One of the things that always struck me about Japan and Japanese cars are that there are a lot of small cars, more than in most places. This isn’t to say there aren’t large cars as well, there are lots of them, in fact I can’t recall seeing as many Bentleys and G-Wagons in any other place recently as well as lots of larger JDM iron. While I was there I spent a lot of time just walking around and literally losing myself in various neighborhoods just taking random turns and looking at everything I came across.
When I’d had enough I would pull my phone out and have it get me back to my hotel. Lots of these neighborhoods had single-family homes that were fairly (very) compact by western standards and interesting parking situations/limitations. As parking is extremely expensive in Japan it behooves one to purchase a car that fits in the garage or the parking spot, as there generally are not driveways or street front parking in the typical Tokyo neighborhood.
There are obviously other reasons why small cars are popular in Japan but I’ll just focus on parking at home for now. A lot of these pictures feature cars that are familiar to us, otherwise we can’t get a proper sense of scale. In addition to the limited parking a lot of these houses are on “roads” that to the typical westerner are narrower than the average footpath that we wouldn’t dream of driving on. There is no passing with even the smallest cars and a lot of the corners are completely blind 90-degree ones with walls up to the edge without any land buffer. How so few cars have body damage is beyond me, but small size, good visibility, and a tight turning radius are highly prized.
This picture of a Mazda Demio (our Mazda2) shows a house with a garage that is partly underground, these are fairly common, however the driveway angle is generally steep and the opening is not very tall. This particular one was a bit abnormal in that the car was partly in the road, which as far as I could tell is a no-no, it needs to fit within the property line. That road was not very wide, getting in and out would be tough in anything much larger. I think there was stuff behind the car, my impression was that the roof would just clear the top of the opening but many cars would not make the cut here.
As with the VW Golf a few pictures up, this guy has to back into a tight spot and even has a pole to contend with. The Golf on the other hand has to clear a curb. It’s quite likely he was very busy with the measuring tape when car shopping. His only saving grace is that it’s a right-hand drive car, as the left side was snug up against the house.
Thank goodness for small CUV’s, this is probably the largest generation RAV4 that this person will ever own. Those dreams of a Ford Expedition? Not gonna happen.
This is one of the largest cars on this block by far. Pulling in the first time had to be a nerve-wracking experience. Just fitting a new set of tires likely has the owner making sure the tread isn’t abnormally deep.
This was the parking in a very nice new and modern residence. In this case the driver is exiting through the passenger door. Oh, nobody seems to pull in headfirst either, it’s way too difficult or dangerous to back out again.
Here’s a slightly larger shot for context. There’s also enough room for a couple of scooters and a passel of bicycles, also very common.
This one’s at the end of a cul-de-sac. No, no huge turning circle expanse of asphalt, just a curb and driveway area for him and another one across the (one-lane) street.
Here’s a two-car spot, the car on the left is a Suzuki Hustler, a very popular little Kei car, the car on the right obviously a BMW. There’s nothing angry looking about the little Suzuki SUV-let, but the BMW on the other hand looks ready to take its lunch money. Both fit pretty well but if you had two BMW’s it’d be tougher.
A 3-series wagon and another great illustration of why having a car dealer bring the car to you at home for a test drive is a great idea. Let the dealer demonstrate how it fits into the garage. I think this was the only one I can recall seeing pulled in head-first and when I was eye-balling it thought it must be due to the little fin antenna on the back.
All the short and boxy shapes with practically vertical sides start to make a lot more sense. A lot of space is wasted by having the upper body of a car taper in as we are used to it doing and a long hood is a complete liability and waste. Anyone who has seriously looked at a newer Ford Transit or Ram Promaster van vs the old E-150 and current GM offering sees the obvious shape advantage immediately.
We’ll finish with the lead image again, with another Suzuki Hustler. This guy has a deep tandem parking area but this is also very representative of the width of a lot of the narrowest back streets that I was on, just imagine houses and “driveways” on either side. It all helps explain why the only full-size crewcab truck I saw all week was a current generation USDM Toyota Tundra on a major road. This owner also exits through the passenger door for some reason, I’m not sure why he isn’t just up against the other wall. In any case, I hope this helped to explain part of the genesis of the small Japanese modern car. None of these examples were in any way unique, there were literally hundreds to choose from during my walks, it was the norm.
I guess its easier to get really close to the wall on the driver’s side – kei cars (the ones I’ve been in) are walk through so its no hassle getting out the other side.
