Whats the automotive "sub-culture" like in japan

[brendan]

Being an enthusiast myself, I wonder whats its like in japan. I currently drive a Japanese car, having come from a German and before that, 2 American cars.

BTW: I hate the fast and the furious movies, and what they have done to "further" degrade the "culture" of owning a japanese car. Kids watch it and go right to the local car shop and buy every piece of garbage they can find and slap it on their cars like its their job.

Altezza taillights..yuk!

Here is what I like:
http://home.hetnet.nl/~h-a-68/index.html

[Bueller_007]

Being an enthusiast myself, I wonder whats its like in japan. I currently drive a Japanese car, having come from a German and before that, 2 American cars.

BTW: I hate the fast and the furious movies, and what they have done to "further" degrade the "culture" of owning a japanese car. Kids watch it and go right to the local car shop and buy every piece of garbage they can find and slap it on their cars like its their job.

Altezza taillights..yuk!

Here is what I like:
http://home.hetnet.nl/~h-a-68/index.html

I don't find there's much "rice rocket" subculture in Japan at all. Most of the quote-unquote bad-asses seem to drive motorcycles or pimped-out vans with massive speaker systems. IMO, rice rocket subculture is much more likely to come from places like Hong Kong, where Japanese automobiles are held in high esteem. (Japanese people tend to favour expensive imports like Benzes as a sign of prestige).

But I live in Osaka. Tokyo could be different.

[JonB]

If you want to find out more check out places like Ashinoko Skyline on a weekend - bikes and cars race up and down at the weekends. There are some real interesting skid marks on the road and the other weekend someone was looking very sadly at the front end of his mangled Lotus Elise...

They used to race around the Shuto Expressway at night but I think that has pretty much stopped.

Still in Tokyo I think you will see more than your average number of Lamboguini (sorry about spelling), Ferrari, Aston Martin, Bentley etc etc

[circa86]

being a Honda enthusiast myself, as well as motorsports, and cars in general, Japan is easily one of the best places in the world for a car enthusiast, an especially on interested in Japanese cars of course, most other countries have their own crappy versions of japanese car "cultures"

but they are all BS. Their are countless people and shops that are actually truly interested in what they are doing, not just doing it when it becomes popular ect. they are really in it for the love of it.

anything you are interested has a very alive and well sub culture to it. Every type of car culture is active in Japan.

as far as "SUB" cultures go, the Touge racing/drifting scene is absolutely the best in the world, nothing can describe it until you see it.

I could go on forever I will just put it like this, if you are at all interested in cars, of any origin or type, you should be perfectly happy in Japan.