December is, by far, my favourite time of the year, and one of the things I enjoy the most is looking over the Photos of the Year posts put together my fellow Speedhunters. For my first of two parts, I’ve chosen 15 assorted images from my Japan trip back in April and May. Those of you who have read my work will know that Japan has had a big impact on my life, so it seemed fitting to focus on this small continent first.

Nissan PS13, Naoki Nakamura, Meihan Sports Land, Osaka, Japan

Naoki Nakamura graced us with his presence for our first day at Meihan Sports Land.

Team ZOOM UP Zenki S14, Convenience Store, Nagoya, Japan

My trip to Japan went for just over two weeks and was non-stop. In that time we attended a number of events, meets and garages. I spotted this ZOOM UP S14 sitting quietly at a little convenience store in Nagoya.

Yoshida-san’s Supermade S15, Supermade HQ, Osaka, Japan

During this trip I visited Supermade. I was giddy with excitement when Yoshida-san parked the S15 outside so I could take some statics.

Hakosuka Heaven, Jenesis HQ, Osaka, Japan

Another memorable stop was to Hakosuka heaven: Jenesis. Here’s a photo of three gorgeous Skylines.

T-Welding, Osaka, Japan

T-Welding blew me away. Yuuichi Taguchi-san is certainly a perfectionist when it comes to welding exhausts.

Kuroi-sans D1SL S15, Meihan Sports Land, Osaka, Japan

On our second visit to Meihan Sports Land – this time for the Wreck `Em day – Kuroi-san from M-Bros made an appearance along with Team Burst.

Jesse Streeter’s PS13, Meihan Sports Land, Osaka, Japan

With the sun setting over Meihan Sports Land, I spent some one-on-one time with Jesse Streeter’s beige PS13. You can see the full feature here.

Supermade Gloria, Meihan Sports Land, Osaka, Japan

While I was at it, I also shot the SR20DET-powered Nissan Gloria from Supermade.

In car with Naoki Nakamura, Meihan Sports Land, Osaka, Japan

Japan brings a constant flow of unexpected surprises, such as being able to ride shotgun with Naoki Nakamura in his 600+hp D1GP S15.

Kazuya-san, Meihan Sports Land, Osaka, Japan

B-West is owned by Kazuya Bai-san and his wife. Here he’s sitting in the pits, preparing for some battles.

Dramatic AE86, Motorland Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan

Suzuka can be a very moody and dramatic circuit. I don’t usually get to work with scenery like this back in Australia, so I made the most of it while in Japan.

Bride Trueno Coupe, Motorland Suzuka Circuit, Suzuka, Japan

It was during my visit to Motorland Suzuka that I spotted the Bride AE86 Trueno Coupe. I knew straight away that it was perfect for a feature on Speedhunters.

Tamaki-san’s EK Hatch, gas station in Suzuka, Japan

After a full day of drifting there is nothing better to do than head out for copious amount of food and drink. On the way back into the city we spotted Tamaki-san’s slammed EK Civic.

Todd Waldon’s RPS13, Bihoku A Circuit – Highland, Okayama, Japan

We weren’t sure if the 3.5 hour drive to Okayama was worth it for a drift practice day, but as soon as we arrived at Bihoku Highland we knew we had made the right choice.

K-Tour Drift Group, Shinsaibashi, Osaka, Japan

To conclude I have a photo of the whole K-Tours group in their drift cars. This was taken in the middle of Shinsaibashi in Osaka. Stay tuned for part two.

-Casey

2011 Photos Of The Year on Speedhunters