Yashio Factory is a smallish tuning garage just outside of Tokyo with a reputation for spitting out some of the quickest cars on the island. Funny thing is, the shop wouldn't even exist if it weren't set up initially by one Mr. Okamura, as a way to fund his true passion: racing. That's not to say he plops himself down on the couch each Saturday in front of the TV with a bag of popcorn. And it doesn't mean he pours gigabucks into watching people drive around the track in the cars he builds.
Mr. Okamura races the Yashio Factory cars himself, in special events and tuner shootouts throughout Japan. Only after being in business for some time did he use experience gained dialing in cars on the circuit to develop his own line of parts. Yashio Factory uses a select few items from outside suppliers, only because Okamura believes they couldn't be made better in house.
Okamura is one of the more notable tuners in Japan, his face easily found in every Japanese automotive publication, as well as in the Best Motoring International (BMI)/Hot Version video series. He's competed personally in every car Yashio Factory has entered in the popular BMI video shootouts and often places first.
Most recently, Mr. Okamura prepared a 350Z for battle at this year's Nismo Festival, which was unfortunately delayed due to snow. The race eventually ran in May at Tsukuba Circuit. And though it rained by the bucketful, the lightly-tuned street car managed to post an impressive 1.15.890 lap time.
Being one of the most respected tuners in Japan, Mr. Okamura looks at us like we're crazy each time we question the nature of his Z-car or elongated racing resume. Here, car people just know who he is - they know which races he's won and which cars he's done them in. They know the details of his latest Z-car and they've peppered their own Nissans to mimic his.
The white 350Z is sitting outside the garage waiting for us when we arrive. It's really quite clean - one of the first times I've ever seen a car with stickers manage to look this good. The soft bronze tribal design that spans the car's flanks isn't actually that gaudy at all. And the Z is perfectly hunkered down, sitting on humongous 20-inch chrome Yokohama AVS wheels, wrapped in 235/35R20 and 255/30R20 Advan Sport rubber like a cat sits on its haunches right before springing on unsuspecting prey. Lest you judge Mr. Okamura for his choice of tribal tattooing and chrome-plated dubs, remember that Okamura puts his money where his ostentatious mouth is, and this thing sees battle almost weekly. These ain't the same bling-bling rims you'll see competing at the NOPI Nationals.