Top Fuel Japan
The month of September is a time of year that has always seemed somewhat peculiar to me. As a culture, we automatically associate autumn with raking leaves, football, the start of school, and cooler weather. The last part of that equation is the only factor that seems to waver. When September begins, it's just as bloody hot as August, and there's no magic cool-down valve. However, that's another diatribe for another day; right now I am concentrating on not vomiting from the excessive heat. I'm from Alabama, so I know heat and humidity, and I sure as hell know sweat. But Japan hits me with a level of humidity that feels entirely overpowering. The feeling is best conveyed using just one word: sweltering. Uchinaka, Nakagawa-ku, Nagoya-shi, Aichi, Japan is no exception to the rule. This little town north of Nagoya truly surprised me, for it has many notable aspects outside of the blistering temps. Firstly, it has one hell of a tongue twister for a name, and like many rural parts of Japan, it sits in a land-locked valley filled with farmers. Rice has to grow in stagnant water, so all of this still water significantly increases the humidity levels. Plus, being a good bit inland doesn't help because there's a lack of natural breezes to offer relief. Add to that the absence of the typhoons that consistently hit other areas of Japan this summer, and things are even worse in the shadow of a drought.
Though known in the Honda community for building some of the most groundbreaking Hondas in
About an hour and a half drive outside of this tiny town is a track that I'm sure most are familiar with; it goes by the name of Suzuka Circuit, and it is arguably one of the best (as well as most dangerous) courses in all of Japan. With infamy comes competition, and a handful of smaller, lesser known tracks quickly popped up along the countryside nearby. Being this far away from Nagoya does have its perks, and this is one of them. Talk of upcoming races, races passed, and the cars that make it all happen run rampant through the confines of local yakiniku shops. If you don't know the word yakiniku, now is the time for you to learn some basic Japanese. Yaki means "burnt," while niku is Japanese for "meat." Mmmm ... burnt meat. Actually, this tiny town features some of Japan's best beef. It's called Matsuzaka-gyu and this particular cut of meat's supposed to be even better than its cousin: the infamous Kobe Beef. So thus far this town has some of Japan's tastiest cows, blistering weather, and race tracks out the wazoo. So where in the hell are all of the race cars?
Along the back alleys and side streets of Japan you can find the most amazing treasures. I always keep my eyes peeled for interesting Shinto shrines, old Japanese cars, and great mom and pop shops in places like this. Years of traveling in Japan have warranted many unique finds, and I'm always searching for something new. This time around I was elated beyond compare when I stumbled upon a tuning shop, the likes of which I have never seen in Japan. By American standards, this would be considered a medium sized shop; but in Nippon, a tuning shop like this would be labeled "monolithic." It has half a dozen bays and each can fit four to six cars without issue. The shop consists of two buildings, the newer one with its own showroom, dyno, office, 20-plus car parking lot, and second floor filled with God knows how many JDM goodies. Many have tried to make cars the way these guys do, but only a few have ever come close. For them, setting new world records, designing incredible intake systems, and custom fabricating pie-cut titanium exhaust systems is just another day at the office. To us that's amazing. This is "Top Fuel!"