Lowrider culture came to life in California decades ago, but it’s found a home in a foreign land: Japan. In fact, the Japanese lowrider scene has been around nearly as long after the culture caught fire in Southern California.
Even though many involved in the culture believe the scene peaked years ago, it remains a dominant force in the country’s car culture. And it’s full of Chevrolet and Cadillac cars. The irony is Chevrolet and Cadillac sell incredibly poorly in the country, though the lack of right-hand-drive cars has something to do with that. Still, numerous Chevrolet and Cadillac nameplates from the 20th century flooded the Lowrider Super Show in Chiba, Japan, as The Japan Times reported last Friday.
Many attendees said the Japanese lowrider culture does have its own distinction, though a lot of the popular designs still stem from the American culture. One showgoer said the Japanese normally spot something from America, take it, and put their own twist on the design, or even the hydraulic systems themselves.
Like many countries, younger Japanese citizens aren’t as thrilled with cars as generations prior, which has led to a domestic slump in general. The nation’s largest lowrider publication folded earlier this decade as the scene shrunk. Still, the hundreds of cars and thousands of attendees at the event shows there’s still a love affair for lowriders in Japan.
Comments
Actually many older GM cars are big over in japan.
I deal many parts for anything from Cadillac’s, trucks and Camaros.
Two of the more popular models there are the last GM Wagons like the Caprice and Roadmaster based wagons.
One Chevy they love too is the Astro Van. They love the square boxy but roomy vehicle.
Low Riders are only part of the scene there.
Note many of the American cars are either ones people who bought from Service Men that had them imported via by the military.
Others are wealthy Japanese owners that had them imported at high cost.
Just to park large cars like this if they live in the city is so very expensive alone.
We take our garages for granted here and over there in some areas even the smallest space is for the rich only. Space is at a premium.
Infatuated with lowriders, huh? Stuck in the ’92 urban scene.
*Round of Applause*
Can I just say how lacking the Cadillac articles are lately, hardly any new news.