Car Torque in Japan

This is professional radio. That has front wheel drive, but

have you got anyone you want to think?

Just myself. And now we'll do the after

hours. Gentlemen, what would you go

for? Thank you.

Stand there. OK.

And because there's not a supercar, there is.

It's not ordinary. Perfection comes in the form of

two letters. A&U Long live my Ltd Welcome to

Console. It's Tuesday night here in Japan

of all places, online with Mr Scotty though Johnson from it.

He's out. He's now our our Melbourne

correspondent. You too.

The only one Melbourne correspondent.

Yeah, he's currently the only one on this quality in Melbourne. We've got Edward, who's in the

room next to me. David Prince is about two rooms

away and then we will have Thomas on in in in a couple of minutes when he chooses to jump on.

How are you, Scott? Because I've seen you guys for

the rest of the day. Yeah, I'm, I'm doing alright.

Just, you know, having holidays, getting.

Over being cool Holidays, Scotty.

Yeah, Yep, excellent. What are you covering from last

week's bad in chest infection? Cause you didn't sound great

last week. No, I wasn't the best.

Still still recovering, Not there.

Yet going back again tomorrow, OK?

Because I think I've pulled something from all the coughing and yeah, breathing, so. That's such a pain I I I will

know how how frustrating it can be cause your term just goes on in number of weeks, however many weeks that term is and then you get the weeks. It's not really a holidays, it's

recovery time basically before it's all package.

Yeah. To recover and then you're back

into it again. Exactly, quite literally.

But it's good to see that you're on the mend, hopefully that you haven't put anything too badly, mate, because we, we, we, we need you, we need you up and about.

But how's Melbourne going? Is it?

Is it, you know, burnt down without us or?

You know, where there's actually been?

Really, really good. Yeah, I've heard.

Nice and warm. And yeah, it's been really good

so far. About 24 to.

Be rainy tomorrow but. OK.

You know, the whole weekend and that's been really good, you know, Very good, very, very, very good.

It's been bloody hot here in Japan in the 30s, I think every day we've been here. Plus the like, humidity.

Crazy humidity. But yeah, but anyway, sorry, you

know, obviously sorry, I'll rephrase.

Four of us have been in in in Tokyo at the start, then we went to Nagoya. Now we're currently in Kyoto.

I thought the episode is going to be a little bit different about we're gonna talk about the carry stuff that we've done here in in Japan. So it's got your you're all on

board for the trip and we're gonna discuss some of the weird and wonderful things we've seen so far with plenty of time still yet to go. So our tour guide was that David

Prince who's the the curator and the the narrator of our of our of our current time here in in Japan has put on quite quite a lovely, you know, day by day, let's just say it, which has worked really, really well. So David, this is, I believe

you're 11th time. Did you bet?

Oh look, it's hard to put another Yes, it is.

I do care. I do count one trip to Europe to

see my daughter Hyena, if you're listening, we actually stopped each way for one night. So I'm going to take that as as

counting as two trips. So that adds adds to the total.

But yeah, I've been very, very lucky and that having that number of trips has made me just ask my wife become quite obsessed with the place. So I've got to say, it's just

been a huge we're only four days in I think now and it's been a huge joy seeing you guys sort of see a little bit of what I what I get from it. Absolutely.

It's it's been mind blowing to be honest with you.

Like it's just such a it's just such a big place like I haven't seen so many people in some in so little time and I haven't seen you know I haven't seen just everything that that.

I mean I haven't been out of the country until until now.

So just the whole it's it's been a whole mind boggling experience and not just as as a as a avid car enthusiast but as a person that's likes to see different things.

It's if you want to see different things you've gotta you've gotta go here you gotta get a different country So 11 times is is an incredible amount and and it shows it no but like in generally like a play the place must be that good if you keep coming back and I've never heard a single word said bad about Japan by any person that's ever come here.

All I've heard a few believe even you know, even the people that I I think can think of one couple actually in the car club who are, are are older than us and they went and they found it absolutely exasperating, which I think if you here for the first time and you and you, you don't have anyone who has has travelled here before. I think I can quite understand

how that could happen. But even in that when they came

back and I was having just talking to them about it and they there was a bit of a litany of things that had happened and a couple of meltdowns and all that sort of thing.

And then in the next breath this person said, next time I went, when I'm back there, you know, I really want to.

And I had to catch them and say oh, so you want to go back.

And they, they were just quiet for a minute and then they said, yeah, I do, you know. Now even when you have the bad

experiences, it's like OHP, but there were so many great experiences, you know that you want to go back and and and have them again or have have new ones.

So I think the key, you know, I mean you see places that you love and you absolutely want to come back to them.

But the key key is to try and find somewhere new as well each time. And I've been really lucky with

you guys this time to go to a couple of places that I haven't been before, which have both been mind-blowing.

I'm thinking I'm talking about you Toyota Car Museum in Nagoya and Legoland. In Nagoya.

So yeah, that's it's brilliant to to travel and and go as I said go to places you love, but see new places as well.

So that's the key, I think doing a bit of each.

Absolutely. Edward, how have you found the

trip so far? Before we get into a recap of

our we Car Talks trip in Japan, Rahman Revs to a 2023.

Fantastic so far. My feet don't agree.

They're certainly enjoying life as we speak.

But ohe can't argue with it. I think it's it's been an

amazing place. Kyoto, where we are now, is is

definitely. A highlight so.

Far I think you know Tokyo's nuts.

Tokyo has its has its job and Becky Kyoto is a beautiful you know visually beautiful beautiful place.

