This week Kamepo posted a new video of a side-by-side drive through the Otsuka and Koishikawa districts in Tokyo. I had no clue where exactly this is, but according to the map, this is part of Bunkyo and nearby the Shuto Expressway C1. That means it can’t be too far away from the centre, right?

According to the various sources I read, the Otsuka neighbourhood is transforming itself into an area with a mix of traditional Japanese culture and modern foreign influence. It’s also the last place in Tokyo where you can find tram lines. This tram line, the Toden Arakawa Line, is unfortunately not on the route driven by Kamepo.

The Koishikawa area is known for the Koishikawa Korakuen garden which hosts beautiful plum and cherry blossoms in springtime. It’s also hosting various University buildings including the University of Tokyo, which also takes care of a large botanical garden. The drive will pass the University at 3:30 in the video and the botanical garden at 4:35.

Kamepo also adds some extra footage after the side-by-side drive where he will explain about the scenery and what changed over time. It is in Japanese, but pointing my phone with Google Translate at the screen will do the trick. I love it!

Identifying the cars in Orsuka and Koishikawa Tokyo in 1988

Just like last week’s drive in Friday Video, I have created the exact same route on a map and added all the cars that I identified:

List of cars:

  • 0:29 (1988) Toyota Mark II X30/X40 hardtop coupe
  • 0:46 (1988) Nissan Gloria hardtop coupe 430
  • 1:09 (2023) Subaru Levorg VM
  • 1:22 (2023) Mazda MX-5 ND
  • 1:25 (2023) Toyota Crown Athlete S210
  • 1:31 (1988) Toyota Corona ST162
  • 1:38 (1988) Toyota Corolla Levin AE86
  • 1:43 (1988) No idea?
  • 2:24 (1988) Honda Legend KA
  • 3:16 (1988) Chevrolet Caprice Classic Wagon
  • 3:29 (1988) Nissan Bluebird hardtop 910
  • 3:30 (1988) Toyota Mark II X30/X40 wagon
  • 3:36 (1988) Honda Civic, Toyota Celica A60, Toyota Carina T150
  • 3:37 (1988) Nissan Skyline R30
  • 4:02 (1988) Mercedes W123 sedan and wagon
  • 4:16 (1988) Nissan Langley N12
  • 4:28 (1988) Nissan Prairie
  • 4:34 (2023) Porsche 911 (992)

Some interesting cars in 2023

This time there actually were some interesting cars in 2023: the brand new Porsche 911 (992) made me wonder what kind of rich person was living there. The Subaru Levorg was also a nice one to spot. But the crown jewel (sorry for the pun) of this video was the Crown Athlete S210. Not being the latest model makes this car more interesting for aftermarket modifications and it’s clear these were performed!

Most interesting cars in 1988

I think, by far, the most interesting car was the pair of Mercedes W123s: a sedan and a wagon! It’s no coincidence these two were parked next to each other and must belong to the same person. So did this person purchase both as new? Or did this person buy them second-hand and separately? I have so many questions!

Another interesting car was the Nissan Langley N12. Abroad we did get the Cherry N12 (a rebadged Pulsar) but we never got the Langley. Together with the Arna they make a nice trio of cars!

The final interesting car to highlight car is the Toyota Mark II X30/X40 hardtop coupé we’re following for one and a half minutes. It features some alloy rims and doesn’t seem to have undergone a zokusha treatment as many during that era fell victim to.

Bonus video

Also, this time we can actually watch the original 1988 video:

But only watching this video would be a shame as then you would miss the extra explanation by Kamepo!