Takamizuma Norihiro is a founder and owner of Tokyo based racing club twelv Racing and invite only sake bar twelv Sake Bar. © Shogo Jimbo (DRIVETHRU.jp)
“When I was kid, my reward was always a Porsche 911 miniature car.”
Please introduce yourself, where are you based in what do you do?
(Takamizuma Norihiro, founder of twelve Racing and twelve Sake bar) I’m Takamizuma Norihiro, based in Tokyo Shibuya. I pursue what interests me.
How did your love for Porsche come about?
(TN) Not long after I was born, my grand mother bought me a Porsche toy car. By the time when I began to understand things, I was already a fan of Porsche 911. When I was kid, my reward was always a 911 miniature car.
What is so special about your Porsche and racing?
(TN) We may continue to evolve if we stick to our believes without changing; this also apply to style, form and mechanism. I’m very stubborn. I always find racing spectacular and highly impressed. I also live minimalism.
“I rethought my lifestyle and picked up racing and driving in earnest enjoyment after all this time.”
How did you start Twelv Racing?
(TN) I have loved cars since I was born and also have the same passion for driving. Also motorbike, kart, tractor… et cetera. When the pandemic hit, I rethought my lifestyle and picked up racing and driving in earnest enjoyment after all this time.
“Tokyo has a unique culture. Otaku culture. It’s diversified and each is independent.”
How would you describe car culture in Tokyo?
(TN) Tokyo has a unique culture. Otaku culture. It’s diversified and each is independent. I think it would be great if these different cultures were able to co-exist and share mutual prosperity.
Favourite streets in Tokyo to drive?
(TN) The highways in early morning and night are cool, coastal routes and route 246 are also nice. I’m talking about when it’s on condition of no traffic jams.
And why do you think Mizwa cars are special?
(TN) Mizwa was the important official Porsche importer in Japan. I think that the increased value of Mizwa cars has been enhanced because of how Japanese customers pay importance to the maintenance and storage of their cars.
“I started to think of introducing Japanese traditional culture to the world.”
You own a speakeasy Sake bar, how did it begin?
(TN) I’ve been mainly created Japanese club culture and underground scene until a time I started to think of introducing Japanese traditional culture to the world, I combined my background with Japanese traditional craftsmanship along with the concept of invite-only and omakase style to open up this Japanese sake bar, twelv.
How did the customers find your sake place?
(TN) My bar is invite-only, so you must know me first. Luckily, the great people I’ve met through clubs and my living in NYC at a young age have been my foundation.
Most memorable customer?
(TN) All the customers have an impact and it’s difficult to choose; taking fashion as example, the kind of customers visiting from this industry are luxury fashion brand presidents and creative directors, oil business related millionaires from Saudi Arabia, Tech related millionaires.. et cetera. Of course, there are many others whom I cannot mention here.
twelv.in
