Tamiya Mini 4WD Racing in Setaka - I Live in Japan 136

I live in Japan
Talking about my life in Japan
Cultural (and not so) and everyday experiences.
One Hundred Thirty-sixth Episode: Tamiya Mini 4WD Racing in Setaka
We found a race just a few weeks after we put out Tamiya Mini 4WD cars together, so we went out to lose! And we did! :) But we had a great time losing! The store in Setaka holds these races generally on the last Sunday of the month, so if you're in the area, come down to Setaka for a lot of fun racing small cars!
Twitter: / mvakasparkuus
Facebook: / sparkuus
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Music: "Eastern Thought" by Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com) Licensed under Creative Commons "Attribution 3.0"
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[@poweron1807]

Really like the video love all the sharing and giving

[@Sparkuus]

I stopped off there this evening (after the race was all done, I didn't make it home in time to see any of it) and one guy gave me a set of red tires to give to Duncan!

[@nellennatea]

Great fun. Good video. They are very generous to your kids cause they want them to come back & play again.

[@Sparkuus]

Thanks! :) I'm sure we'll go again. I hope it's some time soon!

[@LetiSparkles]

this was awesome to watch ! really looks like you had fun so it was fun watching

[@GiganticJetShell]

I'm barely seeing this video and that looks really fun !

[@Sparkuus]

Thanks! Racing was really fun! :)

[@TeacherGo_Offical]

lol!! It so interest for me.! I didn't realize it(4wd race cultural) when I lived Shizuoka in Japan. But, now I'm come back to my country. Wow! I want to joy in that race.

[@Sparkuus]

+고제열 Are you in South Korea now? I think there are Tamiya MIni 4WD races in SK somewhere.

[@TeacherGo_Offical]

+Sparkuus Yes. I'm living SK. :) I know some where have a race in a SK. but It has a little different purpose. usually, SK race is a function of selecting the national team. So, It held four times a year. It is difficult to participate in refreshing. recently In SK, It is hard too find the mini 4wd in the village. your race is looking good. fun with villagers. :)

[@Sparkuus]

National team? Wow, sounds too serious and not fun enough!

[@metallitech]

I loved the Tamiya mini4wd hobby when I was a kid. Long live Mini 4wd!

[@Sparkuus]

There are more adults that come out to these races than kids! :)

[@metallitech]

That's good to hear because it means that I can get back into the hobby some time.

[@thehentist8749]

There are basically 3 kinds of tracks in mini 4wd: technical, high speed, and balance and yes it needs strategy as you will need the right parts and modifications including the motor, side rollers, stabilizers, weights, gear ratio; no wonder why it was a hit among adults.

[@Sparkuus]

I think the Setaka race is pretty much always speed.

[@FrankygoestoHobbywood]

a nice vid.. i had a lot fun while watching

[@Sparkuus]

Frank Kathoewer Glad you liked it! :)

[@not_riley]

you have a great attitude towards this hobby. I'm glad you've enjoyed it. hope you won't quit it anytime soon.

[@pyramidgod4537]

Just discovered your videos a couple months ago or so. Great stuff :)

[@Sparkuus]

Thank you very much! :)

[@jomocena1251]

You are such a COOL DAD! Thumbs up for you! 👍

[@Sparkuus]

+Jomo Cena I wish I could have done this when I was a kid, so I'm glad my kids get to! :)

[@cbh148]

holy crap, those things are fast. seems like a great environment to foster some engineering inductive reasoning.

[@Sparkuus]

The guys who really get into this racing seriously put a fair bit of money into their cars and tools and their whole setups they bring to the races. I'll never be on that level.

[@taikisonoda]

hi cbh148, those car can be really fast. check end half of this vid >>>>> kzbin.info/www/bejne/aILQY3yYhsagp9U

[@XAXMirzaX]

This looks super fun!!!

[@Sparkuus]

It is! It'll be more fun if we upgrade and aren't the slowest cars on the track anymore! :)

[@naruto0x10]

Well I'm gonna bring like 10 bottles of sun block if I ever go there. I burn very easily! One time I went to the beach a few years ago, I was practically a lobster!!! But anyways, on topic about models, that looks like a lot of fun! Too bad you can't really find Tamiya model kits in America. I could order them online but it's ridiculously expensive to ship from Japan to America! Either I can go find a hobby shop that sells them for $10-$20 more than what they should cost, or I can find an affordable online shop with expensive shipping. I miss when import items weren't overpriced. Although I was a kid back then and didn't care much for model kits back then. I had a few SD Gundam kits and that was it. But these days, I love building things! My favorite hobbies outside of video games and anime are Lego and Gundam model kits. Although I'm more into Lego than Gundam model kits because 1. Gundam model kits are VERY pricey and expensive to ship and 2. I don't have all the stuff for detailing my kits.

