Reporting in from Japan

Non-Suzuki related topics. Anything can go here.
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KuroNekko
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I decided to create a topic regarding my trip to Japan since Krell asked about it.
The last time I was here, I posted some pictures of JDM cars and the like.
http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/viewto ... f=5&t=2101
I can do that again though I have not taken too many pictures of cars as of yet.
I'll cover various topics below that may be of interest to Kizashi owners, auto enthusiasts, and JDM followers.

Kizashi related:
I actually spotted one on this trip. I already posted about it, but I saw a silver one in my hometown of Kobe a few times on the same street. Despite these cars now having a reputation as unmarked cop cars in Japan, I could tell this one was not. It did not have additional antennas nor did the driver look like a cop. He was wearing some kind of uniform like a city municipal worker or some kind of technician. As with all Kizashis ever sold in Japan, it had the non-Sport styling. The JDM Kizashi is only offered in silver, white, and black. As I've written before, it's also only made-to-order. I'm almost thinking Suzuki never really intended to sell many of these in the JDM.

Other Japanese cars:
I've spotted some Japanese cars here in Japan that will soon be sold in North America, if not already. They include the Lexus NX and the Honda HR-V. The HR-V is called the Vezel in Japan and is already apparently popular. I see a few everyday here in Japan. In fact, I've seen more of these than both Honda CR-Vs and Mazda CX-5s combined. Also, the JDM model apparently is offered with LED headlights and looks more upscale than the USDM HR-V version. My guess is that the USDM version will have a lower starting price so it's simpler.

I see the Toyota Crown daily and though the new styling was hated on by many on the web (because of the grill), it looks much better in person. The Crown Athlete is actually a sharp looking sedan in my opinion. http://response.jp/imgs/feed_l/537551.jpg

I've also spotted a number of Mazda-badged Suzuki cars. In Japan, all Mazda kei-cars are Suzuki models. This made me wonder why Mazda did not aid Suzuki in any way in the North American market. Mazda's 2.3 liter turbo (as found in the Mazdaspeed3) would have made for a nice performance engine in the Kizashi. It baffles me why Suzuki ever sought VW as a potential partner in the global market than another small Japanese brand like Mazda given it's clear Suzuki and Mazda have a close relationship in the JDM.

American cars in Japan:
Jeeps are by far the most popular. I've spotted several Wranglers in Japan and even an XJ Cherokee that had a huge decal that read, "Only in a Cherokee". Also spotted a few Compasses and Patriots.
I've also seen a Lincoln Navigator and an Aviator.
I also spotted about three C7 Corvettes.
Today, to my utter surprise, I spotted a modded Chevy Silverado in the countryside. I wasn't even aware these were on sale in Japan. In fact, I just checked the Japanese Chevy website and see that it's not currently offered and I doubt it ever was. Either the owner imported it directly from the US or bought it from a US serviceman who had it shipped to a base. Either way, it was as surprising as seeing a R34 GT-R would be in the US.

Exotics:
I've seen about three Ferrari 458 Italias in Kobe so far. Also saw an Audi R8 and a Maserati Quattroporte. Spotted a few Bentleys and a Rolls Royce.
In terms of Japanese models, I've seen a few R35 Nissan GT-Rs and one older Honda NSX.

Suzukis in Japan:
They are everywhere. They are the compact car of choice in the nation and models like the Wagon R, Lapin, Hustler, Every, Spacia, Solio, Alto, Jimny, Swift, Escudo (Grand Vitara), and Carry are ubiquitous. About the only Suzuki that's hard to find is the Kizashi. Suzuki's kei-car models are the most popular cars. Otherwise, it's the Swift that's most common.

LEDs and other JDM car accessories:
The selection is quite different from a few years ago. The selection of LEDs and halogen bulbs have dwindled in the one automotive store I visit. LED headlight bulb conversion kits (similar to the VLEDS kit I once reviewed) and HID kits are more popular. Otherwise, LED bulbs like T10s and especially halogens for headlights are far fewer in selection. In fact, there are so few appealing halogen H7s offered that I decided to wait and get a pair for the high beams in the US unless I can find a better selection elsewhere in Japan. My last few days in Japan will be in Tokyo so I'll see what I can find there.
However, I plan to pick up a few LED bulbs as I want to convert my license plate bulbs to LEDs to compliment my LED position bulbs I got on my last trip. I'll probably go with budget PIAA LEDs again. There are some LED 37mm Festoon bulbs which the Kizashi uses two of for the license plate. I may also get some other LED bulbs to convert my interior to LEDs as other Kizashiclub members have done.
I've also picked up some neon yellow reflector stickers at a 100 yen store (basically, a Japanese dollar store) to put on the inside of the doors. Bootymac once posted about this mod given the Kizashi does not feature lights nor reflectors for safety when the doors are open.
http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/downlo ... hp?id=2054

