Garage Vintage in Osaka has one of the highest reputation of VW shops and classic VW sales in entire Japan, I would say that their reputation is spotless, Being 15 years since I was here last time it was about time to visit again…

Garage Vintage run a cool little shop, with lot of knowledge and experience!

And they sell very cool and high-end cars… crewcab was to die for!

I was well received by Garage Vintage mom Michiko Jozuka her son Daichi Jozuka and daughter Risa Jozuka (not in the picture because behind the camera) and off course the trusty employee Tsugimasa Fujiwara. Without any saying all of them are extremely nice people!

If You ever go to Osaka, You have to pay them a visit!

My friend Side Yokotani Yokatani from LowLife fame came especially from his town to see me!  we pose at the special Toyota 4 Runner from Garage Vintage… a car never sold new in Japan…

Publicity and billboards in Japan are sometimes incredible!

Osaka is a very big city, over 2,7 million population!

Infrastructure is mind-blowing as almost everywhere in Japan!

Lunchtime!!

I was invited for some tradional Soba… so let’s enter the restaurant…

This little text means “Menu”, is written in traditional Japanese and You read from top to bottom… I had it upside down at first, wat was very funny to the Japanese hosts!

hmmmm what shall i order….:) even the numbers are in Japanese… everything to read top to bottom…

In Soba restaurant you eat Soba off course!

Soba is wheat noodle you’re supposed to dimple in your soup and then suck into your mouth… really, nothing else!

The whole Garage Vintage Team, “Low Life” Side Yokotani  and long time friend and photographer Shin Watanabe joined for lunch… thanks God so I didn’t have to order by myself!…:)

Thanks so much to garage Vintage for this special invitation!

And this exactly how You eat it!!!

Time for dessert!!

Feel free to zoom in and read… some Japanese “Soba” wisdom!

Low Life Side san offered me a T-shirt from Red Box, his crazy low bus, all he has is crazy low, hence his nick name “Low Life”… Side san lives in the town that used to be the Ninja town under the Shogun, a little Japanese history, my next visit to Japan I will pay him a visit! And learn about the Ninja’s!

Thanks for the T-shirt Side san! i will wear with pride!

and yes… I simply have to share with you one of my favorites of todays Japanese culture, the mini trucks, so little they seem to fit in your pocket! I should buy one of those, look funny to drive around town!

oh, and this is my name in traditional Japanese writing, it says… “Bob”!

Thanks for translation Shin-san! !

Tomorrow is friday so sorry we have to publish the Friday product update , but Saturday I will share a very special moment with all of You, a very special and emotional visit…

So stay tuned!!!

Well the little bus You saw yesterday drove me to my friend Chiaki of MyBows fame, and after talking VW parts for a couple of hours Chiaki invited me for a typical Japanese lunch … in his shop…. wonderful!

yammie…

Chiaki, his right hand Michael and yours truly….

We had a great day! and we learned a lot… after (late) lunch Chiaki offered to drop me off at Tokyo station with his Camaro.. driving along with a brutal V8 through Tokyo seemed like only fun to me, so I said yes in a blink of the eye…. here we go!

This is downtown Tokyo as far as You can get….

and this… is Tokyo station!

Once inside Tokyo station it was about time to choose the right Bullet train to Shin-Osaka… in japanese this train line call “Shinkansen” can you make it up from the text below??? and will I find my way around in this long tube of people????

all railway roads or on the board….

Order your ticket is on vending machines… and the screens look like this… yes one person please…

Seat in the back row always gives most change for good lugage space…

Ticket bought go to the trains!! Will this be my train???

Enough signs to compare so double-check… yes, found the train!

Time tables keep on looking funny….almost time to enter…. enter what???

… enter to what seems an endless train…:)

Help!! I’m catched in that “endless” train…:)

Thanks God they let me out…:)

To arrive in Osaka in real bad weather… thanks God my hotel was connected with the railway station, so i didnt’ had to go outside….

Dinner time!!

A little sashimi is always good!

View from the room on the 16th floor!

Tomorrow awaits me another adventure with a  very special visit… I will give all of you a full report off course… so stay tuned!

Tokyo is a real cool city, and once the sun set and the lights goes on it only becomes more fairy….

Because we hit a LOT of traffic on the way back from the Klassisches VW Treffen I drove through Tokyo in the night with the Dannenauer and Staus from Flat4… a memory for life!!

We passed this dealer… Friend motors, all exotic import cars… oh yes he can become my friend!

I arrived at the hotel for the night (near Shinigawa station and had a room on the 37th floor, what a magic view!

….. and the morning after….

Time to get up, showered, dressed and go outside for my next adventure… while waiting I was checking out the umbrella parking lot…:)

Oeps, guess my transport arrived….

Where will this little bus bring me??? Find it out on this blog tomorrow….