[@Sparkuus]

I wouldn't think Lego is all that much cheaper! :) And if you want the Mini 4WD, look on Amazon.com. I just checked and they have a few at good prices.

[@-LightSmit]

Great video, enjoyed it : )

[@Sparkuus]

Thanks! :) You should come out for a race :)

[@fordboy2006]

That's a wonderful way to spend time with your kids!!!!

[@Sparkuus]

We haven't gone lately unfortunately! Better set up the home made track!

[@fordboy2006]

Sparkuus :-) you've got me all interested. Will be visiting Japan next month and am making a list of stuff to look out for at Yodobashi!!!!

[@Sparkuus]

I'm not sure if Yodobashi has them or not. They might, but you'll probably find a way better selection at a hobby shop, which shouldn't be too hard to find! Basic kits are cheap. It gets more expensive when you start getting in to all the upgrades! But they're kinda necessary if you plan to use the cars. Things like the standard plastic rollers that come with the car start to wear out pretty quickly on the race track.

[@fordboy2006]

Sparkuus Thank you for the tip. I applaud your efforts in building your own track. It looks fantastic!! You must have spent hours cutting and glueing that immense track! Am going to be at Tokyo, Fukuoka and Niseko. Hope to "wander" into one of the hobby shops you mentioned.

[@Sparkuus]

The track took a few hours yes. Not sure how many. No idea where Niseko is, but there should be Hobby shops in all of them! How well do you know Fukuoka? I went to a model store in the building that used to be called Daiei Shoppers on the north end of the Tenjin Chikagai if that means anything to you, and they had a pretty good selection. If you go to a YouMe Town there should usually be a store called Hobby Zone. That's usually a good place to go too. I think you can look up hobby stores that have a lot of Tamiya stuff on a website somewhere too, but it was just in Japanese as far as I remember.

[@clydemichaelquintana6981]

cool dad....heheh,im also here japan now,and i bought mini4wd cars too for me and my son....

[@Sparkuus]

+Clyde Michael Quintana Cool! Have fun! :)

[@nizamrusly90]

Wow nice.. From Malaysia..peace tamiya

[@Sparkuus]

Thanks! Haven't been to a race for a few years now. Not sure if they're ever going to happen again at that location.

[@neisadiwa5412]

haha nice video.. i like it very much! i watch also the 1st part(Car Assembly) hope to see more :))

[@Sparkuus]

+nei sadiwa I started a second channel just for the Mini 4WD stuff, but I've decided to double post those videos here too, so there's lots more to see still.

[@clivedy3374]

Enjoyed this video. Thanks

[@jowowetan]

So much fun!

[@Sparkuus]

+jowowetan It really is! :) We've got 8 or 9 times now I think.

[@wonderable]

I have one. It is the MA Chassis, PRO, FESTA JAUNE, Upgraded with the Tune - Up-- AREA HI-MOUNT ROLLER SET

[@Sparkuus]

For the really serious guys, that's just barely beginning! :) Lots more upgrading to go yet! :) Have fun with it!

[@Zentaurus21Blogspotr08m1n]

those wave curves look real cruel! and you in the expert class! ^_^ more!

[@Sparkuus]

OK! We're not going to the next race, but maybe the one after that! :)

[@Zentaurus21Blogspotr08m1n]

***** bummer >_< makes for sharper anticipation, though ^_^ spending some time on upgrades, huh?

[@Sparkuus]

Well.........Funny you should say that......:)

[@bonniefacechempiantel2473]

Nice Video Hope The Next Time Race Video Are Recorded

[@Sparkuus]

bonnieface Chempian I have 2 more races recorded but not yet edited.

[@bonniefacechempiantel2473]

ok

[@MoonyMystery]

Aloe, aloe, aloe all over that sunburn! Yikes! This seems like a pretty fun thing to do once a month :) Has Kumiko gone yet? Race Kumamon! Kumamon Go!

[@Sparkuus]

Nope, Kumiko doesn't actually sound too interested in racing her car. And the youngest two are too small to go out for the race day anyway really, so Kumiko prefers to stay home with them during a race.

[@MamaHasCurves]

I totally want one of these tracks set up in my living room!

[@Sparkuus]

WOW! Your living room must be HUGE!!! :) I think someone at the race said it was 6 sets put together actually :)

[@MamaHasCurves]

***** okay, maybe a mini version of this ;) it looks fun, even though Ms. Pink wasn't very enthusiastic!

[@Sparkuus]

She picked up once she knew there were lots more races to do! :)

[@erpatitube]

I want to build that race course in my backyard! That looks awesome. I think I know what my kids are getting for Christmas. Hope the sunburn was not too painful.

