Ok, time for the daily update. It's almost midnight here and I am sitting in a rental 4WD Nissan march. I'm in Koriyama, (about 2 hours north of Tokyo on the 300km/h bullet train, including stops). Koriyama is the nearest decent-sized city to Ebisu-Circuit, aka home of Team Orange, Kumakubo, drift WRX, Tanaka, Asamoto..... and maybe the coolest drift track in the world.
Got my JDM navi that I can't read again so google earth is my friend.....
I think I can make it there.
From what my friends wife was able to tell, no drifting this weekend, but there is some sprint racing. I have to go either way just to go and who knows, maybe get a chance to run the touge course or something. It might even snow here tonight.... f*@king cold outside right now.
Oh, just thought I would add that it's pretty nuts how many badass cars there are here. A really nice Z32 just blew by me down this lil road I am parked on. In the cities you notice them a lot because they stand out, but in the suburbs too, just a lot of really nice cars. People keep their stuff really nice here, and it's pretty hard to find any kind of sporty car that has stock wheels suspension and exhaust. I stopped taking so many car pics after the first few days because badass stuff was just everywhere. Ive only driven around Koriyama within like 30 square blocks tonight and already seen a modded R34 GT-R, tons of slammed vans with kits, the Z32, a few Supras and bunch of non GTR Skylines R32-R34.
For some really rare stuff though, I saw an E30 M3 today driving aorund, and found a shop that had about 5 BMW 2002's, a BMW CSL, 3.0CS, a bunch of old bugs and a few Karman Ghias. Having a modified car here goes right along like having a nice house, it's a definite status thing and anyone who is anybody has suspension and wheels. Just like the girls living in tiny apartments, who are fully decked out in Gucci, Dior, etc etc..
BTW cheap car parts here are kind of a myth, and so is cheap electronics. But I did get lucky today and found a used Nardi wheel for 315yen (yes, that's like $2.75). Generally a decent used wheel goes for like $100 though. This nardi is a lil abused, but not trashed.
Okie, Here I go, getting off internet now and venturing into the dark mountains yet again. Here, check out my google map to Ebisu
I'm jamming laptop mp3 music instead of the only radio station around here... some crap talk radio where the guy keeps moocking american music it sounds like.
K wish me luck... see ya