I I loved it. I loved today.

It's always fun seeing, yeah, the the, the different cars well. I mean, yeah, they're different

cars, but I mean, we know all of these cars, you know, we've all Googled K cars and we've all kind of, you know.

Look at them as quirky things, but they're just so normal over here. You know, there's little Kay

Trucks going about their daily business and gardeners and builders and all these sort of things that we think are quirky novelties at home. You know like well that they're,

they're just using them, they're just doing their daily stuff.

So I think it's nice to see that.

You know how that works, and it's such a.

It's such a. A flip from Melbourne, like we

were talking about, you know, I was like, oh, there's no Pieros over here. There's no Pajaros.

We've seen a couple, but like, literally maybe.

Two. I think that's it.

And we've been across Tokyo and Kyoto and on trains and whatever. We've seen 2 Pajaros in action.

Now in Melbourne obviously that's a that's a completely different genre of car like we we, we the king of dual cab utes and the king of four wheel drives in in they.

Have high Luxus and ranges have you seen?

Absolutely none, not 10. It's sort of really refreshing

in a way because you just the whole philosophy is with with housing and accommodation and you know work trucks and nuts and things. It's just so different.

So well it's just what you need. It's not.

It's not an excessive. Culture in that way and the cars

that represent that like today we walked on that on on a beautiful walk. You know Philosopher's Path in

Kyoto and we saw probably 3 or 4, you know little Cape trucks and vans being used like there's a builder and he's just got this tiny like diazo little little Cavan and.

Like it does everything, you know, you sort of think oht.

We're just we live in this ridiculous world in Australia where we think we need bigger and better and it's just not.

It's just sort of this this place proves that you don't need that and life goes on with with Cakars.

Well, well David said to me today like we we we passed a we passed OK truck and and and he's like they've actually got a bigger you know bigger tray and more usable tray space than any job virtually on sale. They were completely square or

rectangular tray in it, you know, they don't have wheel arches eating into it ridiculously and and roll bars and all that bullshit. And they're a great height.

You can load it, you know. You don't have to be King Kong

to lift something into. That over half feet high the.

It makes a hell of a lot of sense.

We are also joined by our fellow companion on Romana.

Rev Stewart Twenty 23rd 2023 Tom.

How you doing, Tom? I'm very well.

How's everyone going? Goodnight.

We are good. Thank you.

So Tom, I don't think you have you guys, Have you met Scotty before? I don't.

I don't think might be the first time you guys have met.

Yeah, it might be. Yeah, it might be nice to meet

you, Scotty. You too.

So we just go, we're going around to tell like asking you what have been the, you know the the first interesting things and and differences between between Australia and Japan and as you can imagine we started talking about dual cab utes.

Tom, what have you found the the differences so far in terms of, you know, Australia culture and Japanese culture?

In terms of culture more broadly or in terms of the cars that we've we've come across, we will get to the cars very, very shortly, but just a quick, a quick recap on your on your end of of that. Culturally, one of the first

things that I think you notice is the politeness, and I think everyone has a lot of pride in the in the things that they do.

Those are two of the things that I noticed and where this ties in to the cars is it's it's amazing how clean and tidy everything is. Even the taxis, they look,

they're perfectly detailed, perfectly presented.

It's quite amazing. And it's universal.

It's everywhere. Probably one of the first, even

my first trip here. That's one of the first things I

remember noticing. Yeah, everything is your it is

super clean. We noticed the piece of rubbish

on the floor and we're like oh that's very unfair.

Japan like, yeah, it's to the point where of of complete hilarity, how, how, how clean it everything is and how polite the world, the world here is. So Japan, big props to that

because that's very, very awesome to see.

You got any questions you want to ask about cars first and foremost before before we get into?

This I did like the photo that you sent me.

Of the M3, yeah. Well, that was pretty funny.

I was like, Oh well, Guy. Are there too.

So, so Tom, for some context, Scott, he's the guy that had an E46M3 and we would never get another one.

All right. I've heard, I've heard stories.

Scotty, it's nice to meet you in person.

Almost in person. Almost put a face to the name.

Yeah. It was.

Um, yeah. Not my best purchase, but you

live and learn. And you still have this car or

is this one that you've you've sold?

I know it's long gone. Ohk OK yeah.

It is out here. Obvious Subarus, actually, we

were just saying. Subarus.

Not very many at all. No.

I think, I think the key car, Subaru, I'm not sure what it's called. We've seen a few of those.

That and a Lavoro G or two. We come back buildings, but

yeah, but not many. On our walk, you know and a

Vitara here, look forward to Vitara fairly new looks really big you know you just get. Tiny cars.

And I said, God, look at that thing, it looks huge and it's a batara, you know, and it back back, it was really quite a small issue V. Even a Prius seems like quite a

big car here. Please compared to what you,

you, you you typically see on the road, the packaging of these cars is unbelievable. Like like like the taxis, like

the crown comforts and and and and Japan taxis and and everything. They look small but you've got

so much headroom, legroom you've got.

There's tonnes of space in them. Yeah.

Yes, in in a crown comfort. It's a bit tight with five, you

know, with three people across the back seat but in terms of you know you're basic you're basically facing everything it's it's so well and and they they're not overly big that they don't, they don't take as you know lots of space.

So I thought in Tokyo especially there'd be so much traffic but actually looked like it flowed pretty well because you know everyone's driving these, you know, these small little cars or they're not driving at all because they taking public transport. So that was a that was something

I did not expect to see so far on on our troubles here.

When you look at railway stations and the numbers of people that that go pass through them everyday and use the system, Japan Rail has to be one of the most efficient organisations in the world I think.

