Wangan Warriors Unite: </br> The Daikoku PA Takeover
A Speedhunters x Fatlace Collab

When I received an email not so long ago titled Fatlace Daikoku Meet from Mark Arcenal, the creative mastermind behind the Fatlace and Illest lifestyle brands, I knew that something awesome was in the works. Mark and his team were soon to arrive in Tokyo for the upcoming Offset Kings showcase at Fuji Speedway, and they were keen to meet up with us and arrange to see more of a casual side to the area’s social car scene.

Emails were exchanged, and last week we put out an announcement on our social channels that we would be hosting a casual ‘Fatlace x Speedhunters Offset Kings Pre-Meet’ at the iconic Daikoku parking area.

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Our Friday night began when I met up with the Fatlace crew down at the Mooneyes HQ in Yokohama – somewhere I’d always wanted to visit. After catching a bite to eat at the Moon Cafe, we also met Shige-san, the owner of Mooneyes, who gave us a tour of the shop too.

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I couldn’t get my head around the sheer amount of cool merch they had for sale, and it was probably a good thing that we arrived just before they closed as I could’ve spent a good few hours there completely emptying out my wallet. After grabbing some photos and plenty of stickers, it was time to drive across to Daikokufuto, the industrial man-made island where the famous Daikoku PA can be found.

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From Mooneyes it was only a quick 10-minute commute across Tokyo Bay to the island, but that still meant we had to take the infamous Bayshore Route – the Wangan – to get there. Seeing as my friend Teru-san was convoying with us in his extremely low B110 Nissan Sunny (which you might recognise from Mike’s spotlight story last year), I made sure to call shotgun so that I could finally experience my ultimate dream driving road from the inside of a Datsun.

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I’ll admit that it made me feel a bit homesick for my 280Z back in New Zealand, but as the old school Sunny rattled and banged (in a good way, of course) and the strong stench of fuel filled the cabin, I couldn’t help but smile. ‘One day, I will drive my Datsun here’, I thought to myself. Considering the low ride height, I was surprised that was we didn’t scrape on the expressway at all. But needless to say, the custom suspension setup was so stiff that it made it pretty much impossible for me to get a steady driving shot!

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We arrived just before 10:00pm, and the main parking area was already starting to fill up. Despite the light yet persistent rain shower, more and more cars just kept on rolling in! I managed to gather my camera, bag, tripod and umbrella all at once and started making my way around the parking lot.

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The first thing I noticed was that there weren’t many nostalgic kyusha cars around, so when I spotted this caged Nissan Bluebird – or Datsun 510 as I’m used to calling them – it instantly caught my eye. As I got closer I realised that the owner had paid detail not only to the exterior of the car with its immaculate olive green paintwork, but that there was something special going on underneath the bonnet too.

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It’s not all that common to come across a street car in Japan with a detailed engine bay like this, so getting to see such a clean SR20 swap with ITBs and beautiful headers was a real treat. I’m going to assume it had some pretty serious aftermarket cams in there too, as when it fired up to leave I could hear its lumpy idle from the opposite side of the parking area.

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I really enjoyed the retro colourway on this intense wide-bodied Mk3 JZA70 Toyota Supra. You might have figured this out by now but Japanese car enthusiasts definitely aren’t afraid to get creative with colour. You’ll see a lot of pink and purple cars here, as the Japanese don’t associate these colours with femininity – it’s just another colour of the spectrum to them. I like how the owner has gone with a bright yellow roll cage – a new-school take on the old school yanki kyusha style half-cage. I wonder if he chose the yellow with that in mind? The lust-worthy Weds Kranze LXZ wheels are a great choice too.

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Extreme oni-kyan camber is one of Japan’s weird and wonderful car trends that seems to stir a lot of negative online commentary, especially with builds like this extreme Honda Odyssey. Sure, this set-up isn’t practical in the slightest and it usually involves a lot of swerving and scraping, but the owners honestly just don’t care. Style is hugely important in Japanese car culture and it matters enough that they are willing to make sacrifices for it. Argue all you want, but they love it and they’re having fun which is cool in my books.

