Well, looks like it’s time for another collection of bits and bobs from the Land of the Rising Sun! Might as well throw ourselves in the deep end with a 2nd gen (2001-04) Mitsuoka Ryogi. Hope that didn’t frighten too many of you. Do read on, it gets better.
I’ve eased up on the Viewts, otherwise there’d be a dozen in each post. But a nice black “hunchback” (i.e. 3rd gen, 2013-23) tugged at my heart strings. One is only human.
Straight from the Mitsuoka showroom near Tokyo Tower: the curvaceous and Corvett-eous Rock Star in a great shade of aqua blue.
Only 200 of these Mazda-based marvels were made between 2018 and 2022. Probably the only Mitsuoka that can be un-ironically enjoyed for its own sake. No, I don’t mean rice wine.
We’ll move to Mazdas, then. Weird mods on this RX-7’s front end made it notable, though not necessarily in a good way.
Late ‘90s Capella wagons are not an everyday occurrence, here – definitely worth a couple of snaps.
I photographed this glorious 1968 Cosmo at the yearly Nihonbashi car meet, which takes place on the first Sunday in April. There will be a few more cars from this event scattered about this edition of the Singles Collection, of course.
I found this indescribable outdoor display of 20th Century artefacts not too far from my digs.
Buried in there was a lovely little K360, Mazda’s smaller three-wheeler truck. They made 280k of these from 1959 to 1969, but you don’t see many around anymore.
There was a Subaru 360 in there as well, but it was just snowed under and impossible to approach. Ah well.
We’re in Subaru territory now, then. Let’s do a quick detour while we’re here to catch a Fuji Rabbit S301. These 125cc scooters, made between 1961 and 1968, came from the same factory that made the cars, just without the Pleiades logo.
This one does have stars on its front end. A lonesome Alcyone, unearthed in the nether regions of Saitama Prefecture.
This is not the first Impreza Casa Blanca we’ve had to endure, but it just doesn’t get any easier on the eyes.
Same with the Mitsubishi Minica Town Bee – what a wide-awake neo-retro nightmare these are.
This 1995 Lancer Evo III is starting to show its 30 years of dutiful service. Still looking clean, though.
I really thought this was the very same 2nd gen Colt Galant that I wrote up five years ago, but it isn’t. Different wheels, license plate and fog lamps, but same everything else.
This 2000 GT, on the other hand, is the very one I wrote up. But what better way to open the Toyota chapter?
We can’t have a 2000GT without a Sports 800 — the adorable flat-twin rocket ship of the ’60s. Hadn’t seen this particular one before, with its green roof.
Big soft spot for these liftback Celicas. Even those chunky wheels can’t spoil this one.
Chunky wheels plus US-style bumpers, however, is a bit too much.
Pity this A60 Celica can’t come out to play. It looks pretty much perfect.
Never mind, this equally pristine notchback variant was on hand for a quick pic.
We can’t have one of these Singles Collections without an AE86 or two (or more, depending on weather conditions). Can’t fault this one, really. A mite over-restored, if one needed to nitpick?
Same same, but notchback. And less perfect.
The formidable and highly praised (in Japan only) Z20 Soarer GT Twin Turbo.
First-generation MR2s are not rare here. But if they keep ending up neglected like this sorry-looking one, they will be.
The second generation “Mister Two” has a loyal fanbase here, so I don’t always bother documenting every one I see. This one was so glitteringly clean that it left me with no alternative.
Has this late-model (1998-2000) AE110 Levin perchance lost some of its paint due to overly frequent (and aggressive) polishing?
In the saloon section of the Toyota superstore that is Tokyo, this Origin caught my attention. But these always do.
I took a lot of photos of this 1996 Classic, despite the downpour. Not that I like these – they’re objectively atrocious, but it’s the nicest one I think I’ve ever seen.
Only 100 made, so the rarity in itself justifies a few pics. That and the size. These are really massive cars. Massively ugly, too.
There are 24 cylinders in each of these pictures. But now, you can finally decide which colour suits these G50 Centurys better…
Can’t make up your mind? How about a compromise?
Much more interesting (to me anyway) was this early model Celsior. First one I’ve seen with fender mirrors – strange, but not unpleasant.
The Crowns will only be in wagon form, in this episode. I’m sure you won’t mind too much.
Almost identical to the previous S130, but not quite. Can’t decide which wheels I dislike most. But one the other hand, twin rear wipers.
Does that body kit make my S170’s butt look big? Yes, and not just your butt.
Very late model (circa 1995-97) Mark II wagon, here in rather base trim and with fender mirrors. Lots to like, including the colour.