When you think of all the lines, all the stations, all the staffing and it just works it. That's very true.

Seamless You know that once you once you get your head around the the the network of lines and the the Japan rail lines and the privately owned lines we don't have IC cards but most people have IC cards which is like an Oyster card in UK 10 * 1000 times better than our Mikey in Melbourne.

But people are just, you know, touching their, their, their, their phones to the to the sensor on the on the gates and it just flows so seamlessly. Except you have to stop for the

tourists, you know, scrambling to get their Japan Rail passes out to actually put through the machine and blocking people and going through the wrong machine again.

And that's what slows. But.

We have volume of people like you said, David is just mind boggling like Tokyo Central Station where we've been through a couple of times. I've never seen so many people.

And and I remember I said, you know, is is this normal commuter traffic or is this a special, like, you know, it's a special day and it's like, no, this is normal, you know, and even Kyoto, much smaller than Tokyo. But the station's nuts.

Hmm. Yes.

People, people, people, people. Ah, it's my yeah.

Really does it feel, does it feel like claustrophobic or it's not too bad? No.

No. And and and that's that's the

weird things got like it feel. It feels just like it works and

you don't feel like you're constantly you don't feel like you're about to be bowled over by like 30 people.

Like it feels like everybody's goes their own way and you know everyone's respectable. Everyone else not.

Yeah you get bumped and stuff a little bit but then then but it's it's not it's not like a like I thought I'd I'd be going getting to Tokyo Station and feeling like where am I to be fair to an extent it is. It is you know there's a lot

going on but you can make your way and there's not a million people you know pushing you over.

So, so yeah, that that is a good point that that that really surprised me as one of my pickups from from me here.

Expected that. I think we're in a country of

125 million people and and really quite a comparatively small part of the land is actually populated a lot of its mountainous and and and completely unoccupied.

I think it's culturally inherent with all of them that you you've got to be respectful of others people's space and and and that's why I mean swimming I stand is one of the most popular expressions here which is you know excuse me and if anyone bumps you or anything, it just it's an automatic response sort of thing you have very different to how it would be in lots of parts of the world, I think. Absolutely.

Yeah, big time. Yeah, there's no, there's no

aggro. You know, like normally in this,

with that level of crowd, you'd get aggro attitude and you know, someone's acting up here. There's there's none of that.

And I like I found myself becoming a more polite person.

Is that even Matthew? Is that possible?

Surely I mean to be fair, I do. Can my blood can boil, Edward

talking about getting my car crushed.

That was on a that was on a an evening.

And some drinks a couple nights ago.

And then then the game started. Oh, OK, What Car would you get

for this money or that? Man, What?

OK, out of all of our cars, you know, we too had to choose for the other one, you know, which car would get crushed.

And Tom and I both said the laser.

Been very dark on this ever since we suggested that the laser would Anyway getting to what we're gonna talk about now the cars of of Japan. Now first of all I want to say

the first car we actually sung in in in Japan was a Japan taxi.

It blew me away. Said earlier how much space they

had virtually a Prius drivetrain I believe.

So if you haven't seen these, they kind of look like a London cab but better and they suit the they suit Japan perfectly and they swallow all the all the people and all the luggage you need and like they just work and I'm like we should have these in Melbourne. You know like they they would

perfectly then instead of having these big you know cameras and and to be fair they got some cameras here but like you know like some of these other cars we just don't need to to to have this big. And you're right, as you

mentioned earlier, like it's not really about need, it's it's just about, you know what can they get by with and that and that's perfectly fine. That was significant.

I think they were well, well, the mainstay of taxis for many, many years has been those crown comforts which as we've experienced you know are basically you know, 1980s design really and still going strong with you know 5-6 hundred thousand cases on the clock. We've seen we've been in taxis

with with that sort of cases on the clock.

But the Japan Taxi, I think it was, I think I remember reading that it was once they'd won the Olympics, the plan was to actually have a new taxi design. And there it's just great to see

such a company like Toyota and how they actually attacked it.

Obviously it's similar in some ways to the British taxes which are iconic, but things like the Matt noticed.

I hadn't even noticed it. But the on the steering wheel

boss is the hazard light switch because whenever you put they pull over or stop, their hazard lights go on.

So it's completely accessible everywhere.

They're just so well thought out.

And the previous drive mode with its EV mode only obviously beautiful and suits the car perfectly and suits the traffic in Tokyo brilliantly. So when when they set their mind

to design something fit for purpose, it's absolutely fit for purpose. Yeah, absolutely.

Could not agree more but then some of the cards we've seen, so I'm just gonna put this out there like 99% of the cars I've seen it being like case or or or or taxis and the other like I probably like, I wanna I wanna put it into a percentage.

They are obsessed with bloody G waggons I I did not expect this country to be obsessed with like they just everywhere from the first morning when we saw those ones on the way to the Welcome Plaza. Lots of G waggons.

They just they they look quite literally everywhere and I'm I'm like this is this is insane like I mean I like I know they like they're calling. Lucky cars but like that that

blew me. Why?

And nothing that blew me away. They really like their French

cars here too. So.

So there's a lot of Renaults and a lot of a lot of Citroens of I've seen and some Peugeots which is, which has been quite, quite interesting because like Japan like reliable stuff yet they're buying stuff that's inverted commas, not reliable.

So I, you know they're not as pragmatic people as I thought as as much as I as much as I was expecting to be.