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Although the 991 Porsche rear tail lights threw me off at first; I soon recognised the familiar Nissan chassis as a 350Z I’d seen before on Speedhunters. This wild Z33 build has been circling the Japanese car scene for a while now, and it even made an appearance at SEMA a few years ago. The Z-Porsche hybrid is now much, much wider – making Nakai-san’s latest IROC-inspired 964 build look tame in comparison!

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Every modified street car in Japan must be offensively loud. And trust me, sometimes it’s the smallest and most unsuspecting vehicles that make the most noise. This Suzuki wins my award for the lowest and loudest Swift I’ve ever come across.

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The good old Trueno hatchback is another sought-after chassis that the Japanese have such easy access to, but no matter how many times you see them here you just can’t get sick of them. That was especially the case with this clean two-tone example on RAYS Volk Racing TE37Vs. I was hoping to find the owner to see if he could pop the bonnet, but sadly I couldn’t locate him. With the amount of care and detail paid throughout the rest of the build, I am certain there would be something impressive lurking underneath the hood too.

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Daikoku PA is an incredible location, but the parking spaces are tight and it’s hilariously difficult to shoot there at night when it gets busy. Despite there being some lighting around the parking lot, it’s still pretty dark in most areas, so long exposures using a tripod are a must. To give you some idea, here’s what 80 per cent of my images from the meet looked like! What once was a really nice E34 wagon on BBS LMs is now a green alien life form.

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If cars don’t drive into your shots, then you’ll have people walking into them. Usually on accident of course – unless you’re this guy! This unexpected photobomb actually turned out to be quite funny.

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Japan obviously has easy access to a huge selection of current aftermarket performance wheels, but personally I prefer old wheels that have history and character. Watanabes are the traditional wheels of choice for the old AE86 – but a new 86? Let’s take a closer look…

We Love Japan!
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I really liked how the owner of this Toyota 86 had chosen classic wheels as opposed to something modern – it’s a really cool vintage twist on a car that already pays homage to its popular predecessor. A simple and not too over-the-top combo. It’s been re-branded with USDM badging too, of course!

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Here’s a better picture of Teru-san’s ’72 Nissan Sunny. Teru rescued the old B110 from a scrap yard a few years ago and turned it into the character-filled shakotan machine you see today. The super-low Sunny has such cool street presence, and you can’t go wrong with classic 13-inch SSR Mk-II wheels. The ADVAN tyre stencils are the cherry on the top!

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Speaking of vintage tin on classic SSR Mk-IIs, this KP61 Starlet had similar styling cues, but with a slightly more practical ride height and some curious interior decorations. Matching the body and wheels with the same paint colour seems to be quite a common trend in Japan at the moment.

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I’m used to seeing S13s on the corner of every street back at home in New Zealand, but I haven’t spotted as many Silvia notchback models in Japan as I thought I would have during the six weeks I’ve been staying here. Despite being super-popular in NZ and the west, it seems like a lot of local drifters are favouring sedans over the smaller two-door chassis at the moment.

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This Crown Athlete was one such example. These luxury VIP sedans are steadily gaining popularity as the prices drop, and with a factory 1JZ turbo motor and the same suspension as the Altezza (IS200) chassis, they have plenty of aftermarket support too. This pink JZS175 build was only completed a few months ago but it was already showing signs of wear and tear from shredding tyres and getting sideways. The headlamps and grill appear to have been swapped out for the Crown Royal (non-turbo model) versions, and the rear guards have gone under the knife in order to fit the large Work Meister wheels.

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If there’s one car in particular that seems to stand out as the drift platform of choice in Japan it’s the Toyota Chaser JZX. And there were plenty of them at Daikoku that night. This JZX90 Mark II looked ridiculously menacing with its low ride height and extremely tight fitment. This is an Offset Kings pre-meet after all.

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This clean JZX110 and JZX100 pair weren’t sporting any scuffs or zip ties so I can only assume they weren’t dedicated drift cars – but you can never quite be sure of that in Japan.

