ways of old, which over-emphasize functionality over form, but always accomplish both in the end.

 

Here ya go Mike....pic courtesy of HemiDave...




I flipped through the book a couple weeks ago at the tattoo shop. I thought it was pretty decent, but hoped for more lowrider and custom pics...from the coverage I've seen on the HAMB and other outlets, the Japanese builders are killin' it!!

Bryan

 

I'm always blown away by the stuff that comes out of Japan. All the way on the other side of the world and they get it and they do it, some times better then a lot of us over here!

Some people get pissed because 'all the good american tin is being bought up overseas'...well you know what? That doesn't bother me a bit, because look what they are creating! Killer!

 

This is the one I was talking about....

 

Man, what a great thread, those pictures are soo cool. I had no idea they were into hot rods like that, all I've ever seen was those little rice burners.

Not to mention, Japaneese chicks are HOT

 

HAHA LOVIT! was stationed on a ship there in early 60,s. [Yokosuka] Got a kick outta the Japanese they were over the top when it came to adopting American culture, they really get into it.

 

Its all about having fun, and some of them are very good at it!

 

just like everything else they do, nothing is done "half assed" , everything is done to perfection.

 

I lived in Japan and fell in love with the people and the country. The hot rod sceen over there is way cooler than in california but alot more expensive! I use to have lot of pictures of car shows and car related things but have lost them to my ex

 

Damn... Do I have to be the first to make fun of his silly Halloween Costume Fake Tattoo sleeves?

 

The only older car I saw when I was in Japan was like a 66 mustange or some shit. and tons of tricked out scooters.

 

I've wanted to go to Japan ever since I first heard of the Japan Lowrider Super Show.
Then I heard about the Mooneyes Show, and I've wanted to go even more.

I haven't gotten the opportunity but, God willing, I will make it to a Japanese car show one day.

-Juan

 

Have any pics of green car in background ?

 

I was talkin to a guy at Barrett-Jackson yesterday that said alotta stuf was getting shipped back to the USA from Japan cause there was so much there and the laws are really screwed up about them............