I was asked recently to pour over some JDM magazines and get a feel for them.  I have to say, I love seeing the high level of tune on the JDM rides in the magazines. 

They have such a diverse scene over there.  Truth be told, the majority of the drift scene appears to revolve around Nissan Silvia's and 1 & 2-JZ powered Toyotas, but there is also a fair bit of coverage to be had on the other players in the scene as well.

Drift Tengoku as a magazine drops right into the mix as a more feature focused magazine than some of the other JDM zines I've been thumbing through.  There's a great cover car in this issue, consisting of a 3.1l 2JZ powered Toyota Chaser.  Carbon fiber bits of embelishment, and rediculous offset are the order of the day  for this drift machine.  (I absolutely LOVE the support van in matching graphics!)

All through these magazines, the sheer volume of advertising for a huge range of parts would have most any JDM fanboy drooling.  Drift Tengoku does not disappoint.  Offering up parts that are the rarest of the rare here in North America, yet just a phone call away in Japan.  :)

One of the most interesting features in this particular issue...  An old school "VW Type 1"
This particular bug looks every bit a hot rod.  Flat black, flush wheel fitment (with more dish than I can describe, so just look at the pics!), and no engine cover/rear bumper to speak of.  The owner looks to be a Japanese descendant of Elvis Presley, but how could you be more fitting for this vehicle?

Another wildly amusing vehicle featured here, an SR20 powered drift van.

Again, my level of admiration for the DIY enthusiasts in Japan is sky high!  Here in this issue, we have suspension work, and clearing/retrofitting HID lights into an old school Chaser.

There's a great tech tips/tool section in here with mini ramps, DIY alignment/toe setting tools, through to rolling out fenders, and showing off cordless impact wrenches.  Very much the enthusiast/grass roots approach.

I also find myself giggling a bit at the fact that they have US drift coverage.  We seem to be mirroring each other in that I myself watch all the Japanese drift footage I can find!

The sheer number of body kits and accessories available for Silvia's, Chasers, Supras, and 86 chassis Corolla's is mind numbing!  In the North American market these cars saw nowhere near this level of aftermarket support.  And here it is many years passed the final iterations of these cars leaving the assembly lines, and there's a total industry behind them.

Near the back of the zine, they do send a little bit of attention back to the readership.  Showing some pics of the grassroots drifters out in the wild!
And that's about all we have time for today!  If you can find these mags, scoop them up.

cheers,
-mike