Nagah

Thanks again @Kuro Neko !
Your thread is so good, I read it a second time from the beginning, because the pictures and your writing is so wholesome.

By the way: If you need any help or translation with anything German, I would be honored if I could be of any help. Just reach out to me if needed.

Kuro Neko

Thanks, and that's a nice offer!
We took a recent weekend away, and although rain was expected we had the roads mostly to ourselves...



We decided to explore the 'wrong' side of Fuji-san.
It's been ages since we drove the area, and there's some great roads, and some quiet villages to explore.



The crowds are lesser away from the Hakone side, but the views are just as spectacular.



Sadly, an abandoned minka we came across years ago has fallen even further into disrepair.



The rest of the village though has had some money spent on it, and looked nice under the sakura.



Some buildings are likely to never have occupants again though.



A pity as there are some lovely places to live.



With few tourists about you can stop and admire the views of Fuji-san...

Kuro Neko

This is the rental house we stayed in near Fuji-san.



Not too old, it had been reformed nicely and this is the main ofuro.



Some neighborhood homes were a bit more up-scale.



This Showa-era block style is popular across much of Japan.



Local bookstore.



Although I wrote about them in the 117 Coupe piece mentioned above, Florian II are very rare in any form.
For some reason, this Isuzu garage had TWO!



While the 117 Coupe is an example of elegance, the Florian II is just the opposite, with the Florian II wagon possibly the most hideously looking vehicle ever made.
If you want to make your Buick look less ugly, park it next to Florian II?



Or, in this case, a 117 Coupe Series 3 (the lesser of all the series).



A local park had a garden and a house of beauty, and we sat next to the duck house with a drink.



With the rain starting again, we stopped for a morning coffee on R139.



Now closed bottle-shop...



I've spent the last few days installing apps and configuring the new Atoto S8 Ultra, and this will be used as our navi for the next trip... It looks viable.

Exiztence

I absolutely love this thread, been following it for a while despite not being member, I luckily got to experience some nice routes around Hakone in rented 964 Turbo (Perhaps you know the place) and browsing here makes me wish I was back there.

Kuro Neko

Thanks!
Yeah, the Fun2Drive experience is good!
I am a member, and wrote about it for Petrolicious and more recently mentioned in Classic. Retro. Modern. issue 21, grab a copy if you want pretty pics from Japan:






Here's one of the shots from the day (the Hachi-Roku and Hako were both rented), and the Toyota 2000GT above was on a similar drive too, and you can even buy the coloring book if you're really keen!

Exiztence

Amazing again, the fun2drive staff was very nice, I loved the "bloopers" of people crashing their cars as first part of the presentation, good reminder... Sadly it was cloudy and we did not see Fuji so no beautiful photo like yours, is that taken at Anest Iwata Skylounge?

Kuro Neko

The weather is often unpredictable at that altitude, but sometimes it works in your favor if you're looking for moody photographs.
I took a day off work once, and drove the R8 up expecting a great Fuji-san cliche shot too, and got nothing but swirling mists.



I had to look up Anest Iwata, as it was the Mazda Turnpike, and before that for many years, the Toyo Tires Turnpike.
I think most still refer to it as Toyo Tires accordingly, as they had the sponsorship of the Sky Lounge for the longest I think.
Another lonely, misty, day off with the S800.



... and, there's the new name, so yes we were at the Anest Iwata (who make compressors, who knew?) Sky Lounge, in the mists (again).
Team RS Watanabe above though, was a bit further North on the turnpike, in one of the car parks.



The road is now called the Hakone Turnpike I think, and this day had a few hardy bikers, but not much else.



It wasn't too cold a few weeks ago, but it was wet.



No views of Fuji-san, but you could still enjoy the corners.



We had lunch down on Ashinoko.



Before we drove the remaining circuit North and to the coast.





The combined touge from Gotemba down the Izu Penninsula can be over six hours of driving, and one day I came home with sore wrists...

Kuro Neko

Our last day on the road...



We were just down the coast from our ferry run home, so slept in, had a huge viking breakfast, and packed up into the near empty car park.
This drift missile had come in late like us.



The coast road was packed with weekend tourists.



But, away from the holiday resorts gave us clear running.




With the Cayman packed in the hold, we took our lunch upstairs and enjoyed the sea breezes.



Boso Hanto coast, and home.

(Camera: Voigtlander Bessa R3a. Film: Kodak Portra 400.)

Kuro Neko

Early morning setting up at my local track...

