Sabukaru Tokyo Cars - A Series by Sabukaru 005: BUSTASKILL
#sabucars is a series featuring some of our favorite cars in Tokyo together with their owners. For the 5th edition of Tokyo Cars, we met up with the mysterious Tokyo artist BUSTASKILL to have them show us their car & share their love for it.
Even though Japan in the summer is unbearably hot, it gets utterly cold in the winter as well. Right around when the puffer jackets started to come out in Tokyo, we met up with artist BUSTASKILL in the shōtengai of Sangūbashi, in between Shibuya and Shinjuku. Their 1997 Rover Mini Cooper 1.3i may be small, but it packs a hell of a punch.
BUSTASKILL appeared online in 2017. Utilizing methods like sampling & mash-ups, they mainly present works through social media. The projects created by BUSTASKILL vary in form, including the "Bootleg Propaganda" series, the fictitious record label "Liar Jack Records", the crayon-recreated record series "Music Simulation", and the deconstruction & reconstruction of sneakers "incorporationcode".
6 years ago in a kissaten [traditional Japanese cafe], BUSTASKILL was talking to the owner about how they wanted a car. Being the nice kissaten owner he was, the owner offered a 1997 Rover Mini Cooper. BUSTASKILL couldn't let the opportunity go, and got their first car.
They loves the fact that their Mini is small and cute, yet has an aggressive side to it. The fact that it sometimes doesn't work properly like a new car is another thing that adds an almost pet-like cuteness to the car. The headlights are customized with Harley Davidson headlights, the wheels are by Watanabe Wheels, a go-to brand for Japanese kyūsha [classic cars]. The grill is also taken from a VW van. To add a EU touch, BUSTASKILL put on an English license plate that they had at home.
The tiny monster of a car is sure to turn heads in the streets of Tokyo. It is hard to believe that the Mini was just a regular Mini Cooper when they first purchased it. BUSTASKILL is going to keep riding & customizing their Mini, and you won't miss it if you ever see it in Japan.