All bow to the immortal J70 Land Cruiser, prowling the Earth since 1984 and still being made in 2025. This one’s an oldie though, probably late ‘80s. Looks ready to traverse the Gobi Desert all the same.
A few quirky vans to play us out, starting with this TownAce featuring a Santarosa kit…
…unless you prefer this alternate version of said Santarosa kit – more ‘80s flavoured?
Kits are fun and all, but really, there’s nothing that beats a well-preserved Deliboy.
Not the first HiAce with a Dodge A100 face I’ve caught, but they’re still a little jarring. Menacing, even, with those massive peepers.
I’m guessing this LWB HiAce is some sort of school bus trying to catch ‘em all. If I were six years old, I’d be quite wary. As an adult, I’m horrified.
Somebody has a weird fascination with Dodge and wants to be known as the Man with the Ram in Japan, and this poor B40 Coaster is paying the price.
Moving on swiftly and in V6-powered luxury to Nissan with an impeccably maintained 3rd gen (1985-2001) Caravan in fancy-schmancy Royal trim.
So many of these B120 Sunny pickups have become hipster transport, with the obligatory silly wheels, massive tailpipe and overwrought paintjob, that finding an unmolested one that’s still working for a living is downright refreshing.
Not sure if this one is still earning its keep, but it’s certainly being upkept. Full marks for originality!
I’m seeing more and more Rasheens with a revamped face — and an increasing variety thereof. Seems the factory (and quite odd, it must be said) look is not to every (second-hand-) owner’s taste.
Of course, we must have a few Y30 wagons – they’re part of the landscape, really. In Gloria trim…
Or in Cedric, depending on how you like your grille texture.
This last one takes the win, thanks to its weird colour and fender mirrors.
It never ceases to amaze me to realize that this late ‘90s Y33 Gloria “hardtop” saloon and the ‘80s-flavoured Y30 wagon shared the same showroom space.
Sweet-looking C34 Laurel Medalist. Completely superfluous car, essentially a Skyline chassis with blander Cedric-like styling, but still a joy to see it’s weathered three decades so well.
First time I’ve ever seen a 1st gen Cima (1988-91) that’s had this kind of treatment. Yuck. Well, the colour’s not that bad. Half-yuck.
And here’s the first slammed HG50 President (1990-2002) I believe I’ve ever caught. Aside from those rims though, it’s remarkably clean-looking.
We now proceed to the Skyline section of the tour, starting with a late-model (1983-85) R30 saloon.
I caught this bone-stock pre-facelift R30 (1981-83) saloon just as its owner was about to slip it back into its garage. At least there are a few that the Tokyo Drift crowd haven’t yet turned into fart-canned bargain-bin racers.
Real C10 GT-R coupé or one of the hundreds fugazis buzzing about the Japanese road network? I’m leaning towards the latter, but who knows.
Someone’s got a thing for classic RWD coupés (and jetskis?). Nice mid-‘70s Laurel, but I bet the M3 can run rings around it.
Unlike many (most?) JDM cars, S15 Silvias are not often seen in white. Not half bad, honestly.
It’s odd how often one encounters Toyota AE86s or Mazda RX-7s in Japan, but the S12 Silvia is seldom seen, nowadays. Plenty of S13s about, too. It’s puzzling.
Outstanding example of the 1967-70 Fairlady 2000 – the early model, before the windshield gained what seemed like two feet in height and ruined the balance.
If CC hadn’t already covered this car pretty extensively, this particular one would have made for a great illustration for a post.
See how goofy that taller windshield looks? I’m sure it’s more user-friendly though, especially if you’re taller than the average ‘60s Japanese person…
The elusive 1996-2000 Tommykaira ZZ, ladies and gentlemen. A car tuning house’s weird and rather brief foray into bona fide automobile production. We dicussed it on CC already, but this one looks better than the one I found back then.
While we’re in JDM roadster territory, let’s jump over to Honda and ogle some scrumptious S800s.
Early model cars (late ’65-early ’68) with the smaller taillights and lacking those chunky turn signal repeaters look even better, in my opinion. Gorgeous, 8500rpm redline, limpet-like roadholding – just plain iconic.
Looks the part in any colour. Try yellow on for size.
The contemporary N360 is also pretty good, it must be said. Best kei car of the late ‘60s, probably. Hope this one gets the TLC it so clearly deserves someday.
Next stop, Turbo City! With 110hp on tap, one has to be quick to take a photo. Blink, and it’s gone.
I’ve not seen many of these about, but somehow encountered two in the same week. One will have its stand-alone CC post, but this one was surplus to requirements. Funny that there are two guys napping in a car called Vigor.
