How the Father of the GT-R, Hiroshi Tamura, Accepted my Interview

This was back before the GT-R R34 and other older JDM legends made their global comeback. But even after The Fast and the Furious, Tokyo Drift, and Need for Speed, the R35 stayed lodged in my heart. It was a dream I thought I might never reach.

That’s why, when I first met Hiroshi Tamura, I was beyond ecstatic.

Tamura, alongside a very small group of people, is the GT-R. Especially the R35. He’s more than just an engineer. To many of us, he personifies the machine.

Out of all the days I was fortunate enough to spend with Tamura-san, chatting, exchanging ideas, and learning from him, my favorite was probably the second time we met. But that would have never happened had I not attended a special car meet (I almost didn’t go because I was exhausted from another event).

The First Time I Saw Hiroshi Tamura

If you follow my YouTube channel, you’ll know I first encountered Tamura-san at a GT-R meetup organized by our mutual friends at GT-R East Japan. I had no idea Tamura was going to show up, so when he rolled in with his (well, sort of his – more on that later) 2024 Nissan GT-R R35 NISMO Special Edition, I was more than just surprised.

The Question I Couldn’t Stop Thinking About

Truth is, I don’t get starstruck easily. I don’t react like a typical fan when meeting celebrities or public figures.

But even if I wasn’t showing it, a wave of emotions completely overwhelmed me.

Ironically, keeping those emotions in check is probably why what happened next became possible.

As fans gathered politely to take photos and collect autographs from the Father of the GT-R, I hung back.

I didn’t want to bother him.

But a dangerous little idea started forming in my head:

“What if I could interview him?”

I shook it off immediately.

Why would Hiroshi Tamura agree to an interview with some random dude he didn’t even know?

As the crowd thinned out, I found myself talking with a few friends. That’s when Tamura-san approached.

I introduced myself, we exchanged a few words, I complimented his English, and he moved on to other conversations.

Taking My Shot

An hour or so later, I noticed him talking to a GT-R East Japan member.

That’s when I took my shot.

I walked over. Just as I did, the other person stepped away.

So I said, word for word:

“Tamura-san, I have the smallest car media outlet in the world, but I’d love to interview you, if you have the time.”

He gave me a serious look, top to bottom, then asked:

“How would your interview be different from the many others I do?”

I told him I didn’t just want to talk about the GT-R R35, or even just his experience with it.

I wanted to understand his journey. The man behind the legend. What path led him to become one of the most recognizable names in the Japanese car universe?

He must’ve liked my answer.

That same night, he connected me with Nissan PR. From there, we began planning the interview.

Funny thing is, the interview itself would only be the third time we’d meet.

A Late-Night Call from Tamura-san

Everything I just described happened around July or August 2024.

We scheduled the interview for November. But in the weeks that followed, Tamura-san stayed in touch.

One morning, I woke up unusually early, maybe around 4 AM, and noticed a missed call from the night before, at 11 PM.

It was from Tamura-san.

I texted him, apologizing for not picking up, assuming he might want to reschedule or talk about interview topics.

He replied almost instantly.

The man doesn’t sleep.

“Can you jump on a call?” he asked.

Of course, I called him immediately.

More Than Just an Interview

That’s when he told me he had been thinking about what I said, about wanting to explore the person behind the public figure, and that he felt an interview alone wouldn’t be enough.

Then he said he’d be visiting a tuning shop called Pentroof, run by an old club member of his.

“Would you like to tag along?” he asked.

Without hesitation, I said yes.

Never mind that I had plans. I’d figure it out later.

He also mentioned he’d be drag racing at an event in Hyogo, and that I was welcome to join him there too.

A 500 km trip to another prefecture on short notice?

“Of course,” I said.

And I meant it.

Tamura-san had thought about the best way for me to take a look behind the curtain and create the piece that I wanted.

The Beginning of the Tamura Arc

I rearranged my entire schedule to make sure I could go to Pentroof with him and attend the drag racing event in Hyogo.

And now, finally, I get to share all of this with you.

It has taken me a long time to compile the videos and articles.

I could have crammed everything into one post or one short video, but I wanted to build an experience. Something you can live through the way I did.

Also, since Tamura-san represents Nissan, Nissan needs to approve all content, and the team has not greenlit everything yet.

So this is just the introduction—the beginning of what I’m calling the Tamura Arc.

I hope you’ll follow along through these blog entries, through the videos on my YouTube channel, or both, so you can feel the full spectrum of emotion, history, and insight that this experience brought into my life.