Saturday – Yokohama and Daikoku Futo

I woke up early and jumped on the trains that headed to Tokyo (had to jump lines at Ikebukuro station).

Once I got to Tokyo Station, I went to my locker and paid another 700 yen in late fee (700 yen a day, can hold 3 days consecutively without paying). I had put my new gifts from the night before and since I couldn’t check in til 1600 (4pm) I decided to just start hitting up the shops.

I jumped on the JR N’EXpress to Yokohama station.

Goals:

• Avante (Z31 shop)
• Bee Racing
• Nissan Heritage Museum (wanted to see the Zenki leopard)
• Famspeed (since I am a former RX7 owner)
• Arai would meet with me and take me to the leopard group
• check in at my room (yellow indicator)
• Hideya said he wanted to go to Daikoku Futo

 

Once I got to Shin Yokohama station, I headed to Kamoi station. I walked along the river (very calming, people were running, others were fishing or bbqing) until I saw a Toyota shop sign. I then got off the trail and it was right there across to Avante.

I talked to the Asakusa san and he spoke English well. He let me take pictures of the Z31s and we talked about cars for almost a good hour.

 

UPDATE: https://www.f31club.com/2017/05/27/visit-to-avante-may-2017/

 

 

I then trekked back to Kamoi station and jumped Yokohama line for Nagatsuta station and switched to Tokyu Den line. Got off at Minami Machida station and walked to Bee-R.

I talked with the Imai san shortly as he was busy. He said it was okay to take pictures of the cars!

 

UPDATE: https://www.f31club.com/2017/06/19/visit-to-bee-r-may-2017/

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About a block from Bee R, was a thrift store. I went in there to check things out and ended up buy some old toys!

 

After that shopping episode, I jumped back on the train and headed towards Chuo Rinkan station. Once there, I took the Odyaku line to Minami Rinkan station. I got off here because this is where the Nissan Heritage Museum was. I waited for a bus, but nothing showed up, so I jumped in a taxi. Upon my arrival, Nissan was closed for construction!!!! Plus my taxi just left (after paying him nearly $10).

The people there called another taxi and offered me GTR water as a consolation prize LOL!

I headed back to the station paying a taxi again (wasted $20 total).

My last stop would be Fam Speed, but noticed that time was getting close to when Arai san or Nori would hit me up. I decided to get a foot massage instead. I walked by a sign earlier saying 2500 yen for 50 minutes. So I went there and got it. One of the best foot massages!!!! I am not joking. I always ask for pressure and when people do acupressure massages, they always work on the whole body. This lady only worked on my feet! After doing some heavy walking all week, I needed it.

 

Backstory: In 2005/6 – I emailed a few leopard owners during that time. I contacted Nori and Arai of Specialty. After meeting some leopard owners last year, I found the old emails and asked Makoto who they were and he pointed me to them. Nori was already my FB friend and Arai, I was waiting for his approval. After he approved, we talked a few times. A week before I headed to Japan, he called me on the phone. His English was pretty good. He said he doesn’t have his M30 anymore, but that is not the reason why I wanted to meet him. We communicated before and I wanted to connect based on that!

Arai got off work and picked me up at Yokohama station! I had so many questions to ask and he had tons as well! He took me to Tokyo station to get my luggage and then we went to near where I was staying the night.

He told me Mr. Tamai will take me to the Carshop Friend leopard meeting. Arai told me that Mr. Tamai was his teacher!

We rolled up to the Family mart (or was it Lawson?) and I saw a few leopards!!!

While I recognized Hideya and Ito from before, there were a few others I did not know and a few I’ve only talked on facebook.

Soon Arai and Mr. Tamai took me to my place. Mr. Tamai would pick me up in the morning and take me with him to Hakone, so he had to know where to pick me up. Afterwards, we came back to the Family mart parking lot and a couple more brothers were there. Yokota san had arrived. We have been FB friends, but we also emailed 10 years ago.

We left the mart and went to a restaurant’s parking lot.

 

Arai helped translate a lot of information and I asked them many questions. Arai had to work in the morning, so he told me that Mr. Tamai will pick me up and that Hideya would take me to Daikoku Futo.

Umezawa san and Oinuma san joined us. Umezawa san brought his KITT replica car! I also found out his handle was E wing, who had a Specialty hp with meeting photos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

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We waited at the restaurant’s parking lot because Hideya said Daikoku Futo had police there and we were waiting until it was clear. When that happened, some of the guys had to go home (I believe this was before 2200 (10pm)).

I jumped in Yokota san’s Leopard.

We arrived and Keiichiro san was video taping us rolling in. I went around and started to take pictures of many of the cars. The cool thing about Daikoku Futo is that the bathroom is always open and there is a Lawson across the parking lot (not to mention vending machines)… so you can literally hang out all night without having to leave to get food or use the bathroom.

 

 

 

 

 

As you see in this last picture, the sun is starting to come out! I can actually say I busted an all nighter at Daikoku Futo! I’ve been there in the past and only stayed for a couple hours.. but this was unprecedented!

Thanks to the brothers for hanging all night!!!

It was super early in the morning and we started to head out. Yokota san led the way, I rode with Hideya and Sano followed as we went back to Machida-shi where I was staying. Once we got to the uphill and confusing part, Hideya and Sano left and Yokota san took me to my place.

It was near maybe 0500 am. I crashed out as Mr Tamai was suppose to get me at 1000 am to take me to Hakone and the final leg of my Pilgrimage, the leopard meeting.

 

UPDATE: https://www.f31club.com/2017/05/27/leopard-gathering-and-to-daikoku-futo/

 

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