I did once see a Honda Fit in Nagano with the side well scraped. But that’s the only car I can recall seeing with panel damage. The Japanese are just excellent and very, very patient and precise with parking: a scraped (or dirty) car just doesn’t seem to be socially accpetable. I mean, why would you scrape your car on a wall?
Very insightful. While I’ve not yet had the opportunity to go to Japan, what you show here is pretty close to what I have always envisioned – at least for the Tokyo area.
This also shows how it’s easy to fall into the trap of extrapolating one’s bubble to the world over. Japan has a population density of ten times that of the United States (no real surprise, but it is less than that of England, which is a surprise) so having larger cars as is the case in the US simply isn’t feasible. Many here forget how much space we have.
What does surprise me is the number of German cars you found although I know you were trying to capture those examples most familiar to the most audience.
I saw a grand total of one US-style crew cab pickup. An almost new Toyota Tundra, left hand drive.
The common perception of how crowded Japan (and Tokyo in particular) is is not really accurate. While the subways are crowded during rush hour it’s like that in any major city with a good transportation system. There were plenty of times I got on and found an immediate seat.
Walking around was not more crowded that walking around in any major city, sure, plenty of other people around but no need to walk any slower than normal and not difficult to avoid bumping into others.
Traffic seemed much as it does anywhere, busy but generally not gridlocked, decent flow. Mostly Japanese cars, German cars are relatively popular but less so percentage wise than in the US it seemed, a few French, couple of Brits, and a total of two Fords (a newer Escape and a Ford E350 tucked into a multi car garage). Oh and a decent number of Jeeps (Wrangler and current Cherokee). (By decent number I’d say I saw about 20 total over a week’s time, so about what I see in twenty minutes at home.)
Overall a fantastic city to visit. Sparkling clean, polite people, efficient and very reasonably priced transportation ($14 for three day unlimited subway pass), lots to see and do, and easy to find help if needed.
Darn it, you’ve now got me looking at population densities for various cities! Tokyo is less dense population wise than London and much less so than New York and Paris although more dense than Chicago. The closest I’ve found is Brussels.
This does help calibrate one’s view of it all.
That’s about right. The infrastructure seems to be able to accommodate it. The busiest thing I saw was the “Shibuya Scramble” (see pic I took in the middle of it below), a huge intersection that when all directions has traffic stopped, people can cross in every direction including diagonally (which makes a ton of sense if you think about it as long as traffic is respectful as it is over there). But even that was about what you’d see at Times Square in NY, lots of people but steady progress at a normal walking pace. A block further, totally normal again. I think that picture was shot on either a Saturday or Sunday mid-afternoon, it’s a very popular shopping area.
Fascinating. Plus it’s truth everyone has a twin. The guy in the ball cap is a dead-ringer for a coworker.
“Japan has a population density of ten times that of the United States (no real surprise, but it is less than that of England, which is a surprise)”
When you compare population densities, also keep in mind how much usable land they have to work with. The arable land n Japan is about 12%, while it’s 70% for England.
I don’t think that figure affects the population densities of the city centers, but once you get out of London proper, there’s a lot more “Elbow room” available.
Exactly. I was thinking that very same thing given the mountains in Japan. While the 12% and 70% figure is new to me, it makes a lot of sense in both cases.
So very familiar….and the Demio would not clear because of that tiny curb…the car would bounce going over it enough to hit the roof. When we rented our house, one of the pluses was that we had space for two (TWO!) cars. And I live in a small city that is not nearly as cramped as Tokyo or Osaka.
Thanks for picking cars we can identify with. As a Golf VII owner that second picture amazes me. Even with our 65 profile tires on 15” rims I stay away from curbs … can’t imagine lurching over one every day in such tight surroundings.
It was my understanding that buyers of cars must be able to present proof that they have a parking space already lined up BEFORE the necessary registration paperwork is approved? I don’t know if it is still the case, but kei cars were exempt from that requirement.
Aside from population density, I would imagine that the cost of gasoline plays a major part in the size and weight of the average JDM car.
Looking at the photo of the 2 car garage with the Suzuki and BMW, I am curious as to why the spot for the Suzuki is outlined in yellow, both parking spots appear to be the same size. And since the spots were numbered, I wonder if that was a multi-family house?
BTW, when I was in Japan in the 80s I noticed 2 things about the gas stations: they were almost all full-service, and nearly all featured a car wash.
