Some peeps always ask me how it is to live in japan and to be part of the japanese domestic car culture. . .so I thought it would be a great chance to write this little essay on this forum, rather then keeping my experiences for my self.
I work in the car industry and live in Aichi prefecture, the home of Toyotas factories and HQ. Despite not living in Tokyo, the place to be for enjoying hardcore street car culture, the scene over here is vibrant in another way.
I will try to write down a few explanations and points I would like to share, as many peeps have interest in such topics, also many of you guys have lived in japan as well, so we can discuss point of views and experiences.

1) Car ownership, the japanese way!
You may think that in japan, the used car market is about the same then as in Australia, the US or in Europe, but in fact its the most unique and different used car market in the world.
In japan nobody buys a car from a private person, nor do you try to sell your car in private, through classfields, online, in magazines . . . or like on the this very forum. 99,99% of japanese car owners only trade their cars with dealers, specificly their old dealer, they have been dealing with since 30 years!
This culture goes back to the fact that japan is the only industrialized country in the world, where the population doesn`t actively trade goods and belongings from one private ownership to another (japanese don`t sell houses, don`t sell appartements, don`t sell fornitures, cars, bikes, bicycles, toys,ex . . . . .).
Why do they have this culture?
To make it short the japanese always want to be uniform, if somebody goes his own way through personal ambitions and courage, is regarded as bad. This culture has its roots in ancient Edo, where the howl japanese society was stuck and controled by land lords, where everyone had a specific task to full fill, with no room and tolerance for peeps who tried to take their life in their own hands . . . on the other side this enabled a big % of the population to live above poverty thanks to that system.

Private trading success favors the ones who try and go out of boundries, when the others get nothing . . . a reality that doesn`t match with the japanese way of harmony. This culture was even more pushed forward after WW2, when japan was *** poor. Single individuals gathering wealth was unacceptable.

2) How much do japanese invest in to cars then???
Much, very much . . . much more then in the west. probably to the fact that everyone feels an obligation to always buy and maintenance their cars at the same dealer, a bit like: "We all live in the same rough times and have to help out each other, without thinking about own selfish benefits."
So nobody actually tries to ask 10 dealers for the best price of a new car purchase, they just deal with the dealer.
Now performance car ownership is even more expensive, as the dealer or tuner will ask a lot of money to build your car. Prices are in the same region as tuning prices in europe germany for performance cars like Benz/Porsche or BMW at Schnitzer/Carlsson/Brabus/ Abt/ Hamann/ ex . . . . .
The only difference is that you trust your 10000$ tune to a little rusty garage, as you trust them in what they do, unacceptable in europe for example.

Japanese are free-riders in life, as life safty is not that great in japan and you just stuck to your job and use your money for lifestyle activities, rather then building a solid future with earnings. This means that your average salaryman with a 2500USD salary will verse his total usuable earning in to a expensive tune of his GTR for exemple, rather then in europe where peeps just stuck with the lifestyle that suits their salary best.
Japanese car enthusiasts spend much money on cars, with no reflection on returns, its lost anyway in their spirit. . . . fatality thinking!

3) This makes used cars and used tuned cars cheap!
With a few exceptions as GTRs and NSXs, to only name this two, each high tuned car will automatic loose 60% of its tuning value after a few month or even more. Owners have spend tons of money in their cars and have build little diamonds, then they move on (some have the money to do so, some have to sell) and the cars get bought for nothing by, now guess who??????? . . .yes the dealer they have been doing business since the beginning!
This means that the owner doesn`t get the actual market value back for his car, but just the value the dealer is able to afford giving him. Maybe out there are 10 peeps who would pay tons of money for that tuned GTR, but as you do not sell your car in private and the peeps who want your car also won`t engage in a private purchase, everything gets stuck with the dealer. (a intelligent dealer without scruples will sell the car with big margins after, especially through auctions, where foreign buyers know to appreciate such tuned cars)
Thats why still in 2010 you can get your hand on 600-700HP sub 1000miles professional tuned R32/R33 GTRs for the low price of about 25000USD . . . something you can`t get in europe if you look at high end professional tuned german cars.

4) Performance Car culture at large
So just consider all the points above and you will quick understand that japanese owners feel that they all sit in the same boat, the culture of feeling bound together in life is so great that even wealthy people act like being more poor out of concern to be out locked of the scene or community . . . when poor people get pulled up and interact on equal level in the car culture.
How many times I went to illegal races or meeting here in Aichiken and allways you meet rich peeps showing up with Ferraris or high tuned R35 GTRs, chating on the side walk with guys owning rubbish Silvia drift cars, they are barly able to afford the insurance, drinking coffee and enjoying car life.
Its a great thing and great culture, nobody goes there for the ego kick or to show off, you show off to interact and share, not to gain fame or respect in return.
Even the bikers join these meetings, considering that else where its bikers versus cars war!

5) Hasheria, Wangan, Midnight racing and top secret cars!!! . .a myth???
No, in japan as everyone tries to live in harmony, you can actually talk of mysterious cars showing up only on certain days at night, racing god damn fast (illegal).
In europe or australia or the US, such practices would fail dramatic as the chavs in their Hyundai 1.0 rubbish cars would just mob you up and start a fight out of fun and jealousy.
In japan these illegal super tuned cars cause never really grave accidents in comparaison to all sports car accidents in japan.
In Aichiken you have a 400meter race every first saturday of the month at a big junction in front of a SONY factory. First the usual suspects race, makes donuts, tuned bikes racing against tuned cars, ex . . . . then at some point one GTR pulls up, the fastest of the other lot will race against it, and fails dramaticly. . . . the mysterious GTR has complete destroyed everyone in the race.
. . . sounds dump, but its like a movie, and everyone accepts the domination and situation they just experienced. Nobody will follow the guy out of anger or tries to speak to him.
He or she is a lonely samurai and peeps like this image.

As a foreigner in japan, you feel like WTF, but you experience tons of great moments here and people are so open and friendly . . . I wouldn`t think I will share car culture anywhere more then in japan, especially not with so many strangers in such a intensive and gentle manner!