I thought they'd all be in kays or or something like that and you might see the old 911 or or like you know, as we saw in E46M3. You know like the the odd kind

of cool car like that. But the fact that they they

bought, they buy G waggons like they're going out of fashion is quite ridiculous. And the fact that they can you

can drive on the roads here, left hand drive cars that are like technically brand new and you can buy them like that from the factory from from from from your from your dealership which which you were saying David it's just it's unbelievable fact.

You know they can have it they can have a choice.

It was often considered back in the day that was their choice for European cars because an American cars which were left hand drive it was considered a bit of an A status symbol to have a left hand drive. Yeah rather than than you know

conventional sort of right hand drive cars that were manufactured here so people would automatically know that you had something foreign and a bit exotic sort of thing and that's that availability is still continued on today.

So I mean there are still plenty of left hand left for cars up here. But yeah as Matt said that that

I'm pretty sure they can still be ordered from the factory that way if people choose or right hand drive if they're if they prefer. So it's another option that we

don't have. Some other cars that we've seen

that that would have been really really interesting and and quote. Edward.

Corvette yeah. So, so so last night Tom and I

stopped and had a good chat about this car.

So Tom, it was a C5 Corvette. Yeah, it was nice, nice and

neatly tucked away in a in a back street.

Not what you'd expect to see. And I was it was a a challenge

we, I think we've seen 2. Challenges as well.

Yeah. OK.

To the listeners. So I think, I think the crazy

thing about the C5 Corvette, and I don't know if you can, if you if, if you guys think the same way.

But walking down this little back streets in Kyoto and then basically just in case and then all these different guys and all of a sudden a driveway, we was like holy moly, that's a sea 5.

Cool. It was the most random thing

I've ever seen. It was almost an exotic sight

compared to seas of of kakars and whatnot.

It'll be Range Rover. Yeah, we've seen a few.

A few. Classic range.

Rovers, classic Range Rovers, so therefore that's a bit of a obviously a worldwide thing, they've got a bit of a following. Yeah, one of them was was

beautifully original, quite a late car, 9392.

And then one of them looked looked a bit like a restomod it had. Wolf alloys and had a non

original paint job and whatnot, but still both very interesting to see. Both very special to see.

Yeah, I think. I think cars like that actually

require a bit of dedication to actually have it up here.

I think you would need to have a very specialist workshop and yeah, in fact be fascinating, you know what sort of money they're worth. Actually, we should look at

Garnet later and have a look. At Pottery, interesting, because

we don't, we don't see it. We haven't seen a lot of older

cars in general. In fact, almost none.

Almost none. Even even iconic older Japanese

cars. That you'd sort of associate

with with Japan Skylines and whatnot and Mitsubishi, GTO, that sort of thing. We've seen very few of, but I

think. Where we are.

I've seen one GTR, I think you said Tom and we haven't seen any Skylines. We've seen a few Evos, couple of

WRX, but quite literally that is it.

There's there, is there. I've even seen like a, you know,

like a GST or anything like this.

Just they just. So haven't seen an arc seven you

know which which has been you know the cars you dream of like and you know you're part of our generation in that instance like you know the cars we lost it after as you know as the the PlayStation generation on Gran Turismo and stuff we haven't seen and and it's been and to many.

Then it probably makes a bit of sense because we know the Japanese kind of don't really keep it, that really keep their costume belong to their David. They kind of move them on

quickly and I'm more expensive. The older they get, they become

more expensive to keep on the road.

Is it after 10 years, David, something like that, It's, it's less than that actually I think it's I think the tipping point is about four or five. I think so.

It becomes more expensive, obviously, you know some people hang on to their cars longer than that.

OK. Cars are the exception because

the the road taxes and and regular regulations regarding them actually aren't as severe and or as constrictive sort of thing to to the whole plan. But obviously it sustains the

automobile industry because as soon as people you know are changing their cars over and and there is a tendency with most Japanese people to like new things rather than things that are too old. We're actually talking to a

friend of EDS the other night. That was interesting, talking to

Mika about her. They had to move, wasn't it?

So she had a six year old Daihatsu and she said, I'm, she said I've just sold it, you know a couple of months back and we were like why did you sell it said, look I really didn't need it anymore sort of thing because you can get around on the train network. And I said, well how old was it?

Said I was only six years old. And I we were like, well how

much did you get for it? She said well it's it had

started making some noises so it needed a bit of mechanical work and which is hard to believe for a six year old Daihatsu like you think that's exactly exactly. I'd love to know what actually

wrong with it might have just been a who knows like a Bush or something or a shocker or who knows anyway.

But she said there's some. Mob that comes in and you know

buys cars off people like that. So they gave her 800 bucks for

it or something and took it away and then they'll probably fix it and resell it in, in terms of that car.

But yeah it's it's sort of an odd notion to us like a six year old car to sort of have it taken away and she got a few $100.

It's it's kind of and some some cars, I think she was saying too. They just, they'll come and look

at them and they just, they'll just say, oh, well, we'll take it, you know, and remove the problem with them having to get rid of it or do or pay any the shocker.

I think it's called Chuck Person, which is like the roadworthy every year that they have to have sort of thing.

So if that's our thought of, you know, doing it and spending money on something that's, that's, you know, five or six years old, they just think it's not worth it, you know?

Yeah, I, I remember Daniel O'Grady from Wasabi Cars at a Suzuki Waggon R too. And the, the air conditioning

compressor packed up and he took it in to be repaired.

And they said, oh, what? Why, why do you want to repair

it? Like, I mean, just get another

car, you know, like it's it's probably not worth repairing.

It's an old car, you know, and it was a similar age, you know, five or six years old, I think from memory.