I’m trying to remember what gas prices were at the gas station I was near, maybe 159Y/l? So about $6/gallon, seemed inline with (or better than) Europe. I could be wrong about the price. There was no shortage of larger cars in Tokyo, especially vans of various sizes which sort of are used as their pickup equivalent and are everywhere jus like trucks are here and equally difficult to see around when stuck behind one in a sedan.
I think the yellow box in the parking spot next to the BMW denotes that it’s reserved for the car share venture whose logo is also painted on the ground in front of it.
Might be because of the frequency of different drivers, as you can see a “Car Share” sign on the ground.
Eeesh. Wouldn’t want to live like that. Thanks for the insight, that’s certainly a piece of info you’d never pick up anywhere else.
Wow, I have lived with some tight parking fits in my life, but this knocks everything down by three sizes.
It cannot be easy to enter and exit from the passenger side in some of those very small cars. It probably helps that the average Japanese person is smaller than the average American. I can attest that it is much easier to snuggle the drivers side up to a wall because you can see everything. I did that with a Ford Club Wagon, and we indeed entered and exited from the passenger side. But it was pretty easy in a big van with passenger doors on that side.
A lot of the smaller cars don’t have the massive center consoles that we are used to over here. Many don’t have one at all, after all they are too narrow to waste the space. Some of the smaller kei car van-looking things have two regular sized seats that are quite close together, almost bench seat-like. There’s plenty of room to be comfortable while seated and driving or passengering (as in Paul’s Scion xB).
You also only have to scooch over a couple of feet to the passenger size, not like an Econoline where it’s more like six feet from one side to the other. For the most part this type of parking situation is thus accounted for in many of the cars, as anywhere, they have adapted to local conditions and some of the apparent oddities (such as the upright boxlike shapes) make perfect sense once that is considered.
Here’s a good example of one at the show. In this case a Mitsubishi eK Wagon, one of my favorites, extremely well finished inside and out.
Is the overall level of driving skill higher in Japan than in the USA, where so many “drivers” are unlicensed scofflaws?
I presume so. Drivers waited patiently while I (and others) crossed the street in the marked crosswalks, I don’t recall hearing anyone ever honking, didn’t see anyone on their phone while driving, saw zero accidents, and overall wasn’t concerned about being run over.
Taxi drivers all wear a tie and look extremely professional, their taxis (and most all cars in general for that matter) are clean to a fault at all hours of the day and night, and are also extremely courteous to both pedestrians and other traffic. And as a result or in conjunction they are respected and accommodated as well in traffic.
That said, I also saw virtually no pedestrians crossing busy roads outside of marked crosswalks, everyone waited patiently for the Don’t Walk to change to Walk at said crosswalks, didn’t try to rush over without enough time remaining on the clock or otherwise impeded vehicular traffic.
The bicyclists though were riding a little fast for my taste on the sidewalks though although they all seemed engaged in what they were doing. These were regular bicycle riders getting to work or the shops or (often) moms with one or two kids in proper kid bike seats attachments, not hordes of the Spandex clad weekend warriors we have here. Bicyclists on streets (not always possible due to width of street vs sidewalk) seemed to stay near the side of the road and away from traffic. Common sense, in other words, besides the somewhat too fast on (wider) sidewalks.
No riding scooters (Bird, Lime, etc) like in our cities at all, a fair amount of motorscooters like Dave rode in the Fiddy Run across Alberta, and some (not many) motorcycles. Many garages like the ones I pictured had multiple bicycles (the practical kind, not racing or massive mountain bikes), often a scooter tucked inside. Remarkably (to Western eyes) almost nothing was every chained or locked up. The Japanese people seem to be a respectful folk.
Totally agree on all your observations. The bikes on the sidewalk are downright dangerous, especially when you lack eyes at the back of your head…
There is also an etiquette for driving down those very tight lanes. If you see an incoming car, both drivers will tend to try and park somewhere where there’s enough space to drive past, then one driver will flash his lights, which means “I yield.” Quite different from some places is Europe, where flashing lights means “Get out of the way”…
The first photograph reminds me of the “driveway” my last house, in the New Orleans Historic Home district of Bywater had.
I suspect it was carriage storage/parking when the house was built in 1882; or perhaps a sidewalk and flowerbed that someone had eventually poured cement over.
Whatever it was, it allowed parking for three mid-sized cars, bumper to bumper.
