Nagoya: and automobiles

Next stop: Nagoya

This is the spaceship observation deck, above Bar 21 mall.

It isn't tall enough to be able to see over the adjacent buildings,
but the coloured lighting does make for a vaguely trippy experience.

 Nagoya castle is apparently pretty meh, so we decided to check out some items that were higher up on the trip advisor list of stuff to do. One of which was the Toyota Automotive Museum.

It's out in the more industrial parts of Nagoya, and it took a few changes of train to get there. (Google maps seemed convinced that it wasn't even possible.)

No automatic lights. This far out, to cross the road you need
to press a button like a peasant.

Still it got us to the museum.

I made sure Emma was aware of the "No Swears allowed" warning 

A short bathroom break reveal a level of luxury that I find
frankly unnecessary when washing my hands. 

 Anyway, the Museum comprised of three floors and an annex. The first floor was mostly offices, a cafe, and the ticket area.

It did contain one of the first cars Toyota ever built.

 The second floor contained a history of the automobile, mostly from outside Japan, as I guess there wasn't much of an Japanese auto industry back then.

Some very early cars

Check out the oil based headlamps.

How the museum is laid out.

A rolls royce or something

Even back then American cars were huge

Alligator skin interior.

An early Bugatti

Rolls Royce Pimpmobile III

just strap your wing mirrors to the spare type.
Nevermind what'll happen if you've changed it out for a flat.

The presidential limo that Lincoln B Johnston was
assassinated in.

Sporty

Apparently illuminated glass bonnet ornaments were
a big thing at one point.

 The third floor was a history of Japanese cars from the 50s to the late 80s

Most of the cars are quite small.

and in the 50s and 60s very round.

By the 70s though they're getting pretty angular.

There were a few cars that look good, even today.

Even if it has a bit of a classic or retro feel to it.

On the whole however, Japanese cars are uninspired boxy pieces of crap.

There was also a very sexy Lexus

and some examples of modern Electric/Hybrids,
including this concept model.

 Over to the annex where there were a mix of cars and cultural objects.

This collection of tin tin themed car toys.

Emergency Services vehicles.

70s fashion magazines

and old copies of Teen Beat

There was a lego model of the museum in the gift shop

Detailed enough that it includes the peasant crossing

For some reason this Space Bus is just parked in the car park.
(I think they demo it to people at certain times of the day)