Hold it to the Australian car park.

It's just not old at all. Wonder how many of those cars

end up in overseas in different markets?

A lot of. Yeah, a lot.

In such contrast to like we've just walked around Kyoto today and this beautiful ancient temples and buildings and you know, like stuff that's been there for centuries And then and then which you sort of is an opposite philosophy to Oh yeah, let's let's treat the cars like Kleenex and churn through them and they'll environment us. It's sort of.

Strange in in a way that that it's Yin and Yang.

It's a bit like everything is packaged in plastic, yeah.

But otherwise very environmentally conscious nation. Yes, correct.

You're right. You're right.

You're right about I've noticed and they type everything closed and and they use they use a lot of resources here that I that I thought they'd be you know a bit more better with.

But I guess they really good with their recycling because you know there there's bins quite literally everywhere and then they they have you know your recycling part and your and you're and you're obviously you're combustibles which I'm assuming they burn. I'm assuming that's what they do

with it. So, so yeah, it's it's it's

actually quite quite a cool contrast but I have seen some older cars and and on our first proper day in in Tokyo, I did see a Sport 20, which is a Mazda SP20AS.

We've got them here in. And I saw that in red had they

had the optional roof racks and everything and it looked really cool. I'm like, well, I didn't expect

to see that here. Like I thought they'd be all

gone and they're in the the big garage in the sky, but but there there was one there and so so so that was kind of like the first like that that's that's kind of cool cool that we saw.

What about you guys? What else have you?

What else caught your eye during your trips here in Japan?

We saw the Miata in like an original MX5.

Like, I don't know why I keep calling to Miata.

Because we don't. We don't get those, and neither

do they. So yeah, MX5 original like 8990

model or something in that Mariner Blue and you know, it's like it's a middle aged guy driving and I think he looks like he's had that for a while, you know, that was just motoring around Kyoto. Lots of Honda N ones, you know,

like David's David's imported N1.

There's quite a bunch of those. What else?

Very nicely modified. Oh, sorry David, you go.

I was just gonna say outside the hotel the other night we we got out of a taxi and in front of this was a Toyota Origin.

Which would be a one of 1000 ever built.

I remember seeing one years ago and and nearly and running along the streets of Kyoto trying to see what it was because I've never seen one before. Quite retro inspired.

Thought of like a Vauxhall Cresta with suicide doors.

Very good description, that's exactly.

Like a Like an early 60s Crestor.

But it's a yeah and. You know we should play mid

2000s and which engine did you did it have in it, Manny?

I didn't go down that far down the track, but I just, you know, things on the three letter V. Sixes, sixes.

It's probably 11Z or something that they had at the time, smaller than the engine in the Corolla blade that went past it yesterday on the freeway. Yep, that's that.

I was like, oh, that's a bit of Scotty.

I I think I was saying that I was like because there would you, would you like those, Scotty?

Yeah, they're pretty. Cool.

We saw a supercharged second generation Tarago, or their first generation asthma supercharged.

One of those which is like, got to be a rare car.

Like, that's pretty ridiculously rare.

That's awesome. So, so we did see that and and

Tom you you said you saw something.

Yesterday I just going to mention we we've seen a few was in one nicely modified chimney. Sort of developing in like a

jacked up with big tyres and whatnot.

Nice personality. Added to it.

Yeah, a lot of jimmies land, but the graphics down the side.

Yeah, that's right. Yeah.

That's cool. I'll Speaking of Land Rovers,

Scotty, we have to tell you this.

So we went to Legoland for Maddie's birthday yesterday.

Now Legoland's are very big operation in Nagoya and they had these miniature displays that seemed to go on forever, which is kind of they've made out of Lego, you know icons of Japan.

Actually. Yeah, but like like mini cities

out of Lego anyway, So part of that is they've made Lego cars and some of them are recognisable and some of them are bit more generic, you know. But there was one bit where Dave

and I spied at the same time. There was a a freeway on ramp

sort of going uphill and there was a a, a rescue truck, like an RCB truck loading a car onto the back and it was blocking this whole line of traffic and the whole line of traffic.

We're all Japanese cars sort of waiting and the car getting loaded onto the truck blocking them was Land Rover Discovery.

You couldn't get anymore. I thought, well that's, that's

the Japanese really having a laugh and just going, yeah, you you don't know how to make a reliable car land track.

We. Like, even Japan realises how

unreliable. It's just quite.

Funny, got a big version of that.

Don't need that Lego release. They do now.

Yes, they do. Absolutely.

They saw that at high point and they had it there on display and it was jacked up with the wheel off.

We sort of like land yesterday on display and it said no, all it needs is a puddle of oil underneath and it would.

Be completely That's right. For a Lego one, yeah, like soy

sauce. One of those little.

Yeah, just empty that. And you just need, like the

driver standing out, just holding his head, Lego man with his little hands on his head. So good.

So. Good.

I love it. I like all the Land Rover

drivers listening. No.

And and and the one sitting with us currently Tom he's he's he's our resident Landry Tom we should bring Tommy over there to for him to witness the greatness that was the.

He has. As Legoland was.

It's like my favourite part, you know, was was the Land Rover broken down? I was like, oh, that's just.

That's just I love that they've gone to the trouble not only with a land of going on to the truck, but it's it's it's holding up like 8 cars behind it.

It's just so it's so beautifully done and it's a real screw you so. The the British car industry.

Right attention to detail. Yes, very much so.

