Japan’s Hot Rods revisited…

I’m recently back from a yearly work trip to Tokyo, and again come away inspired not only by the vintage toys, clothes and guitars, but by the dedicated gearheads of Japan and the cars they built. It’s passion, pure and simple; You have a large island of people who grew up with a radically different social & car culture that came to completely appreciate every detail and nuance of classic American cars & motorcycles, from traditional 40s hot rods to 50s customs and 60s low-riders. The owners of these vehicles pour so much of themselves into building, maintaining and keeps their rides on the roads of Japan. They hunt for every part, study every detail, and truly sweat the small stuff to ‘get it right’… In a good way. I visited Mr. Shinsuke Takizawa-san (‘Sin’ to his friends), owner of Neighborhood Clothing by their location in a happening alley of Harajuku. The neon letters in the front window sum up the spirit of the brand: “The Filth And The Fury”. Once he heard that I appreciated old vehicles too, he invited me into the garage to witness his period custom Vincent HRDs (yes plural), Indian 4, bobber style Chief, and a ’36 Knuck thrown in for good measure. For hot rods he rolls a perfect little Ardun-powered ’32 Roadster he built over the course of 8 years. Here I am over 5000 miles from home, geeking out on amazing rides with a fellow hot rodder. Pretty cool.

I recently found this clip, and you can listen to Sin explain his car. You’ll hear the passion too:

http://www.highsnobiety.com/2015/01/30/blackbird-neighborhood-shinsuke-takizawa-video/