Tag Archive: video

JR IN JAPAN: Video #4 at Ebisu Circuit

By in 29-05-2009 4:32 am

Before you click “play”, can someone tell me what the hell is that course on the lower left? Damn, they’re letting people drift through the safari park now?

Nope, someone in the editing department just screwed up. Ebisu does have eight “tracks”, but they left out Kurukuru Land, which is actually a small skidpan, and not really a track. If you move your mouse over the timeline until it says 2:45 and look up until you see that second little dark patch just below the gooseneck on Nishi Course, that’s it.

This might be a good time to point out that I’m available for freelance consultancy on these kinds of matters. Hourly rates start at ridiculous and end at obscene, but as long as you throw in gas money, I’m happy.

Anyway, I was still driving up to Ebisu the morning most of this was shot, so I don’t have much else to add.

The next video is a bit more interesting though.

You can see me a little bit in this one during the dinner scene, wearing that same stripey Element hoodie I seem to wear in every photo.

Damn, they really should have made this video longer and shown some of the food we were eating!

Suzuki-san (the lady in the kimono) is the third-generation boss of the Azumakan Onsen, a huge hot-spring hotel about fifteen minutes from Ebisu Circuit. She already knew about Kumakubo and drifting, so she was actually really keen to come out and go for a ride in JR’s car. In the kind of style you’d expect a big hotel manager to have, she turned up right on time, went for a ride and left, only to come back wearing a completely different outfit and some souvenirs to give to the crew!

When we arrived at the onsen, most of the American crew freaked out about the fact that we were all staying in group rooms instead of one person per room. Sleeping in a big room on futons is the traditional way to do things at an onsen, since it’s all part of getting to know the people you’re with and enjoying each other’s company rather than everyone disappearing into their respective rooms and watching CNN because that’s the only thing in English.

While they all ran back and forth freaking out, Tokyo Drive’s Kenta (JR’s translator) and I sat down and tried the complementary spicy ginger tea and pickled burdock root. Not exactly the usual “mint on the pillow”!

I’ve stayed at the Azumakan before, and was looking forward to going downstairs and sitting in the outdoor hot spring. I only managed to convince Gay Andy (Drift Alliance’s camera dude) to go downstairs and try it though, but he enjoyed it.

These videos really should be longer. So much more happened than what they’re showing!

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LIKE BACK IN 2001: Drifting Bihoku with BURST.

By in 17-03-2009 12:30 am

All the recent posts about my Skyline have been about fail. Now, it’s time for some win.

When I was down at Bihoku Circuit with Team Mustang recently, there were a few times when there was nothing to shoot.

Rather than just sit around, I took the Skyline out for a few laps instead.

Thanks to Andy for lending me the suction mount!

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FAKING THE FUNK?: Video of the Noriyaro Skyline at Tsukuba

By in 16-02-2009 12:30 am

I’ve been back in Australia for a short holiday since last week, and decided the other day to extend the trip until early this week.

Yep, this whole week has been posted from a non-JDM location. Sorry about that.

Also, since all of my equipment is back in Japan, and because I only made enough posts ahead of time to last until Friday, today will be one of the first completely non-original content posts on Noriyaro.

Oh, the horror.

Fortunately, we’re keeping it relevent! Remember this post about drifting on Tsukuba Circuit? I found the Youtube channel for Shun Akutsu, who was there that day with his Kunnyz aero-ed JZX100 Mark II.

Just after a minute in, you’ll see a black Skyline with white front aero slide past on turn one. After that, it turns into a roughly ten-pixel blob, but at least now I have evidence that I actually managed to link the final corner and manji the front straight.

(日本人のお客さん、あの黒いR32は私のです。筑波って、アクセル全開で!レツ ゴー!)

Of course, you could always visit the Youtube page the video is on, and click on the “watch in high quality” link.

Shun’s NSX drifter was having engine work done at the time this video was shot, so have a look at some of the other videos on his channel videos of that, like this one on Ebisu minami for some Honda V6 drifting exhaust music.

There might have to be a feature done on that car a bit later too…

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BEST $300 HE EVER SPENT: Fairlady rollover at Ebisu

By in 01-12-2008 12:30 am

A grisly photo like this, when posted on the internet, is usually followed by woeful story of corners that were too wet, speeds that were too high, and insurance that is inadequate enough to cover the resulting crumped mess of oily, dirt-encrusted metal and broken glass.

This crash however, brought nothing but the kind of insane joy and laughter you can only get from crawling out unscathed from a high-speed rollover crash.

(more…)

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