We probably talk about cars in Japan without talking about our day on Sunday when we actually took a bullet train to Nagoya again as well as yesterday and visited the Toyota Motor Museum which that was pretty special for on many levels given the display of cars there. We went into the cultural hall

of the of the the museum mainly because we're looking for the cafe and we we just all stopped in our tracks.

This this was just the display, the the effort gone into the display of car models, both plastic kits and die cast car brochures, car badges in this sort of dark and sort of hall with these great big glass cabinets of of models and tin toy models back, you know 50 years was just nuts.

To seeing You took a photo of all the brochures, didn't you?

Yeah, it was. Yeah, I've been following along

through through your pictures. Yeah, that was that was a real

highlight for me. So I'm not technically a car,

but one of the real car highlights was there and the nice spied it together and had a had a had a bit of a moment with it with the lovely little Japanese girl who was explaining the the nuances. But it was the original Toyota

2000GT from You Only Live Twice the 1967 James Bond movie.

So I've seen the movie multiple times, but seeing the car from that movie, which is one of one now, um, was pretty, pretty amazing. They're an incredible car.

It was pretty damn special because like you're right that is one of one it is the IT is the car you know it's it's a car that I grew up you know spying to to like wow that's that's a 2000GT and expect that we got to see three of them we got to see we got to see staying hard top and another convertible that was converted a bit later and obviously the actual the Bond car where where Sean Connery actually had his backside in it was it was just blew me away and you know like we we have you know we had a bit of a man moment.

Yeah, we we we we need a moment to ourselves.

We we just we just we just breathe in like this is this is actually happening. As a bit of a pinch yourself

kind of moment. So that that that was that was

incredible and and this and this is like and that wasn't even you know. And and that that wasn't even in

the actual in the in display like you know the in the display they had there some incredible cars but you go back to your point they were about and you know the the the the collection hall of of all the different models and all the different brochures and stuff. That was probably the highlight

of that of besides obviously seeing that 2000GT that was that that blew me away. I couldn't you'd you'd go to

museums just for that section like you, You just would just.

It just blew me away, isn't it? Pretty much, yeah.

Yeah. Yeah.

And everywhere you looked it was something and it was so well organised and well it was so well curated because you know museums and stuff are curated. This not just looking out,

looking at Art Museum and in a lot of ways this is a Museum of Art. It's it's history.

It's, it's it's what it is, is it's it giving you understanding of of how important cars are in, in the grand scheme of things where the where they've come to, where they are.

So yeah, absolutely. I, you know, not not not a way

to Toyota for putting that on because it was pretty bloody special. It would have been.

Very fun being the team at Toyota whose job it was to oht correction together, especially the brochures and and everything like that. It wouldn't have worked for us.

We would still be sitting on chairs going.

George, check this one out. Look at that.

Yeah. Exactly.

It was it was interesting that there were a lot of non Toyotas in that collection. So it's yes, I'm honestly going

into it. I thought that it would be.

I thought OHP this is just gonna be an amazing collection of Toyotas and things related just to Toyota but known Siri, you know it's a it's a museum in the true sense of the word.

Like it was the history of all the badges they had on display of old car mascots unit from radiators and they had brochures from all sorts of stuff that weren't necessarily Toyotas but they and and a whole bunch of models in that Bay Marie sort of right down the middle of this display and they'd they'd all done it chronologically. So it was sort of like, oh,

1920s. 1930s or 1900s and, you know, through the decades, which

was really nice. So as you walked down this wall

of brochures, you're walking through the decades and that appeals to my autistic nature with with vehicular things and the models the same, you know, they'd they'd laid them out like a roadway. So it's like you were looking at

a giant traffic jam through the decades as you walk along.

And that I thought was a great way to display model cars because it puts them all in context.

And I thought, yeah, why? I've never done that in my

cabinet When I've displayed they've just been either dinky toys are together and the matchboxes are together, all the atomic together. But I thought, wouldn't it be

great to do them by era, you know what a what, a what a good way to do it. And they're all the same scale.

So in that in that display case anyway.

And it made it just made a lot of sense to me.

I thought, hmm, so I'll take some photos of that.

That's a good reference for something you can bring back home and maybe maybe achieve at a later date.

Absolutely man cave display. The cars were arranged

similarly. The actual cars in the display

was correct. Yeah, it was a good lesson in it

was it was like a display the history of.

Of of. Cause of the whole not even just

just Japanese cars, but but the last 100 years of automobiles it was it was really well done. Well the thing that was amazing

at at the very start was a was a diagram of da Vincis with a spring powered car. Remember that Matt?

Like it was awesome. Wasn't called a car.

It was like a spring powered. Who device or something.

But there was a very rudimentary blueprint of of something that will almost work on clockwork, and that was like 1400.

And something was. And then all the way right

through to a Mirai, like the last car in the displays, the Toyota Mirai, which is their hydrogen powered car.

So yeah, it was. It was.

Staggering. Absolutely staggering.

Can I can I just say like we would have been incredible to he would have been incredible mind da Vinci considering he had nothing you know like you know you know to to work with and and the stuff that he you know had the ideas of in the spring powered car and I was just like that it's just I had no idea he he doubled in that that that that completely blew my mind.

But you're right, Edward, about there wasn't as many Toyotas as you think there was. There wasn't really that many in

if you look at the grand scheme of things in comparison to everything else, like there was, there was a fair few missions, there was a fair few Mazdas, you know, XYZ.

There was a bit of those American stuff that was European stuff. That was it.

It absolutely blew my mind. And and Scotty, there was a

really clean original R32 GTR there was there.

I'm like, well, that's a bit, that's a bit of you Scotty.

