Going To Japan In October....

[NYL83R]

Going to Japan in October for a holiday and to meet my In-laws

My Wife is Japanese, so i should be able to get around ok with my limited vocab...

I'm interested to know if there are any tuning shops, local car hangouts, drift shows etc, that would be close to Tokyo?

We will also be going to visit Osaka and Kyoto...

I really want to find a good shop to buy some accessories for the car also

Any suggestions?

[Rezz]

Akeenan and a few others are based out Tokyo/Chiba way, so they will have some good advice for you, but as for Osaka/ Kyoto, there are some guys on here that drift out in the Nanko area pretty much on a weekly basis, not sure if theeir cars are running or not though.

There are planty of tuning shops like Signal, C-West, J's Racing, Bori's Factory, Kakimoto etc which are all in or around the Osaka area (and have websites with directions), and for parts there are many 'Autobacs Secohan Ichiba' (Autobacs second hand markets) and Up Garages around for used parts, and a few SuperAutobacs (43 Doui in Amagasaki, Sunshine Wharf in Kobe, and my very good mate Ikeri's SuperAutobacs on Route 171 in Itami - North Osaka).

October isn't so good for car shows as far as I know, but I'm sure theres something going on, just depends if you have access to a car or don't mind an extended train/bus ride.

I'm sure the other members can help out a little more... how long are you staying?

[NYL83R]

thanks, i'll be sure to check out some of those i'm keen to find some affordable nismo goodies that i can bring back in the suitcase knob, car mats...something like that i think it would be fairly expensive to post back a new turbo or a power fc.....or would it ? hmmmm

only staying for 12 days... 1st to the 12th oct

we can borrow a car, but i've i know the road tolls are very expensive.

We are only staying in Osaka/Kyoto for a couple of days, so not sure how much car stuff i can do there....my wife is not all that keen on it...hehe

[lukits01]

thanks, i'll be sure to check out some of those i'm keen to find some affordable nismo goodies that i can bring back in the suitcase

Super Autobacs sells all the nismo gear you are looking for, they usually have a whole isle dedicated to nismo stuff, same with mugen/sti/rallyart, etc etc Theres one in tokyo

Akeenan and a few others are based out Tokyo/Chiba way, so they will have some good advice for you, but as for Osaka/ Kyoto, there are some guys on here that drift out in the Nanko area pretty much on a weekly basis, not sure if theeir cars are running or not though.

There are planty of tuning shops like Signal, C-West, J's Racing, Bori's Factory, Kakimoto etc which are all in or around the Osaka area (and have websites with directions), and for parts there are many 'Autobacs Secohan Ichiba' (Autobacs second hand markets) and Up Garages around for used parts, and a few SuperAutobacs (43 Doui in Amagasaki, Sunshine Wharf in Kobe, and my very good mate Ikeri's SuperAutobacs on Route 171 in Itami - North Osaka).

October isn't so good for car shows as far as I know, but I'm sure theres something going on, just depends if you have access to a car or don't mind an extended train/bus ride.

I'm sure the other members can help out a little more... how long are you staying?

Hey, Im going to japan for Tokyo Autosalon at the beginning of 2007. Starting from Osaka and ending up in tokyo for the autosalon. Dont suppose you could help with addresses for a few 'Autobacs Secohan Ichiba' (Autobacs second hand markets)?

http://secohan.autobacs.jp/

There are so many, not sure which one is worthwhile visitting

preferably near tokyo region rather not lug arround shopping from osaka arround japan

and whats Up Garage? SuperAutobacs is pretty much same for every branch right? they sell the same things? and if Im not mistaken theres one in tokyo near where TAS is actually hosted. Not too worried about workshops since they probably will be at the show anyway.

[NYL83R]

Super Autobacs sells all the nismo gear you are looking for, they usually have a whole isle dedicated to nismo stuff, same with mugen/sti/rallyart, etc etc Theres one in tokyo

:PBJ:

yeah, i wish i could see the Autosalon.... that will be next time

[Rezz]

Hey, Im going to japan for Tokyo Autosalon at the beginning of 2007. Starting from Osaka and ending up in tokyo for the autosalon. Dont suppose you could help with addresses for a few 'Autobacs Secohan Ichiba' (Autobacs second hand markets)?

http://secohan.autobacs.jp/

There are so many, not sure which one is worthwhile visitting

preferably near tokyo region rather not lug arround shopping from osaka arround japan

and whats Up Garage? SuperAutobacs is pretty much same for every branch right? they sell the same things? and if Im not mistaken theres one in tokyo near where TAS is actually hosted. Not too worried about workshops since they probably will be at the show anyway.

The Secohan Ichiba stores are all worth checking out, but each store specializes in a certain area eg: stereo, engine, circuit spec, wheels, interior etc. The shop I used to go to in Juuso specialized in wheels, but they closed down and moved in with another Secohan Ichiba elsewhere. Where will you be doing your shopping for parts? Osaka?