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Not far away from them I spotted yet another clean JZX100; another car that had been given the widened fender treatment, this time to house a beautifully deep set of Work Schwert SC1s. The new guards blended so perfectly into the original panels, including the rear doors. I won’t lie, I’ve been looking at a lot of JZXs for sale over the last few weeks – I think I’ve been brainwashed!

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From immaculate streeters to the more authentic touge drift machines, this beat-up AE86 notchback was just one of the hard-driven rides that some of the guys from N-Style showed up with. The little retro-liveried Hachiroku was sporting vintage SSR Mk-III wheels and some cool battle scars.

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This NA MX-5 rolled in with a crew of three or four other Roadsters. Upgraded suspension, a roll bar and grippy tyres wrapped around classic Watanabe wheels are all you need for a cheap and fun weekend toy.

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R32 GT-Rs are ridiculously common in Japan, and I think I’m starting to become immune to them now as I’ve just seen so many recently. This example wasn’t the cleanest, but I like how the owner had added his own subtle personal touches like the pink front lip (or maybe he just cannibalised a pink GT-R?).

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I almost walked straight past this ninth-gen Honda Accord wagon, until I realised that it had huge StopTech brakes and 19-inch RAYS Volk Racing TE37 Tokyo Time Attack wheels! UDSM Acura badges are a must for extra street points too.

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It was great that so many people braved the rain to say hello and share their cars with us; at one point there were cars just cruising around in circles because every parking spot was already taken. Although meets like this aren’t illegal, the noisy wastegates and sound systems usually associated with them aren’t encouraged by the local authorities, so they’re usually broken up with people being asked to leave. But on this occasion the police had a fairly passive attitude and didn’t seem to mind that much.

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Unfortunately the weather had other ideas, and it wasn’t too long before it got a bit too wet for me to feel comfortable having my camera out. Other people must have felt the same about their cars too, and as they started to vacate the parking area and head back onto the expressway. The night came to life with the echoing symphony of one hundred street cars stepping hard on the throttle around the swirling expressway above us. What a magical sound!

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It was great to get a glimpse of the more casual side of Tokyo and Yokohama’s social scene like this. These cars weren’t necessarily all for show; most of them were authentic daily driven street machines, and to me they seemed like an accurate representation of what general ‘car life’ is like for a lot of enthusiasts here – especially from the younger generation.

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Of course, this a just a small taster for the Offset Kings show coverage we’ve got scheduled for later this week. Stay tuned for a full event report from Fuji Speedway coming up very soon!

Taryn Croucher
Instagram: taryncroucher
Twitter: @taryncroucher
taryn@speedhunters.com

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1

Taryn, I don't think you know the pain I felt when these pictures were teased earlier this week. Loving Dat sun! Also, any chance of a video ProjectZ update?

2

Cool story, nice write up.
That purple MkIII is stunning!!! Love some of the classics too.
Can't lie though, after reading the title "Wangan Warriors Unit: Diakoku PA Takeover", and seeing that MkIII in the cover photo, I thought I was going to get a taste of some true Wangan beasts...Skylines, RX7s, Supras, RWB 911s, etc, all pushing out crazy HP numbers....not an oni-camber Honda minivan and an obnoxious Suzuki Swift. Maybe I'm just stuck in the '90s "Golden Era" lol.

3

bkishaan Not in the near future, but one day I'll try and post a video when I get back to NZ :)

4

Twitch_6 I can't even tell you how often wish I was born earlier so that I could've visited Japan then! It's true, a lot of these cars weren't big power builds, but I bet that most of them are being driven to their limits - whether that be on the expressways, the streets or the mountains. Maybe not the Odyssey though haha

5

Oh yes! I honestly thought I'd never see a mark 3 supra here! Only car I've personally owned without even thinking of getting rid of. Nice work!

6
MartinBrandan

What an awesome post, I love that N-Style 86 in particular. so raw!

7

Looks like US dealer license plate frames (undersized on the Japanese plates) are maybe a thing now?

8

Nice!
Anything from 7's day (night)?
PS (Does anyone have a rough idea what are the dates TAS 2015 will be held?)