Singer sings you've owned one of those and you know that but then they had then they had on the opposite side they had an LS400 and and they had a W126 Mercedes.

You know like it. Yeah it had it had a bit of

absolutely everything and you know and it didn't discriminate it didn't just put the highest performance versions of them.

So like he had a three 2-3 or a or a KE 10 Corolla that was very basic you know and and and the fact that they that they put a bit of everything in there like that you know didn't they weren't always like the top spec high performance you know.

Go fully specked out you know top of the top of the range model they were they were they were sometimes more than often the base model and and I I really respected that I'm like that's actually really cool because for me a base model shows shows the the car and its most basic form which which you know the car is based off like to for example you know you know you have your your Corolla and then it goes to your Corolla XO or what have you you know so so I just the fact that that that existed and they put it together like that and curated it the way

they did was just genius. So Scotty, when you get to

Japan, you need to go there like.

It's bloody epic. Yeah, will do on the list.

What other cars general have we seen before?

We before we finish and leave on this and there's a very quick edition of of a of a Japanese recap part one I saw a Rover Mini today in very nice condition.

You know like the last of the round nose minis that they made in like early 2000s. That was good.

Couple of cool bikes like Honda gyro bikes, you know 3 Wheelers.

Probably one of them crazy ones I saw was I, you know, I had no idea what it was For me it just looked like a Jeep.

But then because it says it's a Jeep on the side and you look at the front like it's a Mitsubishi edge and it was a it was a a Mitsubishi Jeep. Like I I had no idea they like

they David had to had to fill my novice brain with with the information about that. It yeah it was yeah.

The things that you you didn't you wouldn't even know they have existed of of you know you know read their head and said oh look at me you know this is and and and I I really love stuff like that but yeah so so that that was that was kind of like the first cool car that I guess we kind of saw.

On our first morning walk so so that that was that was pretty exciting. I do want to add and also we we

went to the to the to the Honda. Welcome Plaza that was that was

that was like quite literally the first thing we did on the on the Monday. So on the on the Saturday

morning and it was David was in his element let's be honest.

Yeah, he he was. He was, you know, straight away

there. They they had some cars outside

and display them all open and the fact that you could just walk in and and sit in a in a in a brand new one and all, yeah, some of their other offerings and walk inside and they've got you know type A. They had a ZV and they got a

gift shop and they got a bit this bit of that was pretty bloody amazing. They didn't have the a little

friend Asimo there this time around, but he's never retired.

Yeah, he his joints need more WD40 than they can they can give. But I wanna hear your thoughts

on that gentleman as a as a as a manufacturers kind of mini display for their head office. It was so clean and so

simplistic. Normally they'd be like stuff,

crap everywhere, but this was this was really really good.

I think you picked up on that end.

Yeah, I was impressed with it, sort of minimalism and, you know, a lot of head officers, you know, a display like that would be sort of overly flashy. And it just wasn't.

It was sort of very environmental and sustainable and minimalistic, which I liked. I mean, I suppose you could look

at that and say geez, Honda are doing badly.

They run out of money and they can't finish their own Boy, that's one option. But it seemed to be far more

deliberate than that. It was like.

No, the gallery, yeah, it was a bit like a little simple art gallery. And yeah, just it was just quite

humble and and well thought out. Yeah, I thought.

Yeah. So wasn't very welcoming with

the cafe. It wasn't structures, though.

You weren't welcome there unless you were ready to to buy a car immediately. No, no, no.

It felt like you were encouraged to go and have a look.

An avian in the finish of Iowa. Lot of wood, lot of warm timber

and greenery around. So it was sort of a Scandinavian

feel. Like if you told me that was a

Volvo, you know, showroom, I would have believed you.

Yeah, that that was that was definitely a highlight highlight for me on on the first day and you know the fact that you can go there and ask for a cat, it was a catalogue is is that how they say for their brochure? They catalogue.

And they and they don't just give you the car catalogue, they'll give you the accessories brochure catalogue, which is something that we don't really get Australia.

Anymore. No, more so.

So we were going through the the, the, the, the cob, you know the, the catalogues and some of the accessories I can get is just phenomenal. Now we're gonna add to this

point because David also that day took us to a little shop in the back of Nagano Broadway, towards the back to back of that which was called what David? It's called Boca Garage.

Garage. Garage.

Which basically is just an incredible collection of Japanese brochures from virtually every manufacture, all put in order. All.

And and they weren't just like, you know, your families with your fair lanes, except you know, like we'd have it here in Australia. It was, it was, it was, you

know, they had, you know, you're certain models and certain years and certainly it was, it was fantastic.

And Tom and I spent a bit of money there.

What do you get, Manny? Couple.

Me being the loser that I am, I went and got a couple of the the the JDM laser brochures for you know for for their T threes and stuff that they. Sold.

Yeah, that's cool. Which is kind of cool.

I also got an MR2 brochure and I got something related to a couple things for the Scamp as well.

So so that was pretty happy with with with my my whole Tom.

On the other hand, now now Thomas, your your collection is quite astounding, isn't? It I'm so happy with it, I spent

a small fortune. Dinner that night after you or

cash only? Absolutely.

But every brochure is in beautiful condition and a nice plastic cover and every brochure is so thick there's hours of enjoyment in there. Just looking at the pictures

because obviously I can't read, read Japanese, but incredible.

And so I was just to name some of the brochures that I purchased for everyone I I got a an accessories brochure for an R33 GTR. It's very cool.

And R33 sales brochure and an R32 Nissan GTR.

