A Message from 1990: My AE86 and the Joy of Hakone Touge

Hello to all Japanese car enthusiasts around the world. It has been about 19 years since my last update on this blog. Today, I want to share a very special memory with you.

This was taken at Hadano base in 1990 This photo was taken about 36 years ago. That’s me with my AE86. Back then, I spent almost every night driving the mountain passes of Hakone. The sound of the 4A-GE engine echoing through the midnight mountains, the pure joy of controlling the car on every corner—those moments were the best part of my life. To me, these cars are more than just machines; they are a part of my soul. The purpose of this blog has changed over the years. I stopped exporting cars 18 years ago, but my love for Japanese automotive culture has never faded. Now, I want to use this blog as an archive to preserve the history of JDM legends like the AE86, EP82, and EF9, and to share the beauty of Japanese antiques. Also, if there is anyone out there who used to drive with me or knew me back in the Hakone days, please reach out. It would be a dream to reconnect with old friends after all these years. Thank you for visiting, and I look forward to sharing more memories and Japanese treasures with you. +++++++++++ Actually, this photo was taken just a few days after I spun out at Ohiradai in Hakone and hit the guardrail. I had just replaced the front bumper, but as you can see, the hood is still a bit bent! Looking back, even that slightly misaligned hood is a precious memory of my youth in the mountains.