9

Love the MkIII! Just out of curiosity Taryn, how many people in the Japanese car scene speak English? I really want to experience the car scene over there and do some exploring too, the only thing that scares me is the language barrier. Awesome write up though, love the Daikoku backdrop!

10

OH my GOD !! that Supra is out of this world, I know a lot of us would appreciate a feature of this car, specially since it is one of those cars that are rarely seen and really taken care of, not to mention it adds variety and something new to wonder about.

11
Gianluca FairladyZ

That's one of my dreams getting there! But here it would have been nice to have some bonus images! Thank you anyway Taryn.

12

Loving that 72 nissan sunny b110,here in the uk they were  datsun 120y iirc?.Mostly turquise colour.
Any shots of the suzuki jeep behind the starlet??
great report as were use to the rain here in the uk too!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

14

Cool meet. Must've been fun. Love the Mk3 Supra. One of my boys roll in one.

15

I just realized that speedhunters didn't do anything special for 7's day... I used to think you guys went overboard with the rotary coverage. I guess careful what you wish for.

16

Extreme camber, to me, is not merely an issue of personal taste. I think it looks stupid, but it's not my car, so who cares. My issue is that it's a potential safety hazard; it puts incredible strain on suspension components and tires. Not only that, but it makes the handling of the car far more unpredictable. 

My point is that it's not a matter of liking or disliking extreme camber, it's a matter of public safety, really. Every one of these cars is a potential hazard. That's not me being a curmudgeon, that's a fact.

17

A feature on the A70 would be great.
Sold mine a few weeks ago and need help

18

Taryn Croucher I look forward to it!

19
ModBargainsNick

Gorgeous photos; totally lusting after that JZA70 too.

20

Wow Taryn, looks like a really fun meet! The rain set a nice mood for your photos too. :)

21

Is there a write of of the JZA70? Or maybe in the future?
Perpetualroad.com

22

CamJames pretty much none of them dude. I was surprised at how few spoke even a little english, but it doesn't really matter, they're all still really nice and you just get good at playing charades

23

Twitch_6 

Totally agree you wouldn't see most of that rubbish on the Wangan at any great speeds. I feel let down

24

CamJames Ummmm maybe like 2%? You just have to learn some Japanese! Things like, 'Is this your car?' and 'Can I see the engine?' I'm putting together a story at the moment about all this stuff - it'll be up on here before the end of the month :)

25

AndyBrooking Sorry to disappoint! I'm sure Dino will have some more Japanese content coming up soon that will appeal more to you :)

26

Taryn Croucher Really?! Yeah looks like it! Definitely keen to have a read of that then, hopefully can get some pointers in the right direction language wise! Thanks for actually replying :)

27
CharlesChris15

@Jake Laird I've never once seen or heard of someone with camber that excessive causing damage to others, mainly because they realize how dangerous it really it, and drive with caution. You really don't see crazy camber cars like this driving crazy or stupid. Besides the burnouts, and donuts in parking lots they are very cautious. Another thing to remember is most of the people who go crazy camber like that probably had past experience with camber, so you could assume they are used to the feel the car has with that setup.

28

Taryn Croucher , it was great meeting you! sick coverage of the daikoku meet!

-Jay @jaymazing

29

CharlesChris15 I agree with Charles. You are far more likely getting wiped off by a "stock" car whose driver is simply not paying attention to the road. Fiddling with the mobile or half asleep.

To be honest, most of these cambered cars tend to run air suspension and once jacked up, will straighten up a fair bit. 
I agree they have compromised the car's stability but tend to drive slowly anyway to avoid scraping over speed humps, potholes, rocks, stones, pebbles ...

30

izzy_ortiz Nothing planned but perhaps in the future? That will be up to Mr Carbonare :)

31

KeithCharvonia Haha I'm glad the mood 'looked' nice… it was ridiculously humid and gross!

32

Gianluca FairladyZ With the rain picking up and having to shoot long exposures on a tripod, I tried to get as many photos as I could but the elements were against me!

33

why do people bend their plates upwards like that R32?

34

Nikhil_P I think it's so they're not easily identifiable when they're driving haha

35

I've been a huge fan of his JZA70 for ages. It used to be black. Let's see something on it :).

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