So, a dude I met from the Mooneyes show in Yokohama took me to his friend's shop to 'hang' with some 'like-minded daddios', so with more than a little trepidation, I follow my good man through winding back-alleys of Shibuya, when we round a corner and find ourselves at his buddy's shop, and its full of shelves of OLD PARTS and 'vintage' motor Tshirts. We go in and their's a 3-piece band jamming away in this tiny little hole in the wall....and they sound GOOD Straight away, the kat playing the double b*** stops, swings around, "Hello friend.......whiskey???" I notice the dude behind him playing the Gretsch is sitting on something kool.....its a 39 HARLEY....and behind that is a 39 Triumph with suicide shifter that HE RIDES in TOKYO. Their core biz is custom leather work....and they're an agent for their pal who does some of the coolest silver doo-dabs I've ever seen...oh.....and handmade shiftknobs!!! So, the next day I'm back in Shibuya, and I drop into Tower Records, the ONLY place in Japan to look over magazines on the rack, then NOT buy them coz ALL the cool cars are on the HAMB I step outside and I need to rub my eyes and check twice.....a black on black 59 Vette....just sitting there idling away. Anyway, today, I woke up to 4 inches of snow. Sorry if this is too O/T for the average HAMBster, but for me, I just wanted to share another freaky 48 hours in Surrealio http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=df2SiHVpc8Q&feature=related http://jp.youtube.com/watch?v=X45Zy-zeNAE http://warp-and-woof-pt.blogspot.com/
...and this is the main man, Hiroki....and his band, Megaphones. http://megaphones.arrow.jp/frame.html
You gotta hear 500 other REALLY **** Japanese dudes slaughtering Buddy Holly to even come close to appreciating just how good that dude is! ....and you know......he doesnt speak a SINGLE WORD OF ENGLISH!!!! but he drinks whiskey just fine! ...oh.....and that acoustic guitar he's playing is from 1923 or something FUUUUUUURRRRRRRREEEEAAAAAKKKYYYY
You would think Japanese dudes would work the camera a little better!!! You can't see their faces!!! Looks like they filmed it in a closet. Sounds real good though. Very talented guy.
Over Cristmas holiday I was driving in Mitaka area and noticed a SWEET yellow '53 Ford PU.. Wife was with me, lets say she does not share my entusiasm for Old Iron, so I was not able to turn around and check it out. I also noticed a shop in the Atsugi area that had a couple of early Chevies parked in front during trip last fall. During the first generation of Dig cameras, the floppy drive kind, (circa '99 or so, no way to read them floppy's now!!!) I have pics from a fellow who had a shop outside of the Air Base in Fussa. The NICEST 57 Chev ragtop I have EVER seen dropped by one sunday when I was hanging out.. Am looking forward to fall show season there this year, I should be there for good by then..
So what is the truth about the car scene? I've always heard that the older a car is in Japan, the higher taxes you pay. So much so that they junk fairly low mile cars and the engines end up imported to the US by firms that sell these low-mile Jap engines and trans. How does it work for something as old as HAMB material? Don't they have stringent emissions standards and politics to deal with to get an old car on the road?
Domo Arigato,Mark! Those cats have the 50's rock n roll vibe spot-on!! Konbanwa!!! I WILL visit Japan one day....Sparko
Well Frank, It ain't a bed of roses in Japan trying to be a hotrodder. I lived there for 12 years. Most of the older stuff has been brought in with strict rules concerning regestration and transfers. Their DMV is called the LTO "Land Tax Office" which will give an absolute fit to anyone with a car that is not completely stock, and I mean completely. To the point that rodders ( myself included) keep the stock engine aside and install it anually just for the inspection. Used cars are shipped off to other lesser afluent countries. Nobody in Japan wants to buy a used car. Tradins set on the lot for a few days then either get crushed or go to the docks for shipment. New cars from the US have a huge import tax placed on them so they are rarely seen. Mostly owned by the Yakuza. Had a Yakuza office near my place. Two of them had Camaros with big blocks that I used to keep tuned for them. Most of the rodders in Japan wouldn't know a straight axle from a coil spring.
the "old" cars you seem to be referring to (Local Toyotas) are FIVE years old Coz they get hammered on annual inspections (over$1000 IF its stock) keep in mind, those "low-mile" engines sit in 2 hours of gridlock to travel 5 miles, let alone snowy morning cold-starts (NO garages) if you tracked "engine hours" you'd understand why they turn to **** in "only 50,000 Ks" but once they get beyond about 20 years old, they become "cr***ic" all the rodders I ask about registration just say "We hab reniency!" some of the ratty stuff they cruise around wouldnt get 5 miles down the road with Aussie Police! but outta 120 million people, there would be less than 500 rods.
The Japanese keep their economy going by squeezing out used cars. In major areas like Los Angeles there are all sorts of shops with used motors imported from there. I've seen pix in Malaysia of salvage yards with piles of used motorcycles .
Ummmm.......2nd hand cars is like trash removal....an unwanted headache. Their economy 'goes' by selling you all those NEW Toyotas....so STOP frikkin buying em!!!!
Otscotasamades! Hey Mark! Cool vids! How's the 'wife' and kids? Going to the April Mooneyes? I am! Check the Mooneyes.jp site, they have a special edition t-shirt at a reasonable price...NOT $40! Dave
Glad your having fun over there but I've got a hankerin' for an RPM pizza........ and the chances of you whipping one up ain't good :O Mark looks to me like you are having a shirtload of fun..... Those guys sounded great.
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