Sales brochure, which I thought were very cool, and I got a Japanese market Nissan GQ Patrol sales and accessory brochure called the Safari over there. Incredible.

And some really interesting options on those cars, which are quite the the, the, the, the troll that is, which are quite basic here, including heated seats.

That's very interesting. It's just amazing.

We had no idea about like like we didn't.

Yeah, we would be able to do that.

Sorry, David, didn't mean. No, no, no.

I was just gonna say I think Thomas was disappointed we weren't staying there. At one stage he was lying on the

floor going through or on the lower self so.

Methodical in his approach I was.

Impressed. You could spend hours.

It was it was a for a car guy that was a Mecca.

It was incredible and and and the way everything was organised as well because we have carpal crops in in Melbourne but they're not organised that well. It was it was remarkable

Remarkable. You could spend a day very like.

It was. It was quite literally

automotive pornography on on the the grand scales and Scotty I I bought a dinky catalogue for you know dinky models from the 60s.

It's like the the full catalogue of all the ones you could get at that time. So I thought you know 12 bucks,

like basically Aussie. Yeah, I'll have that.

Yeah, 100%. But I restrained on the other

brochures. There were many that I liked,

but. There were none that I sort of

had to have, you know? Yeah, I know the feeling.

I know what you mean. But it it's it's interesting

though because like you wouldn't think of that as a as a as a key place to go. But I think for car lovers it's

you're right it's a Mecca time like you you have to go there it's it's this little shop and and you have to preferably don't don't well I will sorry don't bring it back like a like a like a backpack with you because you will possibly knock the next person over. But you know it's it has just

got I had just got it had a visual virtually everything and and and you just say have you got you know this car and be like Oh yeah and then I'll take you to the section and they even knew where all the sections were.

I was like. Yeah, well.

We have to thank Mr Prince for finding finding.

That that's what I've got to think.

Owen semen on Instagram because he posted that he was there a couple of weeks ago and I said where is this place?

The. And yeah, that was why we were

there. I had no idea of a previous to

to only a couple of weeks ago, so it was a great find.

Absolutely. So we've actually got to got to

finish up early today on, on this, on this first part of our of our Japanese you know experience.

We're going to have an extended version once, once, once we're back. But if we had to name a harlot

quickly before we finish the show so far, what would your highlights be? Start with you, Ed.

Today's Walk through Kyoto, Tom. I'd have to agree with that.

I think Kyoto and the the car bookstore as well.

I think those two things. But it's hard to pick a

favourite. We've done a lot of amazing

things in a short time. We haven't even mentioned Nakano

Broadway. We went to which is all a lot of

little specialty shops, including a lot of model cars on sale. So that very desirable, you

know, buying a few nice little model cars from there I bought.

Two Renault Sixteens, Which is weird, Scott, because they're French and I'm not in France. Yeah.

That's cool though. It's the Prince.

My highlights. Been seeing you guys enjoy it so

much. Yeah mate, you were too good.

And Scotty, hopefully we have inspired you to get your backside over here and kind of deed you up for it.

Yeah, we definitely are, mate, Astronaut.

I will be going next year. 30 We're booking when we can, you

know, few months time, yeah. Yeah, yeah.

What about you, Maddie? What's your favourite beer?

Hmm there's there's there's you know there's been so many little things that have that have you have been so so good today's like today was there's definitely been high but have spending my birthday with honestly like you know the three best dudes I've I've known you know like and and sorry Scotty you're part of this as well that's.

OK. But like seriously spending my

birthday in another country looking at Toyotas and and and looking at all these different cars and and you know just just just having having it, you're you're real good mates with you and and you know. Sharing that experience has been

absolutely, you know, it's been the best few days of my life.

Honestly, it's been fantastic. So I and and I and I don't mean

that any lightly. I'm genuinely mean that it's

been it's been incredible. So I wanted to thank you guys

personally on the on the show for that.

Thank you, Matt. You are welcome.

Gentlemen. I think that is a lovely way to

end the show. We will talk next week about

basically the next part of our journey, which which Which we're gonna have a lot of information, a lot more stuff going on, just.

Gonna sneak peak. Could you give us a sneak peek?

We can give you a sneak peek. We are going to Hiroshima on

Wednesday, Mazda. Thursday, yeah.

Yeah, Mazda on Friday. Was on Friday, Yeah.

So we're we've we've got a lot planned.

And so, yeah, we'll keep it at that for now and then then.

Then now that's all. Just just wanna taste, that's

all. And yeah, and I think that's

pretty much it. Scotty, any golf tip before we

finish? There was a a comment made by

Tiger Woods recently that he said.

To people that are amateur golf golfers and that to stop watching, well, he said it in a different tone.

But I'll. Gotta say it a bit nicer cause

he put some swear words in there but stop watching the YouTube videos all the time and just get out there and hit balls.

There you go. Yep.

Awesome. Good.

Good. Advice.

Well said. David Prince, Edward Bunting.

You guys do a podcast? Yeah, but tonight's tip is to

book a flight to Japan. Come to Japan?

Absolutely. There you go.

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time. Take it easy.

Car Torque in Japan

Toyota Car

BMW M3

Toyota Prius

Porsche 911

Chevrolet Corvette

Land Rover Range Rover

Mitsubishi Gto

Subaru WRX

Mazda MX-5 / Miata

Cresta Vauxhall Cresta

Toyota Corolla

Land Rover Discovery

Toyota 2000GT

Toyota Mirai

Nissan R32

Nissan Gtr

Morgan 3 wheeler

Honda Element

Toyota MR2

About this episode

Original notes