Japan Shops Directory [2020 Edition]

I think during this time of social distancing, a lot of us are looking for ways to continue to create content for their respective websites and brands. For me, this post is my way of creating something that I haven’t really seen online and hopefully be somewhat informative to you guys that’s looking to travel to Japan and visit some of the car tuners out there. For now, this is a relatively short list of shops that I’ve visited the past few years, but I figured I’ve gotta start somewhere. If this proves to be something readers would like, then I’ll most likely update the list either annually or bi-yearly, depending on how many new visits I make per year. For this directory, I’m actually going to rate each shop based on components such as worthiness of a visit, ease of access, and overall impression. Some of these shops you’ve probably never even heard of and some are almost household names, so I think there’s a good variety here to make things interesting…

Arvou

Honda S2000 & Lotus specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 3.5/5
Ease of access – 2.5/5
Overall – 3/5

If you’re a S2000 owner or enthusiast, I think this shop is definitely worth a visit; if not, then I think it’s okay to skip on this due to its location a bit far away from Tokyo. Situated in Tochigi Prefecture, it’s about a two and a half hour round trip by train if coming from Tokyo area, so be sure to manage your time if you do decide to check out Arvou!

Address: 292-1 Ojiro, Nikko City, Tochigi Prefecture, 321-1107, Japan

ASM Yokohama

Recaro dealer & S2000 specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 5/5
Ease of access – 5/5
Overall – 5/5

I mean… do I even need to say anything about this famed Yokohama staple? I’ve actually visited ASM three times! And each time was just as worthwhile as the last. The staff here is exceptionally nice and welcoming, so don’t be afraid to have a chat with them! Also, they’re more than happy to assist you with some $$$ parts for your S2000…

Address: 2 Chome-4-7 Shinyamashita, Naka Ward, Yokohama, Kanagawa 231-0801, Japan

Car Shop Glow

Electronics & aerodynamics specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 3/5
Ease of access – 4/5
Overall – 3.5/5

Car Shop Glow has really made a name for themselves with their tail light assemblies and their RX7 shop builds, so I decided to pay them a visit and check them out for myself several years ago. The shop is located about 16 minutes train ride from Shinjuku Station, so it was relatively easy to access. However, they don’t really have too many demos at any given time, so you kinda have to decide if it’s worth the trek out there…

Address: 176-0011 Tokyo, Nerima-Ku, Toyotama on 2-2-3 Sakura Hills, 1F

Esprit

Suzuka based tuner, time attack specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 4.5/5
Ease of access – 3/5
Overall – 4.5/5

Esprit is one of those shops that I’d say you really have to check out, especially if you like their time attack machines or just want to pick up a few quality parts for your car. On the other hand though, it’s out there in Suzuka, so it’s gonna be a bit of a challenge getting there…

Address: 3 Chome-19-1 Sumiyoshi, Suzuka, Mie 513-0826, Japan

FEEL’S Honda Twincam

Honda specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 3.5/5
Ease of access – 4/5
Overall – 3.5/5

I think Feel’s is a shop that’s definitely more appealing to Honda owners and enthusiasts, so if you’re not into Hondas’ all that much, then I think it’s alright to skip this stop. My main reason for stopping by here was to check out their famed FD2, other than that, I probably wouldn’t have made the trip out myself.

Address: 2-21-18 Narita Nishi, Suginami-ku, Tokyo 166-0016

Garage G-Force

Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 3.5/5
Ease of access – 3.5/5
Overall – 3/5

If you’ve been following time attack in Japan, then you should be familiar with Garage G-Force since they’re responsible for building one of the fastest Evo in recent years. My visit to their shop was several years ago, so my recollection of my experience is a bit blurred, but I do remember it being somewhat mundane…

*DISCLAIMER This is their Yokohama branch location; their main office/shop is way up in Aomori.

Address: 2-chōme-39 Shishigaya, Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Kanagawa 230-0073

J’s Racing

Honda specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 4.5/5
Ease of access – 4/5
Overall – 4.5/5

As a former S2000 owner, this is probably one of my favorite shops that I’ve visited so far. Similar to tuners that are more well known worldwide, the experience you get at J’s Racing is definitely a lot better than some of the lesser known tuners as they are more accustomed to foreign visitors. Also, I was told that there’s some special items not available for purchase outside their shop, so that’s another incentive to stop by here. Lastly, J’s Racing is Osaka-based, so plan ahead if you’re staying in Tokyo.

Address: 10-17 Hatakedacho, Ibaraki, Osaka 567-0028, Japan

Mine’s

Nissan/GTR specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 3.5/5
Ease of access – 2.5/5
Overall – 3/5

If it wasn’t so fucking far away, I’d say it’s pretty worth it to check out Mine’s. However, since it’s nearly 2 hours away from Tokyo Station, I’d say it’s probably better if you skipped it, especially if you’re unfamiliar with taking buses in Japan. For the diehard enthusiasts though, you can walk away with some quality items here for your Nissan, or just some nice accessories to flaunt around and show off to your friends and fellow enthusiasts. Also, there’s not a whole lot of “cars” to see here, so visit at your own discretion…

Address: 5 Chome-7-25 Hayashi, Yokosuka, Kanagawa 238-0315, Japan (Look on Google Maps to see just how far it is!)