Up Garage is another used parts shop. They often have a good selection of parts, and are better than Yahoo auction in that you can 'see/handle before you buy'.

[lukits01]

The Secohan Ichiba stores are all worth checking out, but each store specializes in a certain area eg: stereo, engine, circuit spec, wheels, interior etc. The shop I used to go to in Juuso specialized in wheels, but they closed down and moved in with another Secohan Ichiba elsewhere. Where will you be doing your shopping for parts? Osaka?

Up Garage is another used parts shop. They often have a good selection of parts, and are better than Yahoo auction in that you can 'see/handle before you buy'.

I'd like to do my shopping preferably in tokyo area, but if there are stores that are only available in Osaka and sell good parts second hand (or new) then I dont mind visitting them either. Mainly looking for Interior (Recaros), Suspension Gear, Wheels (possibly new tyres).

you seem very knowledgeable about this stuff Rezz, have you ever used courier or lcl to send stuff from japan to freemantle? would you be able to recommend me one? or tell me how its done?

[Beer Baron]

ok, first thing. 'tokyo area' i have no idea where that is, but tokyo is huge. Tokyo Autosalon is not in tokyo at all but about 40min to an hour out of the city by train. there are heaps of super autobacs in the prefectures surrounding tokyo. but not all of them have the same range. they carry heaps of wanky parts like seats, wheels, air freshner, etc, but not a huge range of performance parts (and those they do have are not that cheap). now before this thing goes any further i'd highly reccomend doing a search in the japan section. this stuff has been covered every year for the last 3 years at least. and probably 2 or 3 times each year.

next piece of advice. go to japan to enjoy japan. buying parts and stuff should be incidental. if you want cheap parts buy from nengun, greenline etc. buying stuff at retail price in japan will be more expensive that nengun, the only saving is if you carry it home, but i cant see you lugging back some wheels and seats and tyres!. which means EMS (as this will be the only option easily organised by you) which means you are back at square one cost wise. buying small stuff is cool, like boost controllers, PFC, t-shirts, stickers etc. how the fudge you are going to carry some recaros, wheels, and tyres down to a PO on the train is beyond me. and in one breath you say you will be in tokyo, but can pop down to Osaka just to buy some stuff there? do you know the distance involved? mm set of recaros on the shinkansen may not go down so well.

not trying to be harsh but as a japan noob your eyes are far bigger than your stomach at this point. plus i hope you have some basic japanese as i personally have not been in a post office that had a worker who could speak english much at all.

I'll state it again. forget the dream of walking into an aladins cave of parts at 10% of the aus price and then having some random dude help you carry 150kgs of parts back to your hotel and work out some nice cheap shipping for you.

now on the positives:

*japan is great.

*your first time at autosalon will blow you away.

*the food is excellent, and so many different types of japanese cuisine to try

*trains are excellent

*people are generally very friendly and helpfull (if they speak english)

*beer is plentiful both in convenience stores and vending machines

*it is so different from australia, tokyo may as well be a whole other world.

enjoy your trip and don't waste all your time on 3 hour train rides just to save $200 on a set of rims.

[Blitz]

Echoing Beer Baron, I would also add that if you plan on shopping at Super Autobacs, take a tonne of yen as their prices are through the roof compared to other outlets.

Myself and Baron have carted somewhere in the region of 40-50kg of parts each back with us on our last two trips to Japan and the extreme hassle and pain involved in lugging that much stuff back with you both to the airport and getting it onto the plane makes you wonder if its worth it.

And dont forget if you are over the weight threshhold and you get caught, you will be reamed and pay through the nose for the extra weight.

Your list of wants (recaros and wheels etc) is going to be close to impossible for you unless you have contacts in Japan and a means to have them shipped back to Australia via sea freight/container.

[lukits01]

Wow, that took awhile to digest ahhaha

thanks for the words of advice BB & Blitz

To date this will be my third trip to Japan, though this is the first time I'll be going to tokyo autosalon. and its probably the first trip I will be dedicating mostly to car stuff. E.g. visitting various parts shop, skyline museum, workshops and TAS itself. I agree that if its on nengun or greenline its probably more worthwhile to just buy it online and cough out that little extra for convinience. However Im not asking this to save money, I just like to prepare myself incase I find rare items that are not available for purchase online (For example OEM Blue DC5R Recaros SRIV, Quantum/Aragosta/Crux Suspension components, Wheels and tyres wasnt my idea hahah) then I would be 'inclined' to purchase it ahhaha and I wouldnt mind paying EMS for it, since there seems to be no other option.

I will be starting in Osaka and ending in Tokyo, and I know the distance involved (Yes, lugging luggage through japanese train stations in rush hour is gay, I would rather not live through that again ahhah), which is why I prefer to do my shopping during the Tokyo leg of the journey, but if there are some shops that are only available in Osaka then I dont mind visitting them in that leg of the journey and should I buy bulky items then I would have no choice but to send them off first.

