Tokyo Weekender: Tokyo Auto Salon 2016 Shows Off Its Curves, Leaves a Bit in the Boot for the Future

After sifting through 2500 odd photos, I narrowed them all down 800 odd. I will post a few of my favourite cars and companions here over the next week or so, then put all the pics on flickr after they have been published in the places they need to be published.

First up is an overview of the event published by Tokyo Weekender online:

Tokyo Auto Salon 2016 Shows Off Its Curves, Leaves a Bit in the Boot for the Future

OSAKA - Highlighting Japan - September 2014

My latest published piece for the government run Highlighting Japan.

Writing, Photos, Video all by me.

Click through to this link if you're on a computer and click the play video button to watch it. do it. It's good. It also features Manny Marx's music. If you're on a phone/tablet... try it and let me know if it works for you...

it didn't for me and there is no way to directly view the video (even government magazines have bureaucracy it seems)

If you just want to read the article you have a few more options:

PDF, HTML, screenshot

but I really recommend the video.

The magazine itself is available on Kindle but this issue isn't out yet. and should be on Google Books/iTunes soon. I'll post a post when it happens.

Keiko Ihara From Race Queen to Queen of Racing (Highlighting Japan)

As a student in 1998, Keiko Ihara got her introduction to motorsport while working as a race queen—a promotional model who is part of a racing pit crew. The dedication, the passion, the drive and the teamwork left such a lasting impression on her that she got her driver’s license right away. She also took a part-time job as a driving school instructor, where she learned the finer aspects of controlling a motor vehicle.

At the age of twenty-five, Ihara debuted in the FIA-licensed Ferrari Challenge, where she took the Japan series by storm, being named MVP of the year and culminating the year with a second-place finish at the World Finals. Her experiences bolstered her confidence and earned her the chance to participle in the British Formula Renault 2.0 series...

Read the full article with the pretty layout HERE (computer only)

Or read the html version in it's typically governmental (terribly designed) layout HERE (all devices)

Read/Download the article in PDF format HERE.

or just click the pic to make it bigger.

The artisans behind mass production - Matsubara Reed Ltd. (JETRO)

Matsubara Reed is a company that makes metal reeds (read the article to find out what a metal reed is)

They didn't let me take photos sadly so no extras this time. I'll get to the articles with pics next week when I return from Nagano cos the internet here is not very good. 

The artisans behind mass production - Matsubara Reed Ltd.

Precision pieces crafted by hand

Unlike the items made with the reeds, the reeds themselves are all crafted by hand. It's a time-consuming and intricate process. Each piece needs to be perfectly finished and accurate to the smallest detail to ensure they meet the specific needs of the companies that rely on them.

Because there's no unified standard, each customer provides the density and measurements they require to Matsubara Reed who then designs each reed-assembled and finished by hand-to those exacting specifications. The jobs done by the craftsmen in the company are not particularly unique, but the intricate nature of the work means it can take up to ten years to truly master the process.

reed(笑) the rest...

Momentum Factory Orii (JETRO)

This article is about a Toyama Based company called Momentum Factory Orii. It's a 3rd generation family business that specialises in the colouring and restoration of bronze sculptures as well as the creation of some very hi end coloured bronze or copper panels using some nifty traditional science.

Momentum Factory Orii - Brass and Copper Coloring and Restoration

The science of art

The company was established in 1950 by Takejiro Orii in Takaoka City in Toyama Prefecture. They specialized in the coloring of brass by using chemical reactions to form an oxidized layer that protects the brass from the elements but can also give it a different hue. While the coloring process is based on scientific principles, the means by which these chemical reactions are created are a traditional technique that has been passed down three generations to the current CEO, Koji Orii.

read the rest...

As before, Here are some of the extra shots I took on the day in a decent resolution there are quite e few so be sure to hit the jump and check out the rest on flickr: