Anyway, back to my neighbourhood…

After my first sortie to Shelbys No.20 to snap some illicit shots of my new favourite kei van, I’d harboured a hankerin’ to get back and take a look inside. This would require an accomplice with a higher level of Nihongo than mine. Such as a local. Such as the missus. Sweet as.

Doesnt take too long to realise that this wont be your usual shopping experience, even for Tokyo.

Big Boss (says so on his business card), Okuyama san graciously let me blunder about his premises, pointing & shooting with my point & shoot. He is a drag racer himself with a stunning collection of muscle metal. One of the first things he mentioned was the matching numbers Shelby GT500 in the far corner of the shop. “Really?” I squeaked.

So it is.

I asked Okuyama san how long he has had it. “About ten years. I had to work very very hard!”. Hai so desu!

I couldnt get a decent shot of it, but someone else did.

Fancy a Bell Helmets bag? Same.

I found some killer old school Yamaha motocross shirts. I (ahem) want those too…

I was beginning to detect a slight Stateside influence…

…remembering that this is a shop with the world’s coolest proprietor, not a museum where you pay to get in.

Okayama san explained to the missus that living a lifestyle like this in Japan can have it’s difficulties as many people (esp. the older ones) dont approve of or understand a US centric drag racing/muscle car obession, but it is all worthwhile due to the people you meet (Ive paraphrased a bit here…). He is a prime example of that.

Big Daddy may have left us, but the trinkets we have to remember him with are cool as all hell. Im a starter for the burger holding Rat Fink nodding doll. As it were.

Modern Nascar toots, but The King ruled. Peter Max (http://www.petermax.com/) aint bad either…

I will never have enough money to purchase everything I wanted to from this shop. I dont feel too bothered by that however. I will happily go back every week for the rest of my life to deal to my wages… Having seen the Hell Motors Triumph cap, I now have the special feeling that some fine person created a baseball cap with me in mind. Mmmm… special feeling…

I imagine that after about my fiftieth visit, I may have an idea of about half the stock here. Then I can start on the next fifty visits.

At various times my manners would leave me completely and I would leave the missus chatting with Okayama san as I would wander around the shop again like a slack jawed yokel.

Im not sure what is under this cover, but I did notice some mighty slick, mighty wide tires underneath. Okayama san will be competing at Motegi on December 7. Same day as the Yokohama Hot Rod Show. Might be a good day to eat a hamburger. And drink a Coke. Then a beer. Followed by another beer.

We had a GoGo Time alright. Shelbys No.20 is worth a visit to Japan in it’s own right, but if you do make it here be absolutely sure to pay a visit. And check it out – open to midnight Saturday! If you need directions, I can point you there.

Arigato Gozai Masu Okayama san!