This was also our first time travelling on the Shuto (Japanese expressway), what I found odd was while the speed limit on the Shuto was clearly indicated at 60kph, every car was travelling at 110kph, even in the slow lane. So I managed to give the R32 a nice workout all the way down to Yokohama.
The 33km trip to less then half an hour... I won't tell you how much less.
Unfortunately, it was a rather dreary day, with rain showers and a mean, overcast sky. We drove around the city and finally ended up at the Yokohama Bay area, Minato Mirai and had lunch in a mall... it's name escapes me. Next to the mall was an amusement park with a massive ferris wheel, we got on and had a great bird's eye view of the city.
Despite the rain we managed to have a decent time at the amusement park, even if someone refused to go on the roller coaster...
Even though Yokohama is only 30+ km away from central Tokyo (which is considered really close), it certainly has a more suburban, laid-back feel. The streets feel less congested, wider boulevards, buildings don't feel like they're on top of you. Even in the mall, while crowded, it didn't feel manic, people actually strolled around as opposed to speed-walking. And things are cheaper here, you could actually get a HOUSE here, with a small garden and a wonderful view of the bay. I could see myself living here at some point, even with a 45 minute daily commute.
Anyhoo, as the rain refused to stop, we decided to head back to Tokyo, the drive back was a breeze, I must say the R32 is a wonderful road cruiser, the 3.2 litre engine just gobbles up the road with little effort and has enough of a kick to overtake with ease.
All-in-all a decent day, had a nice look at Yokohama and gave the car a good run... and we all know which was more fun.
