# Slot cars in Japan?



## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

Hey, my cousin in the Air Force is spending some time in Japan, and sent me a message asking if we want him to get anything while he's there. I don't want to send him out of his way or suggest he spend a lot, but I'm thinking it might be cool to get a Japanese release slot car. Anybody know how readily available they are in Japan? What kind of store would I tell him to look in? What are prices like there? He mentioned that he's in/near Tokyo...

Thanks in advance for any ideas...

--rick


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

Rick,
Don't bother.

A few years back, maybe around 2003 (wow, that's 9 years ago???), some of our IT guys would have to go to Japan because we ran their computer systems. I asked them to check out the stores there for any slot cars. The guy who spoke Japanese knew nothing about slots (although I did show him samples), but the other guy with him used to have them as a kid.

Anyway, when they got back they told me that no one over there knew what they were talking about. Apparently, the stores in Japan (especially in high density places like Tokyo) are not like the stores here. A toy store, if you can find one, might be located on the 20th floor of an office building and there's not much floor space - so toys don't hang around very long. The people working there were completely clueless about slots.

And that was 9 years ago when you would hope some Tomy cars were still around. Today the chances are even slimmer.

Joe


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## ParkRNDL (Mar 20, 2002)

thanks for the heads-up. i started trying to find stuff online about slot cars in Japan, and got absolutely nothing, so i thought maybe it might be like that. i guess seeing some Japan-only releases of Tomy cars (like that Skyline that popped up here recently) had me thinking the hobby was still active over there. does Tomy still market cars in Japan at all?

thnx...

--rick


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## tomhocars (Oct 19, 2005)

Rick,I cant speak for today but i know years ago I had a friend who worked for the airlines.He used to hop a plane ,for free,and go to Japan for slots.He said they were difficult to find but he always found plenty.I had alot of tyco and tomy cars in boxes with Japanese writing..He's out of the hobby now.Hard to find. It depends how hard you want to look.


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## AfxToo (Aug 29, 2003)

I always look for HO slot car stuff and hobby shops when I travel for work in Europe and Asia but so far I've never found anything for HO. On the other hand 1:32 scale slot cars and race sets can be found in some hobby shops that also carry RC and model train products. 

I am ever hopeful that the growing popularity of Formula 1 racing in Asia will provide some stimulus for growing the slot car hobby in these emerging economies, especially China. I think it could happen but it will require a different formula than the one that served us in North America during the 1960s and 1970s. To bring in new enthusiasts today the hobby must find a way to bring in some modern aspects and technology sizzle to augment the fundamental attraction of the physical, tactile, and micro-mechanic joys that slot cars provide. The things that we find so enjoyable about slot cars and slot car racing are no longer intuitive to the younger generation so the hobby must adapt and find a way to draw them in so at least some of them will "get it" and become hooked for life. If this can happen in China and India, look out for the next wave of slot car evolution, participation, and manufacturer investment.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

tomhocars said:


> I had a friend...


You have friends?????


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

there used to be a JAPAN HOPRA
they do race over there

Not sure of the contact info, I will look into it


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## tomhocars (Oct 19, 2005)

Grandcheapskate said:


> You have friends?????


Joe,You're not allowed to come over anymore. Tom


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## slotking (May 27, 2008)

http://www.hopra.net/Contacts.html 

HOPRA site does have the japan contact info


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## Joe65SkylarkGS (Feb 15, 2010)

tomhocars said:


> Joe,You're not allowed to come over anymore. Tom


Lmfao Tom!!!!!


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## sethndaddy (Dec 4, 2004)

I had a different go on the Japan thingy. probably 10-11 years ago, while working at Depot I struck up conversation with a customer about slots because he said he was traveling alot. 
He came back with lifelike track with nascars, one I can't remember, the other was a McDonalds car with a different # then the one released here. It was from a toys-r-us, only other difference was the writing on the box was japanese. costed me $30.00. the customer then came in with HIS box of cars for me to buy. $40.00 for a tan pit case filled with cars. All where near mint condition, One was a tan mustang fastback, a tan hotrod, dumptruck, and 7 other cars.


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

tomhocars said:


> Joe,You're not allowed to come over anymore. Tom


Oh all right, I'll be your friend.

It might be that in order to find slots in Japan today would mean finding them on the secondary market, meaning either eBay-Japan or someone selling their collections. I also don't know what other markets may have received the Japanese cars. For example, were those cars distributed to Australia?

Joe


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## NTxSlotCars (May 27, 2008)

Didn't someone post a video of some hot chick stompin on a slot car a while back?
I thought that was some new trend in Japan?


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## Grandcheapskate (Jan 5, 2006)

NTxSlotCars said:


> Didn't someone post a video of some hot chick stompin on a slot car a while back?


Unless it was a Super III, that should be illegal.


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## Slott V (Feb 3, 2005)

Tyco was big in Japan for years with the "Super Circuit" stuff. Not sure if that's still in the retail market there. And AFX was also big.

A big slot car place in Japan was Tom's HO. Maybe Tokyo?


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