PHOTOS OF THE YEAR 2011: The predictions were true

January 28, 2012 3:28 am Published by

January’s almost over, but I thought I’d take a quick look at the server stats and see which photos were the top 25 most downloaded in 2011. A 2011 Noriyaro zeitgeist, if you will.

このリストは「2011年のサーバから一番ダウンロードされたの写真」です。意味は”人気”かな。

#25

I just realised I haven’t posted any other photos from this Porsche-drifting day! Yep, that’s Hibino. More coming soon…

D1日比野さんのポルシェドリフト!

#24

From the official launch of the Subaru BRZ in Tokyo, the first post on Noriyaro with an accompanying soundtrack.

#23

This photo was originally published in an issue of Drift Battle magazine back in 2004, and was actually the first article I ever wrote for a magazine!

For some nostalgic D1 pics, back when the S15 Silvia was king, read this post.

#22

Manabu Mitsumori seems to turn up in the popular photo ranks quite a bit (he was number one back in 2009), and I’m guessing he will be this year too. Why’s that? He’s building a KE70 in his unique style. It had Panasports on it the last I saw.

Anyway, if you like this pic, lucky you. It’s also a wallpaper!

三森さんはいつも人気ですね。

#21

Naoki Nakamura’s S13 at Ebisu Circuit.

To make the pic a bit cleaner, perhaps should have edited out that guy in the background?

Perhaps you’d rather watch the video he was shooting?

中村さんのS13。

#20

Sexy Knights Nii-yan’s FD at Tsukuba. The Evangelion-inspired GT styling is a dividing one, for sure. It might have something to do with the fact with the panel shop he runs is called “New Type”.

ニーヤンさんのFD。

Here’s the original post with more pics.

#19

The Hachido Rokubu Kanari Juushou event at Fuji Speedway was probably the most popular event coverage I’ve ever done.

You mean you haven’t read it? Well then, here you go!

8度6分かなり重症のイベントは大人気でした!読みませんか?(クリック)

#18

Bee☆R Imai’s personal AE86. More pics in the original post.

This car was still a work in progress at this time, and has progressed quite a bit since. Time for more pics perhaps.

Bee☆R今井さんのAE86。

#17

Kassou Subashiri Goto’s workshop. I just happened to be near his shop one day, so I stopped in.

That’s his green AE86 up in pic #19 as well, and here’s some more.

滑走後藤さんの工場。

#16

Half-asleep with bed hair, Rauh Welt’s Nakai-san.

This pic was the leader for a story I wrote on him and his workshop.

ラフヴェルト中井さんは眠そう。

#15

In the parking lot after the Fuji Speedway Hellaflush event.

Here’s the original post.

Hellaflush X Japan posts one and two.

旧車ってかっこいいね。

#14

Naoki Nakamura’s high-profile arrest and incarceration for street drifting was a massive bit of news at the beginning of last year. Here’s the original post with all the news items.

This photo was when his car was at the Tokyo Auto Salon, but he was conspicuously absent. Notice how someone’s had a go at the corner of the sticker.

#13

Team ZA★SLIDERS Takahashi’s C33 Laurel. Here’s the original post.

I did a few laps with this guy at Nikko a while ago before looking down and noticed my water was at about 120 degrees and the oil was about the same. This guy drive absolutely flat out, all the time.

ザ★スライダーズ高橋さんローレル。カッコイイ!

#12

Everybody sure loves DOF these days, don’t they? Original post here.

ピンぼけは人気ですね。

#11

Another photo from the Hachido Rokubu Kanari Juushou!

It’s also a wallpaper.

この写真はもパソコンの壁紙だよ!

#10

Miura-san’s FR-converted WRX drifter at the Hellaflush event. More on this car is needed. I have some drifting shots, but they’ll have to wait.

三浦さんのFRインプ。

#9

I have no idea who owns this nice Nür, but it made for a popular wallpaper.

Also, you want more Nür? Here’s more Nür.

#8

I really should take more photos when I go out to the mountains at night, but I’m usually a bit busy. You know, enjoying that pitch-black mountain scenery.

#7

To sort-of paraphrase Homer Simpson, Rough World-style Hachi’s are like rock music. They’ve already achieved perfection long before anyone knew what they were.

#6

So, this officially makes Akira Nakai the most popular man of 2011 on Noriyaro.

Put him on your desktop with this wallpaper.

#5

One of the biggest stories of 2011 was the launch of the Toyota 86. That’s a fairly influential lineup of people in that photo!

Read about it in part one and part two.

#4

I love standing on the high-speed corner at Nikko Circuit, because you get wallpapers that look like this.

#3

Street drifting isn’t dead? No it’s not. That’s not my JZX100 at the front of that line at the closest touge to my house, no sir. Must be someone else.

あの一番前のJZX100は私のではないです。別人かな。

#2

I can understand why this photo came in at number two. Everything about it is so right. I actually took these photos at the Tochigi Baka Matsuri event back in January 2009!

Also, it’s a wallpaper.

#1

…and the most downloaded photo of 2011 goes to, Kawashima-san’s ZZT Celica drifter!

まさか、2011年の一番人気な写真はドリ天河島さんのセリカだ!

In the post where I put up the best pics of 2009, at the end I made this summary:

If you had to put it all together, it would be a picture of busted yet pretty Toyota slammed to the ground with good wheel fitment at massive angle, about to crash.

Well…

Yep, it’s been crashed. My prediction for the most popular kind of photo was right!

I’m not too sure why a grainy photo I took of Kawashima-san’s demon-camber ZZT Celica drifter at an expressway parking area at about five in the morning ended up being the most downloaded photo of 2011, but there you have it.

I first met Kawashima-san and his dodgy camber mods back at Ebisu Circuit, but after he was fired from his job at a Toyota dealership because his boss found out about his ridiculous car, he appropriately started working for Drift Tengoku magazine. He’s also sourced a new car, and is hoping to debut it in a few months’ time, with a wider body, wider wheels and even more camber than before!

With that said, I think I’ve had a long enough break from posting new stuff on here. Lots more like this to come in 2012!

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This post was written by Alexi

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