[@Sparkuus]

Actually it was all right! :)

[@jc_1337]

So Coool! I want to live in Japan! This has honestly inspired me to actually look into Mini 4WD in the Bay Area. There's one vendor near me that has events a couple of times a month.

[@Sparkuus]

+Jordan Camba A couple a month? That's a lot! Cool! Have fun and tweet me a picture of your car when you get it set up! :)

[@ooizhingyao8388]

Nostalgia.

[@Sparkuus]

Did you have a lot of Mini4WD cars as a kid?

[@xlrull]

your video makes me want to play this cute thing with my son and daughter

[@Sparkuus]

+xlrull It's a lot of fun! I think I've gotten in to it more than my kids :)

[@xlrull]

I think i will be like you too lol..

[@Pocketstash]

You know, I wasn't going to watch this video because I was like "eh car racing ewww" but I'm glad I did. Your kids looked like they really enjoyed it- and your daughter might even be able to win one day with all those free parts :P The cute little girls always get the most free stuff don't they?

[@Sparkuus]

So true! She'll need some upgraded rollers with posts before she'll be able to start winning though! That'll come some time soon.

[@MaikiChen]

That looks like a lot of fun.... Sorry for your sunburn

[@Sparkuus]

It's all better now! But the sandal tan on my feet still looks well defined! :)

[@MaikiChen]

😝did you noticed you lost the sandals in the pic?... 😜 Just being silly.... I know, I know 😄

[@Sparkuus]

Just when I was walking on the blue sheet! It was a no shoes area (as much as possible anyway)

[@JoseTarrio]

my son dose it and he just bought a lot of upgrade parts along with a new car but he can't race because we live in florida and there are no races in america except in the California area.

[@Sparkuus]

Jose Tarrio That is a bit far to go! Maybe you can find some more people who want to race together and start a club! 3 lane track pieces are rather expensive though.

[@JoseTarrio]

Thanks. This post was made by my son under my account. He's very optimistic :-)

[@blackhawk4614]

Just stumbled upon your video, awesome stuff !

[@Sparkuus]

Thanks! I'm WAY behind in editing race videos though!

[@The3DPrintingWarrant]

Are you guys still racing my son just got one of these cars for Christmas from his Japanese friends. Looks like fun!!

[@Sparkuus]

I think we only made it to two races this year. The timing wasn't good. I hope to go out a little more often in 2017!

[@The3DPrintingWarrant]

Sparkuus thx for the reply. Happy New Year!!!!🎊

[@Sparkuus]

Happy New Year! You;re welcome :)

[@mikemill3033]

Wow they are so cool!! What exactly are they called and are they sold in NA? Can't wait to see the next time you go! The other racers are so generous giving you all them extra parts!!

[@Sparkuus]

They are Tamiya Mini 4WD race cars, and you should be able to find them in your local hobby store (maybe) and if not there, Amazon does have some on the site, but be careful of the price! Some are a really good price, and some are WAY overpriced!

[@foxracerdrew]

I remember when I had a couple as a kid, problem is that where I live, this as a hobby doesn't really exist so I had to use cardboard corners and just race it around the hallway until I got bored. Btw, back then I had like 3, the only one I remember was the mini-F1 2WD which was yellow and had the Benson stickers. Also, I feel for you man, as a fellow red head, I understand the blight of fair skin and sunny days >.

[@Sparkuus]

It's definitely more fun if you have someone to race against, even if it's on a cardboard track!

[@MrFreezeplug]

That really looks like a lot of fun!!! ^_^ Yep you really got burned Lol literally. Now the days of peeling awaits you.

[@Sparkuus]

Surprisingly I haven't started peeling yet, and it's been a week and a half!

[@vanguardkid1552]

***** how much are they in japan?? Because in the philippines they get sold around 11-20 dollars.. BTW nice cars :)

[@Sparkuus]

The cheapest ones come without motors for around 400 yen. With motors, 800 to 1100 yen generally before any upgrade parts are added.

[@Serron230601]

Your a cool Dad man, Hope to see more of this mini 4wd Race Videos. Plus Nina is so adorable and cute i love watching her bugging you in your videos haha :).

[@yistgleichmmalxplusb]

NIce vid! Thanks for sharing! (Did you forget the annotations for the other vids in the end?)

[@Sparkuus]

Yes I did! I'm actually probably about a year behind in adding in my annotations!