Kuro Neko

Weekend lunch run with a friend.
This minka, in one form or another, has been on this site for over 300 years.
You have to book, but the multi-course lunch made from local produce is just amazing...

The lunch spot though, is really just an excuse to go off touge hunting down the Boso Hanto.

BWJones

I loooooove the color scheme on that 964.

Kuro Neko

Me too...
It's a C4 and has a special order lipstick red interior.
It had those feeble US-federalized headlamps on it (USDM car), and I converted it to Euro H4s, and the owner preferred it without the painted trim rings.
The US 45/55W lamps are OK for city driving, but the owner moved to the countryside and the 100W throw of the halogen insert cannot be beaten (we tried a number of high-end LED systems too).

Old look (and that awesome leather):

Kuro Neko

The joys of film include stuff in the camera you forgot about...
In this case, three or four weekends of exploring our area.



Out hunting for koi-no-bori (carp streamers) for Children's' Day holiday.



They are getting less used these days, but when you come across a set, they fill you with delight.



The Cuban sando guy (buried above somewhere) has moved to a more official and permanent place.
Still on the Maple Road, he's got a few table and chairs, and a BBQ area for events.



This weekend, we sat with a lone biker and one drift missile, and watched the passing parade of those enjoying the touge.



In an adjacent valley, some friends asked us over to share their fire festival.



A pyre is built from cedar logs and fronds, and after excising the demons with arrows, katana, pikes, and some serious chanting it is set alight.



The smoke it generates is incredible.



The animal pelt-wearing priests then offer to bless individual wallets and bags by immersing them in the smoke.



After which, those brave enough are invited to walk barefoot over the raked and somewhat cooled ground under the pyre.
Unfortunately, we had commitments elsewhere and had to retrieve the Cayman from a muddy field and leave before we had the opportunity.
Next year...

ProjectDD

Very cool thread. Thanks for sharing.

Kuro Neko

Glad you enjoy it too!
Here's some out takes from a recent event, Nostalgic 2days, at Yokohama Pacifico.



One of Nissan's hero cars - a G-Nose Fairlady Z.
A homologation special, now replicated many times.




One of my favorite sleeper classics, Mazda's Bertone designed Familia coupe.
Here, remade by Endless and perfectly stanced on its Racing Service Watanabe wheels (another fave of mine).
No needless bagged chromed 'rims' or silly bogan donk look.




With the cars stacked in, it was hard to shoot clean, but the Giugiaro designed RX-87 too is lovely.
The world's only front-drive rotary coupe?



I am not quite sure if you could use a Rot Sau replica on the konbeni run, but it would be cool.



This 356A is for sale, a few hundred in sequence away from mine, and was over 50 times the price I paid.
Mine though was in boxes, and more than a few years ago.



Snow White's Coffin, and for some reason, a long line of well-to-do ladies were taking the time to photograph and pose with it.
I assume such has made either an appearance in a movie - something perhaps about a mature, single lady dying of cancer who falls in love with her doctor gets better then he gets called off to war and cannot contact her until he gets safely home but then she has moved on and...



The S800 redline always makes me smile.



Being a cover car, this is a genuine Kenmeri GT-R, one of the less than 200 made.



Unmolested long-nose Hakosuka surfline, a rarity these days with many being cut up to make GT-R replica.



SWB 2.0S on its skinny 4.5 inch Fuch.
When I sold my 356, I had the choice of buying a 2.0S or a 2.7S.
I stupidly chose the 2.7 as it was a Targa and a G-body - thinking the later body style looked better.
What a fool!
I was however lucky enough to spend some time driving the 2.0L and can still remember the ragged edged clatter and whine of that glorious machine.



If you are going to photograph a butaketsu (pig's bum) Laurel, is this the angle you need?
'Do these Hayashi Street wheels make my bum look fat?'



Remade panels for both Toyota's Sport 800 and AE-86 now available.



Of questionable taste and application a full carbon Hakosuka HT - non GT-R form too, interestingly!



Vintage kei trucks are now very popular with coffee roasters and sando shops.




Two of Isuzu's greatest hits - the handmade 117 Coupe and Bellett Type-R.



Finally, a supposed Kanagawa police patrol 912.
While Japanese highway police have a well-documented history of using fast cars as pursuit vehicles (including a number of early 911), I seriously doubt they ever used a 912, especially with US headlights.
Notable as all their 911s had ROW fitments throughout.

Still it looks neat...