This is a continuation of our tour of Japan, focused on Yufuin, a small resort town on the island of Kyushu. Yufuin is famous for its natural hot springs and mainly caters to tourists from Japan. The small, local hotels are known for their onsen baths and the town’s walkable boutique shops are only open from 10am to 5pm.
Surrounded by mountains, it’s a very relaxing atmosphere compared to cities like Tokyo. But for me, the highlight of this visit wasn’t the hot springs spas or souvenir shops.
No, I’d looked forward to coming here for months, just to see the Retro Motor Museum. My daughter, Kars, visited Yufuin last summer. She texted a photo of a Datsun roadster, saying, “hey dad, they have a car like yours in this museum!” Very observant, that one. So, it was a goal of mine to check this museum out during our trip. Maybe the owner would give me a tour. Maybe he had an old 240z he wanted to get rid of…Ya gotta have dreams, right?
Judi and I arrived soon after he museum opened. Check out the entrance and exterior. It’s hard to describe, eclectic? First, you’re welcomed by the tired looking Corvette out front, which is beyond restoring at this point.
Looking up, you’ll see an old prop airplane on top of the building with a well-preserved 40-year-old Isuzu bus parked below the plane. If you’re thirsty, there’s a vintage Coke machine with cold drinks near the entrance. 
A woman greeted us as we stepped inside the quiet building. She didn’t speak English, but it became clear the owner wasn’t available until later in the afternoon. I gave her my business card and did my best to communicate that I would return to talk to him. Kars wasn’t around to translate so we paid the entrance fee and walked into an open high ceiling room filled with cars and motorcycles.
The interior of the museum is low-lit with downward spotlights aimed at the hood of each car. It appeared more like a man-cave on steroids than a curated, Concourse style museum. I considered that a feature. Looking across the room I thought, “any of my cars would fit right into this museum.”
The museum consists of 70 cars and 30 motorcycles, along with period correct automotive memorabilia. I felt like a kid in a candy store. So much polished chrome and color! Where to start? Upon entering the main floor, my eyes lit up when I spotted a bright red 1965 Honda S800. Not really marketed to NA, it was the first Honda exported to Germany and the UK. It has 70hp and a top end of 100mph. The design of the car still looks sporty.
The room was filled with eye candy, but the Datsun 2000 grabbed my attention right away. There it was, a grey 1968 Datsun 2000 with a maroon hard top. It looked to be in very good shape. Just like my car at home, I wanted to jump in and drive it! Having spent so many hours working on my roadsters, this was the first thing in Japan that felt very familiar to me. See my Datsun roadster car story here. Parked next to it was a left-hand drive convertible Datsun 240z. Datsun didn’t manufacture a convertible Z, so there must be a story behind this car. 
The topless Z reminded me of an early James Bond movie, You Only Live Twice, where 007 is sent to Japan to stop evil doers from destroying the world. Akiko Wakabayashi played a Japanese ninja secret agent that drove a 1967 Toyota 2000GT. Like the 240Z, I happen to know the 2000GT wasn’t produced as a convertible, either. The top was cut off two cars specifically for the film because Sean Connery was too tall to fit in the hardtop version. You might wonder, “Hey 2Buk, how do you know these important facts?” Well, 2BukChuk accomplished something during the pandemic by watching all 26 James Bond movies. A great feat and topic for another blog…
We walked through the first-floor rooms taking photos of various classic cars before heading upstairs. There were many vintage Harley Davidsons, BMWs, Indians, Hondas, Yamahas, and Suzuki motorcycles on display. There were at least 3 juke boxes, vintage gas pumps, Japanese electronics, model cars, bicycles, and auto related signs arranged throughout the museum. Check out the Retro Motor Museum video to see the entire collection.
Surprisingly, the museum has quite a few classic American and European cars on display.
One that stood out was a beautiful 1975 Maserati Khamsin. It was found in the basement of a car collector in Tokyo, dirty and non-running after being stored for over 30 years. It was carefully restored before putting it in the museum.
There was a ’52 MGTD, ’58 Porsche 356A, ’59 Cadillac, ’60 Mercedes 190SL, and a ’61 Corvette. Wouldn’t you like to have just one of these cars in your garage? Me, too!
There are also items on display outside of the museum, stored under a carport. There are couple of old cars and a bus, which visitors are allowed to sit in and take photos. After we finished our self-guided tour, the owner, Mr. Mazusawa, showed up. He was casually dressed in a Bridgestone Tire jacket and wearing a Mercedes Benz baseball hat, looking like he was on the way to the track. Kars was there to assist with translating, and he was happy to try and answer questions. After I showed him photos of my ‘68 Datsun 2000 and ‘74 Datsun 260Z, he offered to show us the Datsuns up close, opening the hoods and doors, and letting me go behind the ropes to take pictures. 
Mr. Mazusawa worked in the film industry and acquired many of his cars after the movies were completed and vehicles and props were no longer needed. As for the Datsun 2000, it was once owned by a friend of his. He confirmed that both cars were drivable, and he followed up later, sending videos. I was happy and impressed to know the cars were roadworthy. I don’t know if that’s true for all his cars, but he does have a shop attached to the building and has friends in the automotive industry to help him out.
Mr. Mazusawa said the left-hand drive 240Z was imported from the USA. A previous owner had modified the body to make it a convertible. Unlike the James Bond modified Toyota 2000GT, this one is likely less valuable than a stock 240Z but would be fun to drive in the summer. As for selling them, that wasn’t in the cards.
Buying another car wasn’t my objective. I was thrilled to see this museum for myself. It was a great adventure, strolling amongst these awesome cars in a place you would never expect to see them. Add to that, the owner was onsite and willing to provide a personal tour. If you dig going off the beaten path, classic cars, Japanese cuisine, hot baths, and sake, Yufuin is the place to go in Japan. And make sure a visit to the Retro Motor Museum is at the top of your “Must-See” list!
p.s. Mr. Mazusawa sent me a link to the museum’s web site: ret.car.coocan.jp. It works and you can select an English translation or use Google Translate. On my browser it shows up as not being a secure site. I believe that’s because it’s from a Japanese domain. This link is to a secure YouTube video of the museum: Retro Motor Museum video.
Loved that trip!!!