Foreword | Thursday | Aquarium/Shopping Trip | Qualifying | Main Events and Awards | VIP Tour

On Tuesday, the Europeans and Americans were able to hit a couple of hobby shops to stock up on things that they can't get in their home countries.

Since most of the Americans had to catch an early flight, they found a couple of shops in the Tokyo area to check them out. I was with the Europeans as well as Dereck, one of the Americans, and we found a little place called Kato Hobby Center, or KHC, in Nagoya. The owner seemed really happy to have a bunch of foreigners in his shop - we probably made his profit quotas for the next month! He asked if we were in town for the HPI Challenge World Finals, we told him yes and I introduced him to Greg Hill and myself as being from HPI Europe and HPI USA.

KHC was crammed full of new and old kits and parts - in addition to vintage Reedy motors and Associated chargers, we found old ABC and Tamiya r/c bodies, helicopter and plane parts, ancient engines and much much more. The store was so full of items that the center aisle could only fit one person at a time, and you couldn't reach the side wall from the aisle! There were many deals to be had - KHC sold out of Ride shock vacuum pumps, sold a Futaba 3PK radio, sold several more servos and crystal sets of various brands and many more little r/c odds and ends.

Kato Hobby Center - very small!	Store on the first floor, living area on the second and third	Vagelis scored a magnetic dial camber gauge - pretty trick! It comes with a steel flat-sided triangle to set the camber with

The owner of KHC pointed us in the direction of Tam Tam, another shop in the area, and even gave us directions on how to get there. A quick walk to a subway station, a short lesson on how to get a ticket, then two stops to a suburban area led to a 30-minute walk to Tam Tam, a huge yellow and blue building on stilts, with parking on the first floor and the shop on the enclosed second floor. From diecast cars to static models, airsoft to r/c, this floor was crammed with goodies you could spend a paycheck on! Not a single person walked out of the store without a bag. Another 3PK was sold, as well as a KO Mars EX-11, more crystal sets, more option parts, several hard-to-find r/c kits (i.e., the Kyosho 1/8 scale r/c motorcycle), tiny Choro-Q cars (the classier version of the venerable Penny Racer) and more found their way into racer's hands.

Do you like Gundam? Initial D? They had TONS of Gundam, Initial D and other anime/manga series models and toys. 1/3 of the shop was dedicated to airsoft, a little less than 1/3 to r/c, and a little more than 1/3 to plastic models and diecast cars. There were some model train aisles, as well as plenty of painting accessories and other hobby related items. It just turned into a big shopping spree for everyone.

The R/C section	Diecast cars	Static models - Gundam, military, car, everything

The rest of this page is sort of a catchall page to show pictures that wouldn't fit on the other pages and also to comment further on what it's like to visit Japan, from the perspective of the (almost) typical American visitor.

On the way to Tam Tam, we found a Ferrari dealer...

Okay, we've all seen one of these	But how often do you get to see an F40 LM?!	Another picture, for posterity's sake of course
These sound absolutely delicious	For the guy who has everything...Rolls Royce

Japanese subways are much like subways in other parts of the world - many people read, sleep or just ignore everything else going on and concentrate on getting off at the right stop. It wasn't too hard figuring out where to go, but it does help if you have a European or experienced traveler with you - mass transit systems like subways and buses tend to be designed the same, and Europeans are used to being around different languages when they travel. The subway personnel are very helpful as well, letting us know when to get off the train, how to use the ticket machines, etc.

The platform	Inside the car	The parking lot - how many bikes are there?!

Japanese housing is very tight and very expensive. Mortgages can reach the point where your grandchildren have to pay 50 years from now, on the house you buy today. In the city, you can easily have to end up knocking open a door frame to fit standard American furniture in your apartment.

A suburban home	Another suburban home, farther from the city	A farming area home

It's easy to laugh at the brand names you see in Asia or on some websites, but you have to understand, it's a popular thing to have English words as a slogan in Japanese advertising. Literal translations often come out meaning something a little different than what the vernacular seems to suggest. How many goofy Japanese sayings are on tuned-up import (or domestic) cars these days? Surely the actual Japanese laugh at those as well. Besides, many of the brands that use the English slogans are actually pretty good. Give Pocari Sweat (a drink like Gatorade), Meltykiss or Crunky (chocolates) or An Pan (light bread biscuit with sweet beans inside) a try when you get a chance!