“OSP” (Off Street Parking) is highly sought after in the various Historic Districts of New Orleans and adds anywhere from 5 to 15 percent to the home’s value. Even more in the tightly congested French Quarter neighborhood!
Fascinating! Driver note to self, don’t stand up when I exit my car in my garage.. Clearly these guys don’t drink and drive, imagine try those parking maneuvers tipsy! We can all learn a lot about space usage from Japan, I have long been a fan of their architecture.
The legal blood alcohol level here is “zero”. Even one beer and you can’t drive. Easier to live with in a country with lots of trains and taxis. They even have “we’ll drive you home in your own car” services in most cities.
There are some awful drivers here, but they tend to be of the “blocking the road because they don’t know where they want to be” type rather than the “I have a BMW so I have to go as fast as I can all the time get out of my way, poors” type. Which can cause accidents, but usually less serious ones.
Wow, interesting article! This is the sort of thing I love about CC.
This really makes me count my blessings. At my suburban house, which is not particularly pricey, I have a 3 car garage with a long level driveway that can easily hold 4 cars if needed (but I usually store all 3 of ours in garage). Gotta love life in the U.S.A.!
I noticed in the RAV4 picture (look to the left of the bucket near the front bumper) are small aprons or step ups to the curb. Same type of item in the VW and BMW photos. These allow the driver to ease on and off the curb without destroying the tires or rims. Must be made of a heavy duty resin to resist the weather.
Readily available at the equivalent of a Japanese Pep Boys or Canadian Tire store. Buy three or more tires, and we’ll give you a set of curb jumps for free!!!!⛩️🚗
Yes, the RAV4, the one vehicle pictured that should be most likely to be able to mount a curb without effort or damage…The Japanese take care of their rolling stock.
The car accessory place you refer to is Autobacs in Japan, I went to the main store and was amazed by all of the merchandise that was available, not just parts and oils and lubricants but also all kinds of vehicles accessories, as well as books, magazines, videos, camping gear, as well as there being a Starbucks in the middle of the store. Overall it was a lot like being in a Barnes&Noble just with car stuff. And oh so tidy and clean.
One of many memorable scenes from Alfonso Cuaron’s film “Roma”, set in the Mexico City neighborhood of his childhood, is watching Dad get home. He threads a 1970 Galaxie 500 into a walled-in driveway that is just an inch bigger than the car itself. Here’s the scene: https://variety.com/2018/film/news/roma-scene-alfonso-cuaron-1203094312/
I loved that scene, almost sinister (didn’t the wife later scrape the sides of the Galaxie in the same space?), it oddly evoked the scene in Christine in which Moochie is crushed in an old warehouse(?). Perhaps Cuaron’s homage to John Carpenter? Both wonderful movies.
Fantastic scene. The beauty of ordinary, everyday happenstance. Never seen this movie, but having just now Googled it, I gotta see it.
The steering wheel caught my eye. While it is the correct dash for a 1970 Galaxie, evidenced by the radio to the left of the wheel; the steering wheel is from a 1975-up FoMoCo product. i noticed the spokes attach to the rim at 8:00 and 4:00 o’clock. On 1974 and earlier models they attach at 9:00 and 3:00 o’clock. Not sure, but I think this steering wheel design debuted in 1970, but for some reason it was modified in 1975; I assume to see the dash cluster better or for a different grip position. Just something i noticed.
Without a doubt, you need laser-sharp parking skills to own a car over there. I have a hard enough time parking at just the correct spot under the 2-car carport at my home!
Not much in the way of sidewalks in those pictures. That would make parking tight as I guess on the street is frowned upon or not allowed at all. Lately, in Manila, the new mayor is going through the whole city taking back the sidewalks from people who believe it is their own property to take and build on. Others claim space out in front for parking their car on what are narrow streets.
The thing here is that the Japanese obey the laws of the city and country unlike the Philippines. Order here and chaos there. I love the videos of city crews taking sledgehammers to people’s walls and officers ticketing cars parked on the narrow streets. With 52 trips in and out of Manila I know it well and how difficult it is to walk around. This also highlights my favorite and least favorite airlines to Asia. JAL my most favorite and PAL my least favorite due to order and disorder.
I am surprised to see that gray Mercedes Benz sedan (W124?) since I thought most vehicles in Japan were newer due to repairs being expensive and the safety inspections strict.
Another interesting thing about the tightness of neighborhood streets in Japan is the orange public mirrors at intersections to allow one to see oncoming traffic.