Back in 2022 I went to Japan. This was approaching post covid, Japan just opened up it doors to tourist again. This was awesome since Japan was super empty and tourism was low, I got to experience a different side of Japan compared to Japan in 2025 where Japan is treated as social media disneyland. USD to YEN was at a great place, around 140-150 yen to USD, hell yeah America! Sorry Canadian friends! So off to Japan I went with my wife.
Quick Complimentary video to go with my Japan 2022 series.
Straight off the airplane, I hopped into a rental and drove straight to ASM. I didn’t sleep at all on the airplane, I downloaded the latest Zelda game on my nintendo switch and somehow got sucked in. Before I knew it I landed in Japan. I must of arrived at ASM around 4PM and was greeted by this blue s2k with a 20th Anniversary bumper and another car with the ASM 04 Bumper and Prodrive wheels.
Famous Yellow S2000 from the ASM blog. He also has a cool blog of his own. Sweet build with ASM dry carbon everything, GT-09 wing, BBS clearways, but open top?
The odd thing about driving to ASM, which I’ve done a few times now…. is that it’s on the right hand side, somehow I always drive to asm where ASM is on the right but I’m in the left lane because rhd country, there is a place 1 or 2 blocks down with a signal that allows me to take a right turn, to right turn, to right turn, then left back on the main road, and then a left into the ASM/Family mart.
You can see the sun about to set…
the S2k mecca
Odd looking red s2k
Lots of wheels and different front end looks. CE28n with CR lip, OG TE37 s2k spec, ASM 07 bumper with Mugen Hood…..
Can’t go to ASM without seeing the Recaro seats, man I want those custom Karo mats for my house.
Crazy mint AP2 for sale for 7.7mil yen. At the time this was around $55k ish
ASM NO. 2 racecar, same one my front bumper used to attached to.
I want to say this car is platinum white. A color they only got in Canada… USA market did not have the fortune to get such a cool color.
Engine bay of the AP1 next to that AP2. mint! it had extremely low miles
Toshiki Oyu’s S2000. As seen on some youtube videos. He does not drive this car much it seems, most likely because he is now a Toyota backed driver.
Along the shelf with some familiar goodies
Takuma Sato and Jenson button poster back when they drove for Honda.
Oyu’s interior. You can see the ASM Dry Carbon Dash in the flesh with some mugen assist gauges.
Kanayama san explaining to me how ASM is his dream. This is a model of the current shop he had made to present to the higher ups at Autobacs. His dream became a reality.
S2000 TE37 Saga S-Plus is a very special S2k spec made for ASM in 17inch x 9.0J +61 5H/114.3. Nonetheless I purchased a set from ASM. This spec was made to specifically clear BBKs… Only 10 sets were made.
After chatting it up with Kanayama san, buying more than a few things, by the time I stepped outside, it was already dark.
Night just hits different with these cars
Picked up some seats, rails, wheels, and other bits in my Toyota Rental.
This building across from ASM is actually where, “Autobacs Secondhand Market” used to be, where a younger Kanayama san worked at as a manager selling used parts. He told me he hated this job and his dream was to open an S2000 centered shop.
Alright with no sleep, driving 1hr from Narita to Yokohama for ASM…. now I had to drive to Osaka, where my hotel was located. Only a brisk….. 5 to 6 hour drive.
I drove for 2 hours and I could no longer stay awake. My absolute favorite thing about Japan that is often overlooked by “japanese travel influencers” is the rest stops. They are almost little mini malls sometimes, with proper food courts, beautiful clean toilets, and sometimes even a full on grocery store. With that being said, I stopped at one.
We’re in grape season boys.
Shits so aesthetic
Said food courts, reminds me of the old mitsuwa food courts. They usually have the normals, Curry, Ramen, Udon, etc.
A machine from which I got my daughter something
I copped some grapes for the road, they were delicious. They really are “SHINE MUSCATS”.
Legit Wasabi root at really good prices. These are notoriously hard to grow. The green shit you get with your sushi over in the states is just horse radish usually. Unless you go somewhere fancy….
My wife was passed out in the car… I noticed the parking lot being filled up with all sorts of interesting cars. I believe there was a stance show up north and people were driving down.
Japan makes everything seem delicious….
A few hours later, I saw a sign saying Suzuka SA (Service Area) was rapidly approaching. I had to stop by.
I was greeted by Honda Racing Lineage.
They had car theme gatchapons….. I got my friend Ian some 4A-GE ones.
I went for these, hoping for an S2k key.
Since it was quite late, a lot of the shops were closed.
First pull…. spoiler, I got like 4-5 Honda City turbo ones, i never got my S2000 one.
Damnit.
I finally made it to Osaka that night. I passed the fuck out and woke up incredibly early in the morning…. I will continue this in part 2
The S2k and the Ant 