Japan’s huge street community boasts 1.2 million kilometres of tarmac throughout its sprawling panorama.
Which may sound like lots, nevertheless it manages some 82 million autos in a number of the world’s most densely populated cities each day. As a rustic, it needs to be at a perpetual standstill. But, ever because the Nineteen Fifties, the Japanese have held a tiny little ace up their sleeves…
Kei-jidõsha, or ‘kei automotive’ because it’s extra generally recognized, refers back to the smallest class of motor autos permitted to drive on Japanese roads and highways. For many years, the kei class has produced a number of the most unusual-shaped autos wherever on the planet, powered by bike-sized engines with tyres that wouldn’t look misplaced on a wheelbarrow. In an automotive panorama extra bloated and obese than ever, the Japanese kei automotive seems to be the cheat code required to beat the system.
This phenomenon first entered service again in 1949, after the Second World Conflict. Japan wanted to mobilise its nation once more, however restricted sources and a weakened economic system meant conventional commuter autos have been out of attain for most individuals. Enter the brand new ‘mild automobile’ class, initially restricted to a 150cc four-stroke engine (or 100cc two-stroke), adopted by a bigger 360cc restrict within the mid-Nineteen Fifties. It’d take till 1958 for the primary mainstream kei automotive to take off – Subaru’s 360 – which boasted seating for 4 whereas measuring underneath ten toes lengthy.
By the Nineties, kei class engine capability was raised to 660cc, and with producers embarking on pressured induction to spice up energy and effectivity, it quickly yielded a number of the most iconic fashions thus far, together with the Suzuki Cappuccino, Autozam AZ-1, and Honda Beat. There wasn’t an official restrict on energy, however a gentleman’s settlement capped it at 63hp. Dimensions, nonetheless, have remained the identical since 1998 – not than 3.4m, no wider than 1.48m, and no taller than 2.0m. Kei automobiles don’t have to stick to the identical security requirements as non-kei automobiles, which is why you not often see them bought formally outdoors of Japan. Not as a result of they’re inherently harmful, however you’d assume the Euro NCAP staff wouldn’t look too favourably at your shins forming a part of a front-end crumple take a look at.
Such is their recognition that kei automobiles account for greater than a 3rd of all automobile gross sales in Japan. However rewind to these adolescence earlier than their recognition boomed, and there was one other automobile development rising that made even the smallest kei automobiles really feel like a Hummer compared. A category that didn’t even require a driving license to make use of as a result of the Seventies would mark the launch of the even wackier world of Japanese microcars. What’s extra, the driving drive behind them was a producer you’ll already be conversant in in the case of constructing obscure, alien-like autos. Take a bow, Mitsuoka Motor.
Earlier than Mitsuoka spent their days remodeling K11 Micras into AI-generated Jaguar Mark IIs, its enterprise centred round importing and servicing European automobiles for patrons throughout Japan. Founder Susumu Mitsuoka all the time dreamt of making his personal autos, nevertheless it wasn’t till the late ’70s that he was in a position to take action. When a buyer introduced their Italian microcar in for repairs – a Casalini Sulky – Mitsuoka-san was left annoyed that he couldn’t discover the components required to repair it. Fairly than hand over, Mitsuoka-san adopted the optimistic Speedhunters perspective and declared how onerous can or not it’s? A number of years later, in 1982, Mitsuoka’s first full automotive was born – the BUBU Shuttle-50.
To name the BUBU Shuttle-50 a automotive by trendy requirements is likely to be pushing it, although it does have doorways, wing mirrors, and a windscreen. Its engine measured simply 50cc, driving a single wheel on the rear, with two additional wheels up entrance doing the steering. However this wasn’t Mitsuoka being bizarre for the sake of it; its objective was to mobilise all Japanese folks. Due to its 50cc engine with steering, throttle, and braking managed by handlebars, the BUBU Shuttle-50 solely wanted a moped license to be legally pushed on the street. What’s extra, its rear-opening door – full with fold-out ramps – allowed it for use by these with disabilities, due to the hand controls. It might even match by means of a doorway, that means you didn’t want the posh of a storage or off-street parking to retailer it.
The BUBU Shuttle-50 was shortly joined by the BUBU 501 in the identical 12 months, a smaller, sleeker mannequin that also solely featured a 50cc engine and three wheels, albeit with the addition of a steering wheel. Three years later, the BUBU 505-C joined the vary, which mimicked a quarter-scale Morgan Roadster. Mitsuoka shifted into full-size autos from the late Nineteen Eighties onwards, however their microcar imaginative and prescient remained a part of their mannequin vary as much as 2007.
Each automobile – regardless of trying obscure even by Mitsuoka requirements – served a vital function that even kei automobiles couldn’t fulfil. Not solely have been they much more handy for navigating Japan’s (typically) tiny roads, however a moped license was significantly cheaper to acquire than the equal automotive one. Whereas gross sales have been by no means actually booming, the microcar market went from energy to energy proper till the late ’80s when a regulation change would all however seal their destiny. Apart from security now being fairly necessary, microcars would now require a full driving license to function, dramatically slashing their enchantment.
