Nobody out there better represents what the Japanese Honda scene is all about than Tatsuru Ichishima. Even before Spoon Sports was established back in 1988 he was actively involved in preparing Hondas for racing series that he himself participated in. Having worked for Honda as a test driver at the beginning of his career, Ichishima-san decided to devote his expertise and engineering skill in a way that would allow enthusiasts to make their Hondas faster...
...following the simple principle that every 1/1000 of a second counts. By employing the same fine-tuning ideas that he approached his race cars with, Ichishima managed to improve the way Hondas performed, making the whole driving experience far more rewarding. Balance has always been a principle Spoon has stuck to, never feeling the need to upset what Honda engineers carefully created, but rather refine it. After taking a detailed tour through both the main HQ building, where complete engines and other products are put together...
...and Type One, where customer cars are worked on, we sat down with him to ask a few questions to better understand what Ichishima and Spoon are all about.
Speedhunters: To get started let's kick off with a basic question, what sparked your interest in cars?
Ichishima: Looking back at my generation there was a great deal of evolution as Japan, and indeed the whole world, showed an unprecedented amount of growth. Exciting things like new types of fashion and also music were coming into the country like the Beatles or the Rolling Stones and along the same line, cars in Japan were also changing. I got interested in sports cars as they were something new and fashionable and looked exhilarating.
Speedhunters: What was it that attracted you to Honda's?
Ichishima: I began getting interested in cars around 1970 and four years prior 1966 I began racing Honda motorcycles. It was a kind of natural progression to go from Honda bikes to Honda cars, no reason behind it except for the fact that I just liked them.
Speedhunters: How and why did Spoon Sports begin and what was the main philosophy and objectives that you set out for the company?
Ichishima: Around 1980 I began to realize that enthusiasts were starting to get interested in bringing their cars to the track. Back in those days soukoukai (track day) events where people took their street-registered cars to the local circuit didn't exist, but I knew it would be something that would pick up quickly so that's when I began to get the initial idea. At that time I was doing durability and development testing for Honda under the "Tatsuru Ichishima Company," then eventually in 1988 I set up Spoon Sports as a separate company that developed and sold tuning and racing parts. As for the concept it was and still is very simple, make cars fun, not fast. Obviously slow cars are not fun but what I mean is to create a well-balanced package that doesn't break or fail and thrills in every way. A good balance between power, handling and light weight. For example a GT-R is exciting because of its power but then in a corner, a small well prepared Civic will easily overtake it. So balance through tuning is our philosophy.
Speedhunters: I'm sure a lot or readers will be wondering what the difference between Spoon Sports and Type One is. Can you give a brief explanation?
Ichishima: Spoon takes care of parts development, special works and testing while Type One is where the end user takes his car for maintenance and tuning, like a speed shop or workshop. Type One opened back in 2000.
Speedhunters: How do you think tuning in Japan has changed and evolved over the last two decades?
Ichishima: Well the overall car environment has changed and cars keep getting bigger and heavier. For example the 3-series BMW you drive has grown significantly through the years, back when it was first introduced it was similar size to today's 1-series. Same with the Golf. So the main aim for people has always been getting higher performance. But I think from now on manufacturers will try their best to go back to smaller and slightly lighter cars like Toyota will be doing with the new hachiroku. There are also rumors Honda will be doing the same, going back to the old DC2 concept.
Speedhunters: The tuning industry is currently facing some tough times in Japan. What will Spoon be attempting to do from now on?
Ichishima: Well what I can say is that in this moment, as shops come and go, we will strive to continue what we have been doing and sticking to our simple philosophy. Our aim will continue to be the same as it's always been, developing and releasing new parts and perfecting cars.
Speedhunters: At Speedhunters we are lucky enough to have readers that follow us from around the world. You obviously travel a lot and have had a chance to observe how people modify and personalize their cars. What do you think of the various styles you have see in the US, Europe, Australia or other parts of the world? How do they compare to Japan?
Ichishima: It's hard to say by individual country but generally it's obvious that a lot of passion exists and enthusiasts enjoy power. I'm not saying that's bad but for example shooting for 500 HP in a car that is not designed to take that level of performance will lead to failures. I think some Japanese people are different, they tend to focus more on the background and mechanical side of a car to fully understand its history and lineage. It's just a different way of appreciating cars.
Speedhunters: What is your favorite Honda?
Ichishima: Uhm, (laughs) I can't really choose one car but one of my most favorite is the Civic.
Speedhunters: Why?
Ichishima: Well first of all it's affordable and is small and compact.
Speedhunters: Which particular model of the Civic?
Ichishima: Uhm the old EG, also the EK. Up until then it was a three-door hatch back, useful to carry people and stuff but was sporty at the same time, enjoyable to drive. It was the first car in Japan to offer all these factors. That's why I like it.
Speedhunters: What is your favorite Honda engine?
Ichishima: The B16A and B16B and also the B18C, I really like the whole B-series of engines. They are real screamers! (lots of engine screaming sounds follow!) I'll give you an example. Ferraris and Lamborghinis are like women that are great in bed, but not so great at cleaning the house or cooking.
The B-series is a more balanced engine; it's great in bed but also great at doing the chores. Frugal and civilized. You get the idea? Also, the most important thing about an engine is the noise and sound (more engine noises follow!). It has to give you goose bumps. Anyway, I like non-gimmicky cars, I like simple cars and engines.
Speedhunters: What is your favorite non-Japanese car?
Ichishima: Well everyone can make great cars these days but it's probably the BMW and the BMW Mini brands I like the most. I like the 130i Coupe. On the other hand I also like Mercedes Benz, they have an easy to understand philosophy, whether, as an example I find Toyota or Nissan hard to understand, they don't have a clear philosophy. Also VW and Audi are hard ones to comprehend.
Speedhunters: What do you think of Honda's decision to mate hybrid technology with its new breed of sports cars?
Ichishima: Well it's a transition, like records to CDs, TVs to color TVs or like film cameras to digital cameras. But I don't think hybrid technology is at all revolutionary. The engine, the batteries, the motor it all makes everything bigger, heavier and more complex so I don't really like it so much. They should concentrate on making engines more efficient instead of mating them to other systems. It's not really an evolution and lacks originality.
Speedhunters: What would you like to see coming from Honda in the future?
Ichishima: I'd like to see another sports car coming from Honda, something that follows a "small is best" ideology, is efficient and comfortable. Something I'd like to own myself, a car that I would keep for the rest of my life, not something "disposable." I'm pretty sure these kinds of cars will be coming, eventually.
Speedhunters: What is the most enjoyable race you have ever competed in?
Ichishima: The All Japan Touring Car Championship from 1985 to 1990, Gr.A class. Especially the 9h all-night endurance race in Tsukuba. I won that three years in a row.
Speedhunters: To conclude, do you have a message for our readers?
Ichishima: I'm very happy that I have been able to do this job for close to forty years thanks the great support of our fans. I will strive to keep pushing Honda tuning by developing new parts and help make engines last well into the future thanks to good maintenance and special items like overisized pistons as well as manufacturing Honda parts that have been discontinued. The goal is to keep enjoying Hondas for a long time to come, so that's what I will be trying to achieve. So I hope Honda enthusiasts out there can enjoy this vision together with me.
We'd like to thank Ichishima-san for giving us the time to ask him this series of questions. Arigatou gozaimashita!
Spoon Sports
Type One
-Dino Dalle Carbonare
