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Three weeks in Japan: NSX Day at Suzuka, R's Meeting and B2B at Fuji, Daikoku and Umihotaru nights, and my first drive in a Civic Type R FD2.

DAIKOKU LEGENDS: Chasing the Apex. Preserving the Legend. The First Turn: Why I Started Daikoku Legends If you’ve ever stood in the heart of the Daikoku Parking Area at midnight, you know it’s more than just a rest stop. It is a symphony of idling straight-sixes, the scent of high-octane fuel, and a vibrant community that speaks a universal language of steel and glass. That atmosphere stayed with me long after I returned to the streets of Toronto, and it is the spark that eve

Five cars, five very different exhaust notes. The lineup, the setups, how we tested, and both parts of the exhaust sound showdown in one place.

Planning a car trip to Japan? Tokyo Auto Salon, Nostalgic 2Days, Osaka Auto Messe, FuelFest Japan, R's Meeting, NSX Day and the weekly spots, by month.

Daikoku PA is car only, has no schedule and can be closed by police on busy nights. How to get there, when to go, etiquette, and where to head if the entrance is shut.

When the police shut down Daikoku PA, the midnight JDM run doesn't end. It just moves to the water. This video follows the scramble out of Daikoku and the convoy to the Umihotaru PA car meet.

Nothing beats a summer midnight run to Daikoku PA. This video covers everything from the expressway cruise and ramp entrance to the wild builds waiting inside.

A Lancer Evolution VI tackling the touge roads up Mt. Tsukuba, filmed during the Drivers Lounge x G.Base Tsukuba driving tour. The Evo VI is my all-time favourite JDM machine, so this one was special.

If you bleed VTEC and revere Honda's racing pedigree, the Honda Collection Hall in Motegi is sacred ground. It houses Honda's rarest road cars, race cars and motorcycles, spanning generations of innovation rooted in Soichiro Honda's philosophy.

This is the Honda Integra Type R DC5 heading down the Hakone Turnpike, filmed entirely hands-free on Meta Ray-Ban smart glasses for a true eye-level touge POV.

GTNET Saitama is one of Japan's legendary JDM dealerships, and on the day I visited they had three Honda NSXs sitting on the showroom floor.

Renting a JDM legend to carve through the Japanese mountains is a bucket-list dream for any enthusiast. Drivers Lounge in Kawasaki makes it happen, with guided tours across Hakone, Tsukuba, Mt. Fuji and Daikoku PA.

This is the pure, uninterrupted sound of a naturally aspirated K20A screaming up the Hakone Turnpike in a Honda Integra Type R DC5. Zero traffic, zero interruptions, just VTEC and asphalt.

FuelFest Japan took over Fuji Speedway on August 11th, and the energy was unreal. From Hollywood movie cars to hardcore Japanese street culture, it was one of the best automotive events of 2026.

The HKS Technical Factory is one of Japan's most iconic tuning houses. In this quick POV walkthrough, I step inside the showroom to see HKS-built RB26 engines sitting right on the floor.

What is Daikoku PA like on a Monday night? I wasn't expecting much, but the lot was packed with an incredible mix of JDM cars and a huge Itasha gathering.

GR Garage Master One Tomei-Kawasaki is a showroom full of top-tier aftermarket parts and rare Toyota Gazoo Racing cars, including the limited-production GRMN Yaris and the GR Corolla.

Wondering what JDM parts actually cost in Japan? I toured three Super Autobacs megastores, in Tokyo Bay (A PIT Autobacs Shinonome), Nagoya and Osaka, checking real yen prices on wheels, seats and tuning parts.

I took a late-night walk through America-mura (Ame-mura) in Osaka, where spontaneous street meets pop up around Triangle Park in the middle of the city's neon nightlife district.

Located right at Fuji Speedway, the Fuji Motorsports Museum traces over 130 years of racing history. If you're a fan of Japanese motorsport, it's a must-visit.