Fridge o' drinks	Calpis is sold in North America as Calpico	Two Dogs
Vending machine o' Pocky	Now this is a big selection of Pocky!	Interesting cigarettes...
Interesting slogan	And once again, Team Yellow Corn	This was basically like Hot Dog on a Stick
It is customary to wash your hands and face with a moist and hot cloth towel before eating	Didn't go inside, but I guess this is a nice hotel - it's all-natural	Todd decides whether or not to play this (token) slot machine
Great logo/mascot for a hotel	Jeansmate!	Mosburger! Didn't get to try this place out
huh?	Cats Garden restaurant	Outside every KFC you'll find the Colonel

Night scenes

Panorama House buildings in Nagoya	Downtown Hamamatsu	Downtown Nagoya

For a bunch of car freaks, it's easy to get distracted when there are so many new and different cars surrounding you everywhere you go. These are cars that for the most part, you will never, EVER see in the United States.

Parking is so tight, some parking lots use hydraulic lifts	Other parking lots are still really small - I even saw a 3-space pay parking lot!	Highways in the cities are toll roads, but look really cool when taking a turn!
To the right - a car elevator...to the left - a car turntable. WAY COOL!	Antennas for the GPS/DVD navigation system	There were a surprising number of original Mini Coopers on the roads, too
Legend has it, this car is very very fast	A true drift racer - cambered out of its mind, front end damage, rollbar...	This car not only sounded great, it had traction like nobody's business
For some reason...	...I don't know why...	...these 4WD minivans are everywhere
The Honda Fit is actually a top-selling car in its class	Nice color	Teeny car! This is a fairly typical delivery vehicle.
Totoro sighting!	Ruf sighting!	Evo VI sighting!
Very few Skylines were actually seen - total count was 6	The most popular Subarus are the Legacy Wagon	Next, of course, is the WRX
Another WRX	Japanese version Accord Wagon	Wagons are really popular outside the big cities
See?	Older drift-style cars are in - this is a Toyota Levin	A Toyota Chaser
How cute!	Last of its kind	Older 180SX
Minivan attack!
Minivans are also very popular	My favorite minivan: the Japanese version...	...of the Toyota Previa.
		Wild styling
Wilder styling		Mild ground effects are also popular
Wagon R's, anyone?	In Gran Turismo, you can mod this out quite well	The new variant is actually called the Wagon R RR
		HPI van
The white van is a Honda Odyssey	Are you ready? This is Atsushi Hara's car

Some readers may be wondering about those wild custom vans with the huge visors, wings, front air dams and spoilers. Yes, we did in fact see one, however it was at night and no one in the bus got a good picture of it. Those vans are called "vanning family" vans and you can find some pictures of good ones here.

And in case you missed them, the computer desktop wallpapers

Ise Shrine - trees above path (click this link for the wallpaper-size picture)	Ise Shrine - sun in the trees (click this link for the wallpaper-size picture)	Ise Shrine - tree in pathway (click this link for the wallpaper-size picture)
Azuchi Castle (click this link for the wallpaper-size picture)	Sardine swirl (click this link for the wallpaper-size picture)

VIP Tour group pictures

In front of the torii outside Ise Shrine this picture provided by HPI Japan	At the main shrine at the Ise Shrine site this picture provided by HPI Japan
After the ninja show at Ise Warring States War Village this picture provided by HPI Japan	Azuchi Castle at Ise Warring States War Village this picture provided by HPI Japan

Hopefully you, too, will get to visit Japan someday and experience a new and different cuture. Remember, with the HPI Challenge series visiting Japan again for the World Finals in 2005, you just might be able to go!

Next year HPI Challenge World Finals location...Las Vegas!

Foreword | Thursday | Aquarium/Shopping Trip | Qualifying | Main Events and Awards | VIP Tour