Hi everyone! Well, I made it back in one piece from Japan. Half of me wishes I never left, but the other half is always glad to be back home! Japan was truly an experience like no other, as I have wanted to visit for a very long time. I've always had a deep appreciation for their culture and traditions, music, technology, food, and of course, their cars. If Japan is not on your bucket list of places to visit, I would suggest adding it. I owe this all to Kaizen Tuning, as I was able to have this amazing time in Japan thanks to them.
We stayed at the Shinagawa Prince Hotel, which was walking distance from the train station, subway station, bus station, and bullet train station. It was a decent room that was very cheap in price as well, so no complaints there. Every night we spent in a different prefecture of Tokyo, trying out different restaurants when we could. Before I leave you with a couple thousand pictures, I wanted to share some quick thoughts I had about my trip.
- The 16-hour flight wasn't that bad at first... Then I saw only 4 hours had passed. Trust me when I say, bring something to do and bring a few friends.
- These people are so peaceful and passive, they don't even lock their bicycles. Everyone is very polite, quiet, no one is really noisy or causing trouble. Very different than back home, that's for sure.
- The food here is even better than expected. Everything is tasty, fresh, and worth trying, so be adventurous! That includes with some American restaurants as well, as their menu is very different than back home.
- Avoid Roppongi and Gotanda, especially at night... Unless you like getting harassed every block to go to a strip bar.
- The subway/train system isn't as complicated as it may seem. Try not to get overwhelmed and just remember where you are at the moment, and what station you're trying to get to. If you don't see it on the map, go down a level to the next subway/train company, as there are different companies that own different subways and trains. We used JR most of the time.
- Though we saw many amazing parts, it was surprising to learn that some parts are manufactured because they do not have a better means to control that aspect of the car. For example, we saw HKS secondary fuel injectors for a GT-R 35 at Tokyo Auto Salon. That beautiful, but expensive piece, was built because they do not use a COBB Accessport to tune their GT-R. It opened my eyes a bit to why some tuner shops in Japan offer parts that we question it's usefulness at times.
- If you like arcades, go to Akihabara. All of the arcades are amazing and unlike anything in America. They'll have games you've never heard of, with 8 or more cabinets hooked together, with a TV in a corner that will show an overview of all the players.
- Cars are a luxury over there, not a necessity. That being said, if you own a car, you typically have good money.
- Be sure to visit Kyoto. It's gorgeous, peaceful, and the temples there are indescribably breathtaking.
- Visit the Imperial War Museum. Visit with an open mind too. Very interesting what you'll read.
Below are links to each post that covers a specific event that took place, as well as links directly to all of the photo albums available. I hope you enjoy all of the pictures and posts regarding my trip. Feel free to comment on any of the posts with any questions you may have!
Posts
Photo Albums
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