Category: School of Rice (archives)

In Japan, there is a micro-subcompact class of cars known as “keijidosha,” or simply, “K.” Under current regulations their engine size is restricted to 660cc, and their appeal in this land of super expensive gasoline and narrow roads is fairly obvious. They are also cheaper than standard size cars, so it cracks me up when I see a lot of money put into their modification. This microbus mod has been getting more and more popular recently, and on my island alone, I have seen red, orange, yellow, black, tan, and lime green versions of it.

I think the Japanese dude who put the spoiler on his BMW 740i should team up with the Chinese guy who installed donkey drive on his Beemer.

Clear or yellow-colored lenses (aka “ambers”) are one of my pet peeves, because it all seems so high school. I think Options magazine is at fault for popularizing this trend in the states as well as Japan (although I cannot truly disparage this holiest-of-holy publications). I remember my Acura Racing Club pals ordering these parts from Japan for their Integras. That was ten or fifteen years ago, so when I see how many middle-aged men put them on their cars now, it makes me kinda sick. Grow the fuck up already, ya know?.

I think I understand what the creaters were going for. GooDiet is meant to be one of those concepts that takes two (or more) words and splices them together to create a third, previously unknown hybrid. Fugly, fantabulous (coined by Del tha Funky Homosapien), vurp (Tim Allen), and supercalifragilisticexpialidocious (Mary Poppins) are all good examples of hybrid words that have become, to some extent, part of our lexicon. However, GooDiet is different. Clearly, whoever came up with GooDiet was trying to impart to the consumer that the product was both “Good” and useful if you are on a “Diet”. Their splice came out as a Frankenword.
Now, I do think that a diet composed of goo would be an effective diet because no one would want to consume more goo than necessary to function. However, why pay for something that is advertised to be a disgusting product? With so many other options of gel-based squeeze pouches out there (a few include Vaam, Aquarius, and Qoo) I doubt that the Japanese consumer will choose GooDiet as the space-Jello that they will replace their meals with. As for me, I prefer Jello in bite sized squares. Eating Jello through a straw is for people recovering from jaw surgery.

These pics are from last year. We pulled into a highway reststop in the Thai countryside and were delighted to find a young entrepeneur selling coconuts from the back of his slammed pickup:

When I say slammed, I mean, look at that hydraulic kit!

Check out the custom paint job – glittery goodness! And the gold door handles are to die for!

Matching gold grille job… This guy probably accessorizes better than his girlfriend!

I spotted this truck when I was hitchhiking through Nagasaki, but had only one chance to shoot it (cutting off some of the rear) as it rounded the corner and hauled ass to the expressway. I really like this trucks like this. The owner obviously loves it and takes great pride in it, as he should. I love seeing vehicles that are used as giant canvases. Whenever people are stuck in traffic next to this guy, his truck is sure to give them something interesting to contemplate for a while.
This truck reminds me of The Porkchop Express from Big Trouble in Little China for some reason.

A train of minivans, hailing from Fukuoka-ken, visits Ikeyama Suigen in Ubuyama-mura.
I originally posted this in an earlier post here. Japan is one of the few places in the world where it is considered “cool” to drive around in your mom’s minivan.

Spotted during a daytrip to Shikoku we saw many interesting things including a BMW 740i, stock in every way, except for the huge wing on the back. I can’t think of another unnecessary modification to an otherwise nice car that this guy could have possibly done. I can only imagine what he plans on doing next.