GregWormald

Yes please.

kiznarsh

I'm sure I could look it up but rather hear from you: can you explain the different lines and configs of the license plates? Seems like a combination of government-mandated info plus personalization.

Still enjoying this thread.

Kuro Neko

I had a quick look at some archived pics, and for some reason I could only find one roadworks stuff.
We're sure to spot mechanical man on the next trip though...



We were touring this last weekend, and for one bridge I was glad we were not in the Cayman:



Japanese license plates are the subject of a whole thread themselves...

To start though, there is no personalization possible in Japan - at least not like in some Western countries where you can get vanity plates.
In Japan, we can get a kibo number though, which is the ability to choose a number from the regular sequence.

Using the CR-V as an example, the 品川 is where the plate was issued, in this case Shinagawa (the main center in Tokyo), the 302 is the type of car and sequence (hire cars and trucks and others have different start number), the さ prefix is sa and part of the car's unique number and goes with the 41-22.
All prefixes are used except わ which is for rental cars, and one romanji Y for foreign serviceman.

Kei (660cc) are black and yellow, or yellow and black depending on company or private.
Regular dark green and white swap for hire cars too.
Diplomats are blue.
Ag machinery is light green.
Sub-kei are light blue.
Sub-50cc have their corners cut off...

It keeps going, and I get lost.

However!
The fun part for some is the kibo challenge to make something from the number.

• 41-22 reads as yo-ii-fu-fu or Good Couple - a play on wife and I touring together across Japan. Which we did not choose, but was issued randomly, but had our E500 and C7 driving neighbor congratulating us on such a cool combination.
• 11 reads as ii (good).
• 39 reads as san-kyu (thank you).
• 23 reads as ni-san (Nissan).
• Our local strawberry farm has all their cars and trucks 15 , ichi-go (strawberry).
• 555 read go-go-go (Go! Go! Go!), popular with Subaru and Speedracer fans.
• Or, you just get lazy and choose 987.
• A friend has an RS3, and he chose 385 (HP).
• It goes on and on... especially with combinations 11-23 etc.

Suicide Jockey

This thread just keeps giving and giving

I've said it before and I'll say it again: BEST. THREAD. EVER.

Now I know about Japanese license plates. Unreal. Thank you.

TEF

I had blue (diplomatic) plates when living there. Technically, the numbers used on these plates denotes the country to which they are issued. For example, starting with the Ambassador, country X may have plates ranging from 1001 through 1099. Country Y's plates might be 2001 through 2099 and so on. In fact, diplomatic plates issued in most of the world follow a similar numbering scheme.

2slow2speed

Thanks for sharing .

The blue car looks like an old school Lotus Elite, have seen those at the GoldenGate Lotus Club track events in California.
Not 100% sure about the white car in front, looks like an Alfa Romeo Junior Zagato (haven't see one in the flesh though)

I see quite a few vintage cars driving the popular twisty roads in Japan (峠)

Suicide Jockey

Pretty sure the blue car is a Europa. Always wanted one (in JPS livery preferably), but unfortunately could hardly fit.

kiznarsh

Thanks for explaining, that was pretty fun to read! I figured there had to be some customization since you chose 987 but interested to learn about all the different combinations. I'm sure it's one of those things where you get used to it if you're there, but from an outsider it seems to be all the over the place.

I've had my vanity plate since 2007 when I bought my first "fun car" (2007 GTI) and since then, it's been on 5 other cars and counting. I actually don't feel the car is "mine" until I can transfer plates.

2slow2speed

You are correct, that is an Europa, brain fade on my part

Kuro Neko

Thanks!
Some of the other picture threads (Spyder!), and the 964 vid thread are pretty neat...

Hai!
The 10,000 range drive and park like they do not have driver licenses.
The Canadians are nicer on the road than the Japanese...

I fit into a S800 no probs, but cannot get into a Europa!
There's a long history to the Europa in Japan, including racing and in the manga The Circuit Wolf.
You can even visit the museum.
The hero also drove a 2.7RS:



But JPS - like the one way above too - is easy one of the best liveries on any car.

With new combinations, and recently more romanji and picture plates, it looks like that here too.

The other is indeed a Alfa Zagato Junior too (a harder car to ID!) and here's some more from the day:








We had the Zagato, 1M, Europa, Fairlady, Skyline GT-B, and S800 and spent the day enjoying the 峠.



Light on for Porsche content, so here's two more random RS.

(Camera: Ricoh GR1. Film: Kodak Ektar 100.)

Kuro Neko

August 6 is 86-Day in Japan.
So - with a reasonably cool night after a hot day - I had to call in to Daikoku on the way home from work.
I've never been on one of the named days before, and was just amazed, as the whole place was full of AE- and GT-86.
There must have been over 500 cars... and nowhere to park.

One or two Lamborghini, a Lotus, and a GT3 all mingled well, until it was time to chase some twin-cam Corolla back up the Wangan home... Four cylinders, 20-valves, and equal length manifolds sound damn neat at 7,500 rpm.

Kuro Neko

In ten years, my S covered just over 32,000km. Since buying it 10 months ago, it passed 40,000km last Friday night in the Tokyo Wan Aqualine.
We were off for some exploring, and to inspect at a Taisho-era house a friend is looking at.

Tiny roads, with hand-cut tunnels, leading off into the mountains by the sea...










It's a glorious house, with a 'modern' Western extension in Japanese style, with a huge garden.






After a bit more exploring, we finished the day at the Maruyama Shopping Center for a cool drink.

Kuro Neko

Still on Honshu, over in Fukui-ken is the Rainbow Line.
A touge by the sea, it starts a near sea-level and rises up and over a number of interconnected peninsula into the Sea of Japan.

While the views are spectacular, the roads are amazing and really fun to drive.
The whole area too is full of interesting places...




















We drove it early one morning, mid-week, and had the touge to ourselves.
Here's a decent video summary of some of the area too:


We hope to go back one day in the Cayman...

(Camera; Voigtlander Bessa R3a. Film: Kodak Ektar 100.)

Marine Blue

Stunning scenery....and those roads! Wow!

I’m surprised convertibles aren’t more prevalent with that type of scenery and roads.

Suicide Jockey

Congrats on the mileage milestone! Sounds crazy but I celebrate such milestones by doing something special for my car. It’s like celebrating a birthday. Shouldn’t let these events pass by without some recognition and hoopla .

Here’s to the next 40,000km.