Leroy's Jap Trip '17

[Leroy Peterson]

Leroy's Jap Trip '17

Feb 2017 I went to Japan for a few weeks. Mainly for Osaka Auto Messe. Had a really good time. Saw some cool stuff, did some cool stuff, met some cool people.

Osaka Auto Messe was amazing. A lot of it was straight from Tokyo Auto Salon, but a lot of the VIP and other scene aspects are specific for the show. I took like 300 photos, uploaded about 80 of them and will share a handful here. Full album: http://s1171.photobucket.com/user/Leroy_Peterson/library/Osaka Auto Messe?sort=3&page=1

(edit: f**k photobucket)

Edited September 11, 2017 by Leroy Peterson
f**k photobucket

[Leroy Peterson]

So much car stuff to do in Osaka. Visited a few UpGarages, a Super Autobachs store, Trial, Junction Produce, and a Garson D.A.D. store. Osaka was also great for modified car spotting and car meets.

Tokyo had more supercars and rarer machines. Went to Toyota Megaweb and Nissan HQ. Didn't bother with the Nismo shop or Nissan Engine Museum. The Nissan Heritage Collection in Zama was closed the week I was in Tokyo. Super upset about that. Info here: https://nissan-heritage-collection.com/TOUR/

You can apply for the tour of the collection here: https://nissan-tour.secure.force.com/heritagecollection/VisitSchedule_Page?fCd=101&tCd=1

After Tokyo I went to Takayama. It was beautiful there. Nice to get away from the cities. Quite touristy. 2 nights was enough to do most things.

Then headed to Kanazawa, which was the most beautiful city I visited in Japan. It's a really nice place. Not many westerners, but always local/korean/chinese tourists. I had explored most of the city in 2 nights.

Lastly Kyoto. Also really beautiful, but also very touristy. I kept away from the tourism and hotel hotspots. If you're happy to explore, could easily do 3-4nights there.

Also visited Nara when in Osaka, which was amazing. Did almost all the sites in a day.

[PranK]

Leeroy, I want to help you post pics. Can you PM me with what you're doing to upload pics and I'll look into it?

[Leroy Peterson]

Osaka:

Driving around with an "english" GPS was still a bitch in Osaka. figuring stuff out and trying to find addresses to locations and then trying to enter it in... not fun.

Edit: f**k photobucket

Edited September 11, 2017 by Leroy Peterson
f**k photobucket

[Leroy Peterson]

f**k photobucket

Edited September 11, 2017 by Leroy Peterson
f**k photobucket

[Leroy Peterson]

Edit: f**k photobucket

Edited September 11, 2017 by Leroy Peterson
f**k photobucket

[PranK]

Oh man, so much cool stuff. 

[RBN1]

awesome photo's.

What's with the BNR32 bare chassis? Ex-group-A chassis?

[PranK]

14 minutes ago, RBN1 said:

What's with the BNR32 bare chassis? Ex-group-A chassis?

 

Off the shelf replacement parts.  

[Leroy Peterson]

34 minutes ago, RBN1 said:

awesome photo's.

What's with the BNR32 bare chassis? Ex-group-A chassis?

Thanks.

GTR Magazine are either in partnership with a workshop or have some cars being restored by a workshop. It was a display of the work they were doing and had done. All of it was super clean.

[GH05T]

 

WANT

[Leroy Peterson]

41 minutes ago, GH05T said:

WANT

I think this is them: http://kusaka-eng.com/engine/

[PranK]

So stupidly cool.

[ADDSKI]

Thanks Leroy for sharing some cool pics. I am off to Japan in 4 weeks, can't wait now

[mr_rbman]

this makes me want to plan my Japan trip so much quicker

[DivHunter]

On 3/8/2017 at 3:56 PM, Leroy Peterson said:

So much car stuff to do in Osaka. Visited a few UpGarages, a Super Autobachs store, Trial, Junction Produce, and a Garson D.A.D. store. Osaka was also great for modified car spotting and car meets.

Tokyo had more supercars and rarer machines. Went to Toyota Megaweb and Nissan HQ. Didn't bother with the Nismo shop or Nissan Engine Museum. The Nissan Heritage Collection in Zama was closed the week I was in Tokyo. Super upset about that. Info here: https://nissan-heritage-collection.com/TOUR/

You can apply for the tour of the collection here: https://nissan-tour.secure.force.com/heritagecollection/VisitSchedule_Page?fCd=101&tCd=1

After Tokyo I went to Takayama. It was beautiful there. Nice to get away from the cities. Quite touristy. 2 nights was enough to do most things.

Then headed to Kanazawa, which was the most beautiful city I visited in Japan. It's a really nice place. Not many westerners, but always local/korean/chinese tourists. I had explored most of the city in 2 nights.

Lastly Kyoto. Also really beautiful, but also very touristy. I kept away from the tourism and hotel hotspots. If you're happy to explore, could easily do 3-4nights there.

Also visited Nara when in Osaka, which was amazing. Did almost all the sites in a day.

I saw more Ferrari / Lambo type cars in Nagoya than anywhere else I have been in Japan I think.

Did you go to Shirakawago from Takayama? I stayed in the place with the onsen style baths on the roof near the station in Takayama which must be finished with it's huge upgrade by now? There was a mass of construction starting when I was there about 18 months ago. It was a funny little town.

Kanazawa sounds a bit like Kusatsu in the off-season, full of Tokyo weekenders but about 4 white people. I only got to go through Kanazawa unfortunately, when going from Nagano to Kyoto.

I think my next Japan trip will exclude central Japan, I have been around there enough times for a while.

[Leroy Peterson]

I saw more Ferrari / Lambo type cars in Nagoya than anywhere else I have been in Japan I think.
Did you go to Shirakawago from Takayama? I stayed in the place with the onsen style baths on the roof near the station in Takayama which must be finished with it's huge upgrade by now? There was a mass of construction starting when I was there about 18 months ago. It was a funny little town.
Kanazawa sounds a bit like Kusatsu in the off-season, full of Tokyo weekenders but about 4 white people. I only got to go through Kanazawa unfortunately, when going from Nagano to Kyoto.
I think my next Japan trip will exclude central Japan, I have been around there enough times for a while.

Didn't head to Nagoya, but I've heard good things about the car scene.
Yeah I visited one of the Shirakawago villages. Very picturesque in winter from a distance, though the houses are still inhabited so it would be more pretty in spring or autumn.

I think we stayed in the same hotel in takayama. Decent spot, the top floor pools were good.
Yeah next time I want to head south and see islands/beaches/f*kuoka/Okinawa/Nagasaki etc

[t_revz]

14 hours ago, Leroy Peterson said:

Yeah next time I want to head south and see islands/beaches/f*kuoka/Okinawa/Nagasaki etc

Nagasaki is great, okinawa is pretty good too but i think the islands nearby are the most impressive especially Zamami. Okinawa mainland is less exciting IMO. f*kuoka i have been to countless times but dont know very well unfortunately. 

Great photos mate!!