More about PIAA:
While they are known in the US mainly for their automotive lighting products, they make and sell other car parts in Japan such as wiper blades, radiator caps, and oil filters. One interesting product sold here are their new oil filters and what makes them unique is their design; They have two filter cartridges inside a spin-on filter and have a magnetic ring in between them. The claim is that the magnet helps to trap metallic particles. I've heard of reusable stainless steel oil filters sold in the US using magnets (these are mostly for fleet vehicles), but it's the first time I'm seeing a disposable filter feature one. Here's PIAA's Japanese website on this oil filter:
http://www.piaa.co.jp/products/car/filt ... dex.html#2
I was entertaining the idea of getting one for dissection after use but it costs something like 2500 yen ($20 USD) so I'll pass.
:lol:

I was also looking at horns to upgrade the lowly OEs on the Kizashi but realized that I need to watch the luggage weight if I don't want to pay the extra fee. For this reason, I'll probably have to pass on JDM horns as well though I've found some I like for a decent price. The shop has several testers in a plexi-glass case you can try out much like the LED bulbs.

That's it for now.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
bootymac
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Any plans to visit Up Garage? They have tons of cool shit.

Will there be a separate thread for Japanese women? ;)
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redmed
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Couldn't you mail the horn to yourself ?
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KuroNekko
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bootymac wrote:Any plans to visit Up Garage? They have tons of cool shit.

Will there be a separate thread for Japanese women? ;)
I actually never heard of them until your post. I checked out their website and it looks to be a place for used and pre-owned car parts. I am not aware of any in my area.

I forgot to add in my other post that I'm also looking at some shift knobs. I'll most likely come back with one but still shopping around for a good one. Razo makes a few that I'm considering and all are weighted. The heavy one is 340 grams. The other two are lighter at 280 or so grams. I want to replace my shift knob given I never liked the OE one because of the shape and materials. I prefer round knobs with a bit of weight to help throw the shifts. The problem is that the ones I'm looking at don't really match the interior like the OE knob but I don't really care too much if the knob feels better.

I picked up some LEDs today for converting my interior. I will upload a picture when I pick up the rest of them at a different store.

All I can say about Japanese women is that I'm glad the ganguro style is now dead. 15 years ago, it was alive and well and even got to extremes.
http://www.prosportstickers.com/product ... _85476.jpg
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
krell
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Where you got the leds from?
Open your eyes, look within. Are you satisfied with the life you're living?
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KuroNekko
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Update:
I saw my second Kizashi of this Japan trip. It was in Kyoto and it was driving across the famous bridge in Arashiyama. Interestingly, it was around a time when there were several emergency vehicles rushing to a location. A number of firetrucks and police cars were driving around. A moment later, I see a silver car with a red police light on the roof weaving through traffic on the bridge. I can see it's an unmarked police car. As it goes across the bridge, I watch the rear of it and see the wrap-around tail lights and the dead give-away; the Kizashi's unmistakable dual exhaust outlets. It was an unmarked police car just like those in this thread:http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/viewto ... =13&t=2917
I was rather thrilled to see one in the flesh (er, sheet metal) and in action.
redmed wrote:Couldn't you mail the horn to yourself ?
Yes, I could, but then that would make obtaining it more costly. I don't necessarily want to pay more than I would to get something similar back in the US. I am still on the fence about getting horns but I see some appealing ones for around 3,000 to 4,000 yen.
krell wrote:Where you got the leds from?
I'm getting them from four different stores, actually. Mainly because of pricing and selection. The cheapest prices are from discount stores that sell all kinds of stuff ranging from electronics, clothes, to make up. While they have the lowest prices, their selection is limited. I get my cheaper PIAA T10s from these stores.
For decent Festoon LED bulbs, you have to go to dedicated auto parts stores. I've been going to one near my buddy's work called Yellow Hat (a chain like Pep Boys), but went to a rival store for the first time today. It's like a mega store compared to Yellow Hat and is called Super Autobacs (also a chain). Super Autobacs was much larger and had about triple the selection of just about everything. They also sold used cars on site and there were modded RX-8s and GT-86s there.