Ive visitted Super Autobacs in Shinonome in tokyo and I know the size and prices involved, thats why Im asking if all super autobacs is the same, cause I didnt find it to be the best place to shop. Im more interested in the smaller second hand autobacs and upgarage. I do have contacts in japan but he doesnt know anything about car parts and whats involved in shipping through freight/container, so was wondering if anyone here has any suggestions. Ive been through the "overweight" during check-in state and would like to avoid it ahhah Ive actually checked-in a pair of recaros before and on another occassion a pair of tyres this time Im with a big group so we'll have bigger combined weight.

As for the tourist stuff, yes no doubt its a must do, but Ive done some of that before and its not as urgent this time arround. I'll have a look arround the Japan section for the threads you mentioned.

[Beer Baron]

ahh, ok the extra info helps. well as it's your 3rd trip you will know what you're up against. Up Garage is a chain of parts stores dedicated to second hand performance parts and accesories. they have wheels, seats (seen red type R seats before), turbos, everything basically. buying rare stuff is cool, but probably easier still to buy it from yahoo and have one of the japan residents on here ship it back for you for a small fee.

I've been to probably 3 or 4 super autobacs and i think Blitz has been to 1 or 2 more than me, and it doesn't vary very much from place to place. I've never been to the second hand autobacs though.

[NYL83R]

Bah! my thread got piggybacked.....

i was just making this thread to find out about any cool stuff i should see... buying some bits for there car were just a secondry thing. definatly not buying a pair of seats! lol well maybe i could put them in my private shipping container i'm bringing back

and yeeh, i will check out the past threads....but always good to find out about fresh or new stuff, as hangouts etc may change year to year....

is it not a good idea for some gaijin to just rock up at a hang out?? and no, its not anything to do with tokyo drift!

and i was travelling to Kyoto/Osaka for sightseeing not car part shopping

but those comments were prob directed at lukits so meh.

[lukits01]

Whoops, sorry never meant to jack ur thread NYL83R

I thought you were after the same info

So are you looking for info on the tourist stuff you can do? or motorsport related?

[NYL83R]

thats ok, mainly i want to find info on what i can see or do, not really buying car parts. But the other stuff is interesting too. I would at least enjoy looking at all the sweet goodies that i can't bring back *drool*

[Rezz]

In Osaka you should check out:

- Osaka-jo Koen (Osaka castke park): great panoramic views of central Osaka. The castle itself is a reconstruction of the original, but it's still worth going to... just ignore the elevator and 50+ LCD tv's they put in.

- Shinsaibashi: starting from Nagahori-dori St, make your way south down Shinsaibashi-suji Shoutengai (shopping mall) all the way until you get to the Dotombori bridge where you can see the famous 'Glico man' sign... basically the center of shopping in Osaka. Don't forget to walk west of the Dotombori bridge and check out 'Amerika-mura', it's where all the 'cool people' and Africans posing as hip hop superstars hang out.

- Universal Studios Japan: It's worth going to if you have a day to spare just for the Japanese style theme park experience. Have your wallet out at the ready. There are much better theme parks in Japan but in Osaka this is the closest/easiest to get to.

- Kobe: Just a 20min or so train ride from Osaka, Kobe is probably the best mix of city and country in Japan. You can be right in the middle of 'Center gai' shopping area one hour, then at the top of Rokko mountain the next... well almost I lived in Kobe for 4 years and I can't think of a better place to go for a day or two.

In Kyoto you should see:

- Murayama Park and surrounding area: It's probably best to just go to the Tourist information center in Kyoto once you get off the train because theres just too much to list. You can pretty much just walk around the main shopping area in Kyoto then walk east for about 5 mins and be in the center of Murayama Park with all the temples and old style buildings etc. It's a VERY special place and should not be missed.

I'll let the other guys recommend sights in Tokyo, but I can vouch for Asakusa Kannon Temple, the Imperial Palace, NHK studios (lol) and Akihabara electric town.

[NYL83R]

cool, thanks! we are seeing Tokyo Disneyland and Studio Ghibli as well

[Beer Baron]

my advice is pass on the tokyo disney. it's pretty lame.

[sewid]

my advice is pass on the tokyo disney. it's pretty lame.

Seconded. Waste of time and money.

[lukits01]

cool, thanks! we are seeing Tokyo Disneyland and Studio Ghibli as well

studio ghibli is worthwhile if you are a fan, I take it you are a fan of miyazaki films?

They have a huge furry totoro not unlike ur avatar ahaha

[NYL83R]

hmmm, maybe i'll pass on tokyo disneyland what about the sea world there? is it ok?

and, yeah lukits, Miyazaki films kick ass it's pretty busy, we need to book month in advance And when i get back, i'll post a pic with me next to that big Totoro!, lol

does anyone know if there are any other anime studio's that can be visited?