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Thursday, August 05, 2010

Car and Bike Clubs at Daikoku PA

This is the Daikoku (大黒) parking area in Yokohama.

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The toll based highway system in Japan, with it's elevated roads, doesn't accommodate any sort of on-off privileges. The result is PAs (Parking Areas) throughout the network. The Daikoku PA is within the Tokyo and Yokohama expressway system. It's the perfect meetup spot for your custom whatever vehicle club.

Big money is an everyday thing here. I've seen countless Italian car clubs meeting here, often in the morning before a day of driving out in the mountains. Tonight was apparently the gaudy Italian club. Check out this paint job on the Lambo!

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Or his iced out friend. What the?

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In high school my hobby was car audio. One of the things I really miss about home was driving around with that tremendous bass in the trunk. I'd turn it down on my street, but on the highway it was ridiculous. It's very rare in Japan to hear a car with boom. I don't know why this is, even after asking a lot of hip hop heads. Anyone know? You exhaust can be as loud as you want, so i don't think it's a noise regulation thing.

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They all took turns playing bass mixes. I think I heard some Techmaster PEB. Nostalgia!

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An itasha is a car covered in anime decals, and filled with anime toys and props. Sorry ladies, you'll be competing with a body pillow for the passenger seat.

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I mistakingly asked the owner about his Zokusha, as I thought these crazy vans were in the Bosozoku car category. He told me it's called Baningu (vanning?). The interior is a giant bed with a plasma TV. Rad.

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They all seem to follow to same formula. Japanese idol airbrushed on the back, giant wings, and chilled out interior. Chandeliers are common.

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There was a custom trike club. Check out the attention to detail!

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Snake skin seats.

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Then came the bosozoku. Classic Japanese bikes, styled in a way only Japan could come up with.

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Noisy punks? Nationalistic right wingers? Or just guys and gals who love their rides.

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They meet every Sunday here, from all over the area.

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Rad bonus, the Yokohama fireworks festival was on, and you could see it (sort of) from the parking area.

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Bad news for most of you, this PA (all PAs pretty much) are inaccessible to people without a vehicle.

3 comments:

  1. I am so glad they don't concentrate on their audio. Don't give them any ideas - the motorcycles in my neighborhood are bad enough.

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  2. Is this place still the place to go to if you want to see some Japanese tuned cars? We will be in Tokyo / Yokohama on Friday and we would realy like to see some of the Japanese tuned cars.

    Thank you!

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  3. It gets shut down early, at least it did a few years ago. Not sure now. The best time is in the am now, as car clubs meet here before going out.

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