In addition to stocking hardcore tuner parts, they had some serious LED headlight conversion kits. One was outputting an astonishing 4200 lumens with a multi-LED emitter bulb. It also cost a jaw-dropping price of around 80,000 yen. However, most only come in bulb sizes intended for fog lights such as H11.
They also had a much better selection of halogens, but I found that most of them were the blue-tinted type and the best clear ones were German like Phillips. I'd rather get them back in the US.

I picked up some LEDs for the vanity mirrors given these were the first ones I ever came across. In fact, I had entirely forgotten about them until I was reading through threads on here the night before about LED interior conversions and ~tc~ wrote about his vanity bulb swap. His info helped me find the right ones.
Here's the post: http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/viewto ... =28&t=2044

Here's another great thread on the topic of LED bulbs: http://www.kizashiclub.com/forum/viewto ... 6&start=40

Now, the only LEDs I need to pick up are the license plate Festoons. I can get two at Yellow Hat which are cheaper than the ones at Autobacs but less bright. I personally don't want my license plate lights too bright so that works for me.

I'm also going to buy a shift knob but none I like really match the interior of the Kizashi. However, I'm probably going to go with one that's weighted and has a low mounting position. I also want a round one that's not a polished full metal type (they scratch and can get excruciatingly hot in the summer). I've got my eye on one that seems to fit my preferences but it's a carbon fiber look that will not really go well with the interior.
:|

Once I conclude my Kizashi parts shopping in Japan, I will upload pictures of the products.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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KuroNekko
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I recently spotted a Suzuki Hustler inside a bullet train station as a display model. It was my first time getting close and checking it out so I took photos.
The vehicle drew some attention from others as well as a number of people snapped photos and took the brochures placed nearby.
I've seen a number of these on the road in Japan so it's apparently a decent seller.
I personally like the car and its styling, colors, and marketing remind me of the Toyota FJ Cruiser. It's somewhat like a baby, Kei-car version of the FJ Cruiser as the Hustler is offered in bright colors and is also available with a 4WD (AWD) system. It's also marketed towards young active people with an inclination to the outdoors. Suzuki even sells an accessory tent attachment for the rear door.
http://www.suzuki.co.jp/car/hustler/hom ... ssory1.jpg

The display car had a spec sheet on the window so I'll provide the data and figures below. The converted data (to American standards) is from online converters with figures as of this writing.

Name and Trim: Suzuki Hustler X Turbo.
Displacement: .658 Liters (Must be under 660cc by regulations for a "Kei-car".)
Engine Type: 3 cylinder 12-Valve DOHC intercooled turbocharged engine with VVT.
Horsepower: 63 HP
Torque: 70 lb ft
Weight: 1918 lbs.
Fuel Tank Capacity: 7.13 gallons
Fuel Economy: 58.8 MPG (US)
Price: $14,829.16 (US)
Options included: Roof railing, Bluetooth, Navigation, AWD with CVT.
Awards: Automotive Researchers’ and Journalists’ Conference of Japan (RJC) 2015 Car of the Year Award.
2014-2015 Japan Automotive Hall of Fame Car of the Year Award.
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2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
bootymac
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Looks cool! I love kei cars
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Ronzuki
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Kuro, is it possible to obtain Neoprene OE front seat covers over there? I imagine they'd work on NA cars no?
Ron

2010 Kizashi GTS, CVT, iAWD (3/10 build date)
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KuroNekko
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Ronzuki wrote:Kuro, is it possible to obtain Neoprene OE front seat covers over there? I imagine they'd work on NA cars no?
Unfortunately, these aren't an OE accessory in Japan. Even if they were, it would be very hard to obtain because very few Suzuki dealers deal with the Kizashi. In Japan, most dealers only deal a certain range of cars from one brand. Given the Kizashi is very rare and even made-to-order in Japan, it's hard to even find a dealer who has anything to do with the Kizashi.

I believe the neoprene seat covers are an OE accessory in Australia, New Zealand, or the UK. I remember reading about or seeing them online.
2011 Suzuki Kizashi Sport GTS 6MT (Black)
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