The JDM Dream is coming to Anime North on May 22–23 with ONITA, the Ontario Itasha car club. Join us for cars, anime, itasha culture, and a two-hour talk on JDM history, importing from Japan, and why your next car might cost less than you think.

Getting ready for car show season? This guide covers first car show prep, including how to clean your car at home, what touch-up supplies to bring to the show, and when professional detailing is worth it. From interior cleaning and glass care to engine bay detailing and show-day essentials, here’s how to make your car look its best before it hits the field.

Part 3 explores the hidden workhorses of the JDM world: kei trucks, kei vans, HiAce vans, Hilux pickups, and compact Japanese haulers built to actually move stuff. It also includes a kei and JDM work-vehicle buyer’s guide with current prices and shopping notes for the Suzuki Carry, Daihatsu Hijet, Honda Acty, Subaru Sambar, Suzuki Every, Toyota HiAce, Toyota Hilux, Hino Dutro, and more.

By 2010, Japan had already perfected the hybrid family car and the people-mover minivan — while Canada was still treating them as novelties. Vehicles like Prius, Alphard, Odyssey, and Serena weren’t experiments; they were mature, long-life platforms refined for a decade under Japanese ownership. Now, 15 years later, Canadians can finally access that quiet engineering maturity.