Nevertheless, a long time later, there’s not less than one man in Japan who has made it his life’s mission to hold on the legacy of this weird period of Japanese motoring: Wakayama-based Kaoru Hasegawa.
“I received my first microcar practically 30 years in the past,” Hasegawa-san proudly states. “I’ve all the time loved small autos, and I used to be given my first microcar. It had been deserted within the nook of a automotive store out within the countryside, so I hung out restoring it and began driving it round. It was a lot enjoyable, and the response from different folks was superb. I knew I needed one other microcar, so I began trying round and researching their historical past.”
Regardless of hundreds of microcars being bought throughout Japan, monitoring down a very good, working mannequin is changing into as tough as unearthing uncommon supercars – primarily as a result of most individuals purchased microcars for fast and straightforward transport somewhat than one thing to cherish and gather. For Hasegawa-san, he is aware of that is half the enchantment, too. Many people are conversant in the BMW Isetta and Peel P50 – each bought all through Europe in a lot bigger numbers – however what makes the Japanese fashions much more fascinating is how a lot smaller and rarer they have been compared. Hasegawa-san’s assortment now options greater than 10 completely different fashions, and regardless of being three a long time deep into his obsession, he’s nonetheless looking out for extra.
“After they have been new, microcars could possibly be pushed with a moped license, so that they bought very nicely,” he provides. “Particularly amongst housewives, as that they had been designed to permit folks to maneuver shortly with baggage or buying in all climate situations. They have been less expensive than a automotive and could possibly be saved in a standard home simply. However when the brand new regulation was handed, that means that house owners wanted a driving license to run them, the gross sales stopped and sellers turned their consideration in direction of kei automobiles as a substitute.”
Hasegawa-san is greater than only a collector of those oddities. For years, he’s shared his love for them throughout social media, and it wasn’t lengthy earlier than he was being inundated with messages from intrigued automotive followers attempting to decipher what they have been or likeminded microcar fans that – in lots of circumstances – assumed the early Mitsuoka BUBU fashions would by no means be seen once more. Hasegawa-san’s assortment expands past Japanese automobiles, nonetheless. Two of his cherished fashions embrace the Italian Cassalini Sulky and All Automotive Snuggy Charly, and sure, these are the precise names. Given the worldwide curiosity his humble little assortment had gained, Hasegawa-san determined it was time to create an precise museum for his microcars. Which may sound like an unlimited and costly mission till you realise that each one of his assortment suits comfortably in a daily downstairs storage.
“I created the WAZUKA Microcar Museum due to the messages I saved receiving on social media from folks desirous to see the true issues,” Hasegawa-san provides. “There are numerous automotive museums in Japan, however there isn’t any museum wherever that specialises in microcars! So, I believed I might make one myself. All the automobiles on show are in good, unique situation whereas additionally being the fashions produced within the least numbers. I’ve travelled all throughout Japan to seek out them, and the buddies gathered right here with me have been all fans met alongside the best way.”
Fairly fittingly, the WAZUKA Microcar Museum is situated on a tiny road, crammed right into a tiny terraced home with the upstairs residing quarters affected by tiny memorabilia. It’s fully unassuming on the skin, however its appeal is barely matched by the quirky autos it homes behind the wooden-slatted storage door.
Regardless of this, Hasegawa-san commonly hosts microcar gatherings by inviting pals and fans together with Sinchirou Kubo and his Morgan-like BUBU 505C, Kai Kuramochi who has stretched his Casalini Sulky to hold passengers, and Takayuki Teramura whose Casalini Sulky is slammed so low to the bottom it’ll seashore on any velocity bump if he doesn’t method it quick sufficient.
These 4 house owners and their automobiles will shut down any road with intrigue and crooked necks greater than any fire-spitting Lamborghini might dream of. All 4 will slot in a single 7-Eleven parking bay, and, offering you go nowhere close to a freeway, their high speeds can fluctuate between 65km/h and 85km/h relying on wind route and street gradient. They’re not like the rest you’ll see on the roads, and their intrigue captivates nearly all ages and technology.
“We don’t get many vacationers down right here!”Hasegawa-san laughs, which is unsurprising given it’s a seven-hour drive from Tokyo and two hours south of Osaka. “However my objective is to inform everybody concerning the museum and present them the historical past of the microcar. I’m all the time in search of extra automobiles so as to add – it’s half the enjoyable with microcars as a result of they typically find yourself in essentially the most obscure and strange locations. So to carry as many collectively as doable – and preserve them in good usable situation – is a dream for me that I’ll proceed to reside out so long as I can.”
Kaoru Hasegawa’s WAZUKA Microcar Museum is situated within the Kainan area of Wakayama, Japan. To rearrange a go to, you may message him at @kaoru.bubu on Instagram.
Mark Riccioni
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Twitter: markriccioni
mark@speedhunters.com