Not going to attempt to identify these in any way – they’re both Hondas, we’ll leave it at that. The silver one has had more aftermarket bits added to it than the late Joan Rivers.
Just a couple of Isuzus submitted for your approval, this time. I’m personally not too keen on the VehiCross, but they’re very rare here. Guess that counts for something.
The 117 Coupé, on the other hand, is a very frequent feature in these little compilations of mine. I’m not hearing any complaints.
These later square-eyed ones (1978-81) are the most common by a long shot.
So many comical touches were added to this 1990-94 Daihatsu Mira (L200), it’s hard to keep track. And now, it’s more of a lawn ornament…
The L300 Opti was created in 1992 as a bubbly alternative to the L200 Mira above. The 1997-98 Classic added a fashionable neo-retro touch.
The late ‘90s Atrai Classic was the neo-retro touch applied to Daihatsu kei vans. This one looks like it’s led a hard life.
But then most kei vans do live (not too) fast and do end up being thrown away, like these sad mid-‘90s HiJets.
A few funny / fugly kitted kei vans now. Never seen this one before – novel, but not otherwise noteworthy. Like the moon discs, though.
The classic kei van (or truck, in this instance) kit has to be the Bukhanka face.
Just because you get a VW Type 2 kit doesn’t mean it has to be boring. No idea what this Strider company is, but they sure put a lot of effort in branding their kei truck.
(Sarcasm warning) Perfect bus for a school with three or four pupils. (Warning over. Sort of.)
We’re now slap-bang in the middle of uncanny valley, where odd things grow on innocent kei trucks… I caught something that looked almost identical a while back and posted it in here. Are there two (or more) of these, or has the same one had a bit of work done and a new license plate?
When hiking around said Uncanny Valley, a good pair of boots will help. Or if you have just the one, add four wheels.
From Uncanny Valley to WTF-ville. Looks like an International school bus, except it’s RHD, I bet it’s and Isuzu or a Hino chassis. No way to get close to it for further investigations, so I’m stumped. Perhaps someone will enlighten us in the CComments section…
Over in the dekotora corner, we have a couple of contenders. Excellent work here, especially the cowcatcher, but a dash of colour would not have been amiss.
That’s more like it! Orange, yellow and green lights galore, red velvet interior, double cab and an absolutely huge control panel to actuate all this madness. We have a winner!
Japan still has some “tuk-tuk” EV-makers, somehow stuck in the 1990s. Meet the Osaka-made EQV (“Enjoy Quest Vehicle”) Camp. BYD, Tesla and Hyundai must be quaking in their boots.
We’ll end the post on two wheels, for a change. Want a bike with early 20th Century styling but made from 21st Century components? Snake Motors has the answer for you with the K-16. Your choice of 50 or 125cc – you won’t beat any land speed records, but at least you’ll get noticed.
See you tomorrow for the first half of the foreign stuff.
Those Cedric estate cars make me swoon with desire – especially if they’ve got wing mirrors!
The Chia Pet car is something else, alright….
But I can certainly get onboard with the S12 Silvia, quite rare in this land as well nowadays. If anything it looks better to me every year, sleek without at all jellybean.
I’m trying to think of what the “equivalent” American cars to the 2000GT and the Mazda Cosmo would to see them just streetparked or driving down the street would be…Maybe Cobra but you’d just assume it to be fake, so not that…. Not quite sure, but definitely sure that those are some fine finds in the wild!
Three winners. City Turbo II (to take home), the dekotora collection (to leave there, but always just outrageously fascinating), and the Snake bike, the last of which which is odd for me. I don’t like motorbikes. To me, they all look like the back of an old-school tv (with cover removed), with wheels, and they all make noises flat, farty and fatuous, but by some alchemy, that little thing is just pretty. Which proves either we can all learn at any age, or that my mind is slipping faster than I thought, or that my mind is slipping faster than I thought.
I just knew the car in the lead photo had to be a Mitsuoka.
I am fairly new to CC and have never laid eyes on the vast majority of these vehicles. Very interesting collection. It was like visiting a car museum, seeing odd things, cool things, creative things (LL Bean).
Ugly? Not to my eyes. That Toyota son-of-a-Chrysler-Airflow is a dream car to me.
Comfortable interior, modern running gear, and a body that truly evokes the spirit of the cars it was inspired by.
US retro cars (PT Cruiser, Thunderbird) looked nothing like anything from an earlier era. They only borrowed from isolated design elements in making a then-current style car.
This thing could be the love child of 1996 Airflow that had a run in with a Divco milk truck.
