Located deep in Kanagawa near the seaside town of Odawara, Toto House isn’t your average tuning shop, it’s one with deep roots in the early days of drifting. When my friend Jeff invited me to visit, I excitedly accepted. It’s somewhere I’ve wanted to go for a long time, and for good reason. Toto House is run by Kiyama-san, one of the founders of the tuning shop River Side in the Kansai region, alongside none other than the late Kuroi-san, famously known for his D1GP yellow Nissan S13 Silvia with a 180SX front, powered by an RB26.
But first, let me paint the picture. It’s Saturday night, pitch black, driving down small Japanese roads until we pull up to Toto House, a paradise-like workshop surrounded by palm trees and bubbling water features, with drift cars scattered around the yard. We walk in to find everyone working on their cars or helping each other, The Offspring blasting through the speakers. I was introduced to Kiyama-san, and after a bit of conversation, he understood my love for the golden era of tuning and my desire to help preserve it. We spoke for a while, with Jeff helping translate and reference old photos. Kiyama-san shared stories about the early days, River Side was a joint venture with Kuroi-san and got its name from the dirty river running behind their old workshop. He was also a member of the exclusive drift team “Tinker Drift Club,” which included names like Bai-san and of course, Kuroi-san.
I was lucky enough to meet a few of the guys from the drift team “CHARME,” who primarily drive red JZXs and are supported by Toto House. They were there working on their cars and just hanging out, not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. The JZX100 Mark II wearing Toto House livery belongs to Amon, a talented driver who was preparing his car to be shipped to Okinawa for a drift event. He showed me around the engine bay, which had some incredible custom touches, including a Toto House engraving on the turbo’s compressor wheel and a handwritten message from Kiyama-san to Amon on the intake pipe.
The shop was full of incredible cars in various stages of work, including a JZX110 Mark II belonging to an original Team FOOL member. It’s powered by a 1JZ and a Trust T88-34D turbo, yes, the big boy of old-school Trust kits, the same one you’d find on some of the wildest GTR and Supra drag builds from back in the day.
And of course, I had to save the best for last, Kuroi-san’s S13 Silvia. It sits quietly at the shop, still wearing its original Toyo Tires blue paint (with hints of yellow peeking through), its faded livery and setup untouched since Kuroi-san’s passing in 2010. Apparently, there were two S13s, the original RB26-powered one (this one) and a later 2JZ version that’s believed to have ended up in the UK. It’s an emotional sight, but thankfully it’s not rotting away. Kiyama-san is in the process of restoring it to its former glory as a tribute to one of his closest friends.
Before I left, Kiyama-san gifted me a handful of Toto House stickers, a t-shirt, and an original gold Tinker Drift Club sticker, something usually reserved for members only. It’s a gesture I’ll never forget, and gifts I’ll truly cherish.
Garage Sokudo 
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