Behind the doors of legendary engine specialist: Tomei Japan

On my recent trip to Japan, I was lucky enough to be invited by legendary engine specialist Tomei for a tour of their facility in Yokohama Machida, Kanagawa. If you’ve been following me for a while, you’ll know how much I love preserving the golden age of Japanese tuning—so to be invited by one of the greats was truly a dream come true.

Tomei has been around for quite some time. It was originally founded by Seiichi Suzuki-san in 1968 as a Nissan-affiliated racing specialist company. Suzuki-san, renowned for his incredible driving and tuning skills, was recognized by Nissan as a works driver. He was highly active in touring car and stock car racing when Nissan tasked him with creating a specialized factory for racing engines and chassis tuning. Sadly, after founding Tomei Motors, Suzuki-san passed away in a tragic accident at the Fuji Speedway in 1974.

Following Seiichi’s passing, Tomei was handed over to his younger brother, Shuji Suzuki, to take the reins of the business. Tomei was divided into two entities: Tomei Engine, which focused on engine maintenance, and Tomei Sports, which handled chassis maintenance. In 1994, the company was renamed Tomei Powered and relocated to its current Yokohama Machida facility. This location transformed Tomei into a one-stop shop equipped with the machinery to manufacture virtually anything they design.

The 2000s saw a surge in engine tuning for both street and race cars, propelling Tomei to global recognition. Leveraging their extensive knowledge and experience, they became one of the top engine specialists in the world, particularly for Japanese engines like the SR, CA, RB, VG, ,4G, 1J, and 2J. Their product range spans from exhaust manifolds and camshafts to conrods and complete engines.

Tomei has remained at the top of their game by continually adopting the latest technology and staying relevant with modern chassis, cementing their status as one of the all-time greats in the industry.

During my tour, I was amazed to see rows of blue valve cover complete engines and to witness the precision and attention to detail in everything they manufacture. It was surreal to know that many of the staff members had worked on some of Tomei’s most iconic cars, such as the Tomei x JIC D1 S15 and the drag R34. The workshop was filled with signed memorabilia from legendary drivers, including Yamashita-san, Kuniaki-san, and, of course, Nomuken.

I also spotted a Nissan 400Z sitting on Rays Engineering wheels in the workshop, undergoing parts development. It had a Rodextyle sticker on the windshield, and I thought it looked familiar. I later learned it belongs to Kazama-san (aka Waku Waku), a close friend of Tomei.

Toward the end of the tour, I was shown two incredible cars sitting out back: a JZX100 Mark II FD powered by a 3.6L 2JZ driven by Yamanaka-san and a 600hp R35 GTR street car.