You say it is big, and it has chunky proportions, but from a picture I can’t tell its true size. It isn’t really big if it is less than 18 feet long.
I want one.
Alas, with only 100 made, and those thousands of miles away in Japan, I will never even see one, let alone get to sit inside one. My state would not let me import one and register it, and I do not have the spare hundreds of thousands of dollars to try.
But I now have an answer to what would be my dream car–an obscure, 1996 Toyota retromobile.
I’m guessing that the Chia Pet truck is part of a fleet of delivery vehicles. The logo on the side is that of Innocent Drinks – a UK-based smoothie brand that seems to have a presence in Japan (logo from website below).
The truck itself looks like the kind of vehicle that would be used to deliver smoothies to stores.
Just a guess on that mystery
Just when I think you’ve surely shown us all the JDM weirdness to be seen, you find some more! Ans along with the weird, all those tasteful uncommonalities (not rare enough to be rarities, perhaps).
Do I spy X50 Cressida wheels on that lovely white Trueno? Oh, and a shoutout to the owner of that first S800 you found: 791 on the plate happens to be the capacity of the engine, 791cc.
Personal favourites? The Mira lawn ornament(!), the Vigor, the Rasheen, the second Y30 wagon, the…. oh, I give up! Too many! If I could bring home one – that white HG50 President.
Oh, and here’s a nicer Mira for you.
On the subject of model cars, I have a Doyusha version of that Colt Galant 4-door sedan (even painted it the same metallic green). It’s a typical crude early ’70s made-to-be-motorized tooling but it’s closer to 1/25 than 1/24 scale so it looks right posed among a shelf of AMT and Revell early ’70s Mopars.
Thankfully those deckatorra nightmares dont come here complete, that first one is barely within front overhang regulations but its still unuseable, I like the blue school bus, does Japan allow LHD on commercial vehicles or is it like NZ where you can keep your US import LHD but anything that enters the actual truck category, over 3500kg tare must be converted,
Great collection.
Help me out – why did they mount the mirrors so far forward on the fenders? I can’t imagine how hard they’d be to adjust..
The idea was that the mirrors were in the driver’s field of view at all times. Apart from super basic or very old cars (like the Honda S800s in this post, for instance), they were adjustable from the driver’s seat. Present-day taxis still have them.
Winner of the imitation school bus competition has to be this photographed in my home town. Recently released to the market here, Suzki’s four doors Jimni.
Wow. Amazing selection overload! Hard to a pick a favourite (or most wacky) from that lot.
That Impreza Casa Blanca sure makes one want to reach for the eye bleach. The shoe car is absolutely wild but very wild.
I’d never heard of the Fuji Rabbit scooter. Neat things.
The Kei school bus is fantastic – what a sense of humour.
Are you seeing a lot of the “off-road” modified Toyota Proboxes? Tons down here in Yamaguchi.
Were I younger and in the market I’d buy one in a heartbeat…quite the bargain.
The Cedric wagons are so uncanny in their detail to the traditional American wagon. Big chrome bumpers, hood ornament, and even more chrome trim. Especially the green woodie, the fake wire hubcaps are a nice period touch of American kitsch.
Im just curious about the size of these things, if they were about the same size as a volvo 240 or late 70s Malibu wagon. Or smaller than that.
The photo with “24 cylinders in each of these photos” would look great with four Honda CBXs on it or with some additional italian sauce.
Gotta say I rather like what Toyota did in styling the Origin, with one exception — that front end.
It tries too hard to replicate its original Toyopet Crown inspiration, and wound up looking like an aftermarket “retro” affectation (a la Mitsuoka) at odds with the rest of the body, which is otherwise a more tastefully modern, understated and updated interpretation of that Toyopet’s styling cues.
Google Image Search turned up an Origin where someone replaced the chrome buck-teeth with a simple mesh insert, which IMO is a step in the right direction.
The ’96 Toyota Classic is all-too-obviously made from a Hilux, likely a necessary compromise due to ultralow volumes. Acceptable from the likes of Mitsuoka – although even though the Viewt kind of works, the Ryogi still has too much Sentra (Sunny? Bluebird Sylphy?) in it but leaving Toyota with egg on its’ face next to the New Beetle and PT Cruiser that came along almost immediately after and whose volume production engineering meant they didn’t need to carry over Golf/Jetta and Neon (respectively) windshield, doors and dash.
Speaking of Mitsuoka, the best thing about the Rock Star in the showroom is its’ color which Mazda should add to the stock Miata (and 3/crossover) palate ASAP as they really need more good colors in addition to Soul Red.