Cars of Japan

 

Japan is one of only a handful of countries that manufactures its own cars. Known for reliabile and long-lasting vehicles, the Japanese auto industry grew out of the ashes of World War II and evolved from producing small, odd cars to becoming a global titan with some of the most well-known brands such as Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru and others. However, the models available in Japan aren't the same as in North America. Let's take a look at the Japanese cars we can't buy here. We'll also explore car culture in the Land of the Rising Sun. 

Cats don't just climb on cars in Canada. They climb on cars in Japan, too. 

The white-letter tires gives this Toyota mini-van a more sporty look. The after-market rims help, too. 

Speaking of mini-vans, Japanese people don't just take off their shoes at home. Some motorists even take off their shoes in vehicles. This is to keep the interior clean. 

The rice straw is a decoration to celebrate the New Year. Straw braids such as this are also used at temples and help designate where a sacred space begins. The licence plates in Japan include the city where the car is registered written in kanji or Chinese characters. The city here is Izumi. 

Parking space is at a premium in Japan's densely-populated cities. Hoists such as this are fairly common. It's possible to park one car over another. 

This would never be the name of a car in Canada. But Suzuki can get away with it in their domestic market. 

Conformity is prized in Japanese culture, as symbolized in this row of identical cars. 

The city written here is Kurume, which is in Fukuoka prefecture. 

As car-lovers, Japanese people appreciate makes from other countries. Volkswagen has made inroads to Japan, but not to the same degree as in China. 

Small British cars such as this Mini are well suited to Japan's cramped roads. Fish and chips meet sushi. 

Because the roads are often so small and cramped, there are many blind corners. To help drivers see if any cars are coming, there are mirrors like this all across the country. In Canada, mirrors such as these were often put in grocery stores and pharmacies to deter theft, but in Japan they assist motorists. 

Given the narrow roads and the large population, it's often quicker to reach your destination by bicycle. Since so many people ride bikes, there are multilevel parkades similiar to those for cars. Large ones such as the one below are found near train stations. Students often pedal to the station and then ride the train to school. 

Ginetta is another British company. It was founded by four brothers. They fitted the racing versions of this mid-1960s G4R with Ford engines. This one needs some TLC, but with a little work would be an excellent car for flying down Japan's twisty mountain roads. 

The Japanese are like us in the sense that they enjoy going for a drive to see the fall leaves. One aspect of Japan that surprised me is how many of my female students, especially in the 40 to 60-year-old crowd, said that their favourite passtime was to drive. 

For this last picture, I couldn't bring myself to convert it to black and white because that would hide the fall colours.