Panspeed

Mazda/Rotary specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 3.5/5
Ease of access – 3.5/5
Overall – 3.5/5

The veteran Mazda tuning house is located about an hour north of Tokyo Station, so again, you’ll need to set aside some time if you decide to pay them a visit. Their time attack demos are usually displayed in their shop and there’s usually plenty of customer cars being worked on, so I think there’s a good amount to see here. Of course, it’ll be extra worthwhile for rotary owners!

Address: 2 Chome-7-8 Sekiyama, Hasuda, Saitama 349-0121, Japan

Powerhouse Amuse

Titanium manufacturer & circuit specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 4.5/5
Ease of access – 2.5/5
Overall – 4.5/5

Quite possibly the most well-known and respected brand in this directory, the Powerhouse Amuse HQ is everything you’d expect… lots of titanium and plenty of four-wheeled eye candy. The only drawback, location. Powerhouse Amuse is located across Tokyo Bay in Kisarazu, so to get here by train, you’ll have to loop around Funabashi and Chiba. Not only that, you’ll also need to hop on a bus after getting off at Kisarazu Station, costing you about an hour and a half of your precious time. Of course, you can also travel by car or bus, which will save you time but it would be an expensive trip. But once you do manage to get here, you’ll probably forget how dreadful getting here was cause you’ve pretty much arrived at automotive heaven.

Address: 2 Chome-2-1 Sakuraishinmachi, Kisarazu, Chiba 292-0823, Japan

Pro Shop Fukuoh

Mazda/Rotary specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 2.5/5
Ease of access – 1/5
Overall – 2/5

Fukuoh is a shop that probably only a handful of foreigners know about; if you follow Japanese time attack closely then you’d probably seen their red time attack RX7 at one point or another. Situated in Yokkaichi City in Mie Prefecture, getting to this shop will require some advance knowledge in the Japanese rail system. But honestly, the only reason you’d even think about visiting Fukuoh is if you’re visiting Suzuka, other than that, it’s definitely NOT worth the trip out here. But if you do decide to make the trek out here, the staff is super nice and probably reward you with a sticker or two for your dedication…

Address: 635-19 Nakano-cho, Yokkaichi-shi, Mie, Japan

Pro Staff R Magic

Mazda specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 4/5
Ease of access – 3/5
Overall – 4/5

A recognizable name especially in the Mazda community, R Magic has been involved with some of the best drift and circuit attackers since 1993. I’ve always been a huge fan of their builds, so it was a no brainer when I had the opportunity to go check out their shop back in October of 2017. I was actually coming up from Osaka via the Shinkansen with a group of friends and decided to make a little detour before heading up to Tokyo, since R Magic is located about an hour and a half away. The setup of this shop kinda reminds me of RE Amemiya (next on the list), with the wide and spacious garages and of course, loads of RX7…

Address: 352-0244 3530-1 Tana, Chuo-ku, Sagamihara-shi, Kanagawa

RE Amemiya

Mazda/Rotary specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 4.5/5
Ease of access – 3/5
Overall – 4/5

Another shop that needs no introduction. Whether you’re an RX7 owner or not, RE Amemiya is worth a visit for all automotive enthusiasts alike. But… once again, getting here takes time; but it’s definitely worth it!

*DISCLAIMER This is the main RE-Amemiya facility in Chiba, however, there’s also a smaller garage closer to Tokyo that you can also visit.

Address: 439-10 Tomisato-shi, Chiba, Japan 286-0221

Top Secret

Fast cars/Hi horsepower specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 4/5
Ease of access – 3.5/5
Overall – 4/5

If you wanna meet the famous Smokey Nagata, then you’ll most definitely want to make the trip to Top Secret cause he’s usually there. Although he may not want you close to the garage as the inner-workings there is of course….. “top secret.” But outside the garage, there’s still plenty to see like some of their old demo cars and customer cars alike. Inside the actual shop area is a spacious waiting space as well as loads of parts and accessories for you to drool over or go broke over; your choice on which route you wanna take…

Address: 759-1 Misumi-cho, Hanamigawa-ku, Chiba-shi, Chiba Prefecture 262-0011

Type One

Honda specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 4.5/5
Ease of access – 5/5
Overall – 4.5/5

Similar to ASM Autobacs Yokohama, Type One is foreigner friendly which is always a big plus! Getting here is also super easy and definitely worthwhile, especially for the Honda fanatics. My favorite thing about Type One is how clean and accessible the garage area is. Also, there’s always some nice demos and displays in and outside of the shop.

Address: 1 Chome-3-16 Minamiogikubo, Suginami City, Tokyo 167-0052, Japan

Yashio Factory

Drift specialist.

Worthiness of visit – 2.5/5
Ease of access – 3/5
Overall – 2.5/5

Yashio Factory was not on my list of tuners to visit but I tagged along with my friends, who were drift fanatics and they really wanted to check out the shop. Out of all the shops on this list, this is by far the least organized and really not visitor friendly… you’ll get a glimpse of what I mean in the second photo below. However, you can’t deny the accomplishments of Yashio Factory especially for the sport of drifting, so a visit here may be worth it for the drift fans.

Address: 2 Chome-4-5 Aoyagi, Sōka, Saitama 340-0002, Japan