Up Garage — Japan’s Best-Kept Secret for JDM Parts

If you’re visiting Japan as a car enthusiast, Up Garage might be the single best stop you make. It’s not as well-known as Autobacs among tourists — however, ask any Japanese drifter where they shop, and Up Garage will be the first answer.

In other words, this is the place where you can walk in with ¥10,000 and walk out with parts that would cost ten times that back home.

What Is Up Garage?

Up Garage is a used car parts chain with stores across Japan. Unlike Autobacs or Yellow Hat — which sell brand new accessories and universal products — Up Garage buys directly from Japanese owners and resells their parts. As a result, you’re shopping from the same pool of parts that Japanese enthusiasts actually pulled off their own cars.

In short, the result is something you won’t find anywhere else: an enormous, constantly rotating inventory of genuine used JDM parts at prices that don’t make sense until you actually see them.

What’s Inside

The short answer: almost everything. Suspension components, aero parts, interior pieces, wheels, audio, exterior trim, engine parts — it’s all there, spanning hundreds of different Japanese car models.

However, if you’re looking for a specific part for a specific car, Up Garage isn’t a guaranteed find. The inventory is unpredictable by nature. Nevertheless, that’s also exactly what makes it worth visiting — you never know what you’ll discover.

For example, a friend of mine once found a set of S13 Silvia knuckles for ¥55. They were rusty, pulled off a car, sold by an owner who just wanted them gone. That’s the Up Garage experience. The knuckles are an extreme example, but stories like that are why Japanese drifters treat this place as essential viewing.

How the Pricing Works

Because Up Garage sources directly from individual owners, the pricing varies wildly. Some things are genuinely cheap. On the other hand, popular or rare parts aren’t discounted much at all — the previous owner knew what they had.

Therefore, the smart move is to check prices online before you go. If you find something in-store that’s close to or cheaper than internet pricing, buy it immediately — the inventory is always changing and it won’t be there next week. Furthermore, the advantage over online shopping is clear: the part is right in front of you, you can inspect it yourself, and you take it home the same day. No waiting for shipping.

Up Garage vs. Autobacs

These two stores are often mentioned together, however they serve completely different purposes.

Autobacs stocks new universal products — oil, cleaning supplies, air fresheners, dash cams, tire accessories. In contrast, Up Garage stocks used, vehicle-specific parts: the knuckle that came off a real S13, the front lip that was on someone’s EK9, the shift knob from an actual Chaser. As a result, they’re not really competing with each other. Most serious enthusiasts use both.

Opening Hours

Most Up Garage locations are open every day and close around 8:00 PM. Therefore, going during the day gives you the most time to browse — and you’ll want time. This is not a quick stop.

Practical Info for Visitors

English support: Minimal to none. Staff are friendly, however don’t expect English. Fortunately, pointing and a phone translator will get you through just fine.

Payment: Both cash and card are accepted.

Taking parts home: Everything is sold for immediate pickup — you take it with you that day. International shipping from the store itself isn’t available. However, Japan’s domestic shipping services (Sagawa, Japan Post) are easy to use and can ship internationally. Simply buy the part, then take it to a convenience store or post office, and ship it home from there.

The JDM Souvenir You Didn’t Know You Needed

Even if you’re not buying serious parts, Up Garage is still worth a visit as a pure cultural experience. Japanese car culture is on display in every shelf and bin — and the prices mean you can pick up genuine JDM pieces without spending much.

In particular, one specific recommendation: Air Spencer air fresheners. They’re a staple of Japanese car culture, genuinely cheap, and compact enough to pack in a suitcase. Moreover, they’re the kind of thing that every JDM enthusiast back home will recognize immediately. A perfect souvenir.

Why Every JDM Fan Should Go

Japan’s domestic car scene runs on Up Garage. When drifters need a replacement part on a budget, they check Up Garage first. Similarly, when enthusiasts want to see what interesting pieces have surfaced this week, they browse Up Garage. It’s a living archive of real Japanese car culture — not the curated, new-product version you see at Autobacs, but the real thing.

Even if you buy nothing, walking through the aisles tells you more about Japanese car culture than any YouTube video. In short, go. Browse everything. And keep your eyes open — your ¥55 part might be waiting for you.

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