Issue #31

Words by Cory Ohlendorf | Photography courtesy of Suzuki

Let’s get this out of the way from the start: I’m not a “car guy”. I don’t nerd out over specs or horsepower, but I am the type that will appreciate a good looking vehicle when I see one. Usually, it’s a classic SUV or a sports car. So this is not an objective love letter to the Suzuki Jimny. Apparently, it’s a bare bones vehicle not known for acceleration or ride quality. 

Debuting in 1970 as the LJ10—the pint-sized, soft-top 4x4 had just three seats (the spare tire claimed the other back seat spot). Under the hood was a tiny 359cc two-cylinder engine. On paper, it didn’t sound like much. But in practice, the Suzuki’s compact body and nimble chassis could take it places larger 4x4s couldn’t go. It’s nimble agility made it a surprisingly capable and popular off-roader, so soon followed up with hard-top and pickup versions, bumping up engine sizes and building a reputation as a rugged little workhorse across Australia, Africa, the Middle East and South America. By the '80s, it evolved into the SJ (better known in the U.S. as the Samurai), and by 1998, the JB generation added more refinement without losing its original grit. 

But let me tell you why I love this little guy: In a country packed with diminutive kei cars and sensible sedans, the Jimny stands out like a beat-up pair of boots on a Tokyo train platform—and that’s exactly the point. The SUV’s classic boxy frame punches far above its weight class, combining old-school off-road capability with just the right amount of playful charm. It looks like a miniature G-Wagon, drives like a mountain goat, and costs less than a Louis Vuitton duffle. So what’s the story behind Japan’s cult-classic compact SUV—and why can’t Americans get their hands on one?

The Jimny’s design hasn’t changed much in decades—and that’s why it works. The current generation, launched in 2018, keeps the squared-off proportions, round headlights and flat panels that call to mind safari trucks and 1980s adventure rigs. It looks badass, but still a little cute, in a way that most modern SUVs wouldn’t dare try to be. And the high ground clearance, short overhangs, and ladder-frame construction mean it’s actually capable off-road. Whether you’re navigating narrow mountain trails or navigating Tokyo’s impossibly small parking spots, the Jimny is up for it.

In Japan, where roads are notoriously tight and outdoor escapes are close at hand, this kind of compact ruggedness makes perfect sense. The Jimny isn’t about flexing horsepower or luxury—it’s about freedom, mobility and a little bit of grit. That’s why you’ll find them everywhere from stylish city residences, countryside surf towns to snowy alpine villages.

Then there’s the price: starting at just around ¥1.5 million (roughly $10,000 USD) for the kei version and slightly more for the standard Sierra model. It’s the kind of vehicle you can actually buy new without taking out a huge loan—while still getting real 4WD, a manual transmission (if you want it), and styling that looks as good parked outside the Visvim store as it does on a remote road. It’s also fuel-efficient, easy to maintain, and—this part matters in Japan—small enough to avoid the expensive taxes and parking hassles that plague bigger vehicles.

But here’s the catch: You can’t buy one (or even drive one) in the U.S. The absence is not due to a lack of desire, with plenty of Jimny fans and Redditors declaring their desire to own the new one. The Suzuki Jimny was banned in the U.S. due to strict emissions and safety regulations. Suzuki stopped selling cars in the U.S. in 2012, but even if they were still around, the Jimny wouldn’t meet America’s crash test standards or environmental rules in its current form. Ironically, a Jimny produces fewer emissions than the best-selling Ford F-150. Yet, because of its smaller size, it’s held to stricter standards. Suzuki would need to heavily modify the Jimny, adding airbags, reinforcing its structure, and upgrading its emissions controls. The costs of doing so would drive its price tag sky-high, defeating its appeal as an affordable off-roader. Even the newer, non-kei “Sierra” version that’s sold internationally still isn’t road-legal in the U.S. as a new vehicle.

Of course, that hasn’t stopped American fans from drooling over it online—or trying to import 25-year-old versions under the classic car loophole. Its mix of throwback aesthetics, real-deal capability, and compact practicality is something the bloated modern SUV market sorely lacks. And that’s why I really love this little truck. It’s small but fearless, affordable but distinctive. The Jimny sends a clear message: You don’t need to go big to go anywhere. And that might be the coolest thing of all.

You see these black cutting boards in restaurants around Tokyo, but it wasn’t until I clocked it on videos from @madebymusashi, that I found out what it was. The social account features a professional chef who returns home after a long restaurant shift and then somehow cooks an entire meal for himself and his girlfriend, Jasmine, who films. He uses the same dense, black, intriguingly smooth cutting board and was getting so many questions about it, he shared the maker, Kama-Asa, and why he loves it so much. As he explained in a subsequent video, it’s a block of special, rubbery plastic called ethylene vinyl acetate. The material is softer than a normal plastic cutting board, thus not dulling your knife as quickly, and much more anti-bacterial and mold-resistant than a wood board. You can sanitize it with bleach. And it’s been it’s made in Japan by a brand that’s been in business since 1908.

Iki (いき) is a sense of chic, sophistication, and elegance in behavior, aesthetics, and lifestyle. This concept embodies a sense of sophistication, refinement, and understated elegance in Japanese culture. It reflects a nuanced aesthetic sensibility that values simplicity, subtlety, and restraint in both personal style and behavior. Like this tastefully renovated entrance to an 80 year-old kominka in the countryside. It blends modern floating cabinets with a grand gotenjo grid pattern ceiling that you more often find in temples.