[@Cakoiz]

Thats cool

[@paulbigevilladia9799]

Nice video sir

[@Sparkuus]

Paul Big Evil Ladia Thank you :)

[@floral-smoke]

Lilya's just a little too excited there. She needs to calm down! =P

[@Sparkuus]

Just a wee bit! :)

[@ek8710]

I wish Mini4WD was a thing in the UK :(

[@Sparkuus]

Maybe you could start it!

[@astroboy3507]

Cool they get going I wonder what speed they were at ?? Also love the new blue honda. Fit in the back ground too !!!!!

[@Sparkuus]

No idea! I've read they can go up to 65km/h. And the Honda isn't mine! It just happened to be in the direction I was pointing the camera! :)

[@astroboy3507]

They look like 65kph !!!! Yes I thought it was not yours your too tall !!!! Lol Just love Hondas !!!!!!!

[@rockonblackops777]

That looks really fun. BTW you are really red...lol sun crisped mark :)

[@Sparkuus]

I turn into a lobster in the sun!

[@rofaielmakram8388]

not bad

[@shariffgandamra4369]

Cool dad

[@Sparkuus]

Thanks! :)

[@leonhardaldrin1585]

pls make a VID again

[@zagelaw8700]

Your car is slash reaper thAt modle was discontenued😔

[@Sparkuus]

+Zage law Yep, but I still find one or two in stores now and then.

[@zagelaw8700]

+Sparkuus that is rare🙃

[@johnroldan9770]

hey ***** what motor are you using

[@Sparkuus]

First time out I had the basic motor. Not I have an Atomic tuned for the regular race, and I've used a sprint dash for the open, but I'm going to buy a power dash next time.

[@johnroldan9770]

use hyper dash 3

[@johnroldan9770]

and do you have fb ill add you bro

[@Sparkuus]

I have a Facebook pag e at facebook.com/Sparkuus

[@Sparkuus]

I was wrong. I don't have a sprint dash, it is a hyper dash 3, but when a guy lent me his power dash last race I went to, my car went even faster than my hd3!

[@omgitsme435]

Looks faster than my real car

[@Sparkuus]

They're faster than some cars I've seen! :)

[@koochie]

Make more 🙏🏾

[@neekodiyosep]

Cool dad (y). Tamiya mini 4wd with my future kids noted. (y)

[@Sparkuus]

Why wait! Get in some practice now! :) But it is really fun to share with my kids! I probably wouldn't have gotten in to this before I had kids honestly.

[@neekodiyosep]

I played Tamiya mini 4wd when I was a kid and I had tons of fun back then. I want to share the fun with them! I enjoyed watching your videos playing with your kids they're adorable. ^^

[@Sparkuus]

Thank you :)

[@ansariflightplan5814]

GO make other upgrade part sir

[@Sparkuus]

Ansari Md Repah I have! There are some upgrade videos.

[@ansariflightplan5814]

i just seeing it... nice setup u just need to apply rear break or make more degree at front roller... it will past the lane change

[@Sparkuus]

My car is still evolving little by little! :)

[@ansariflightplan5814]

that nice.... i will tech ppl

[@jessejay3404]

"Good"

[@Sparkuus]

I REALLY meant to put that in! But I spent SO long editing, I got tired and forgot!

[@w4rr10r11]

Since you're a white ranga in Japan, how hard was it learning the language? I want to visit with my sister and I only know basic weeb trash. Cheers. :)

[@Sparkuus]

+w4rr10r11 Learning to speak a little Japanese isn't that hard. You just have to wrap your head around a grammar that's opposite to English in many ways.

[@w4rr10r11]

+Sparkuus See, I heard learning the inflections (or whatever it's called) is pretty hard for a first time learner. Is that also true? Would learning from a language book be a good start? I looked at classes in my town here in Australia and they are charging like $2000 for a term of lessons! Forget that!

[@Sparkuus]

$2000 means someone is ripping you off! Holy crap, for that kind of money I should move to Australia!!! Using a book isn't a bad start if you're motivated, but having someone to practice with makes a huge difference. You have to use it for it to really sink in to your brain! :)

[@w4rr10r11]

+Sparkuus The classes are through a TAFE/University thing. Why spend $2000 when I can get a book? lol I'd like someone to practice with but all my friends are other kinds of Asian or don't speak it. I'll take the book route for now. :) Cheers mate.

[@w4rr10r11]

One more thing. Was it easy learning to read Japanese or does it slowly come to you if you know the language but not the writing?

[@8005amelia]

Buy a recharge batteries

[@Sparkuus]

I've been told they make the car go faster!

[@Nushgala]

You're so red! Haha! Baka!

[@Nushgala]

Also, did you know Baka is cow in Spanish? Lol

[@Sparkuus]

MOO!

[@cabin49401097]

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