In 1603 in Edo, a small castle town in Japan, the Edo Shogunate was established and soon became the leader in Japanese politics, economy and culture. Over the next 400 years, Edo was to become the world's most populous city, and in 1868 was Renamed Tokyo (Eastern Capital).
Now you may be wondering quite what this has to do with cars. Well as 2003 marks the 400th anniversary of Edo, great celebrations are taking place all year, and as part of these, Nissan has chosen to make use of Edo influence in its new concept, the Jikoo. This year is also Nissan's 70th anniversary, and Jikoo is founded on a combination of these dates. It is strikingly '30s - in fact to a fanciful degree of art nouveau never seen in any cars of the time - but also incorporates many Edo influences and makes use of traditional Japanese industrial arts.
Jikoo pays homage to the 1935 Roadster, a car which drew much influence from the Austin 7 which the company (then Datsun) were licensed to build two years previously. It shares the high, long nose, short two-seat passenger area and open-top silhouette. The Roadster's 'jump seat' or 'Karakuri seat' is also evident, and the under bonnet space or 'Karakuri box' is unusually divided into two levels, accessible through hinged panels either side, and finished in ebony and an Edo fine pattern respectively.
The headlamps are evocative of traditional Japanese lanterns, styled to look just like lights shining through rice paper, and the rear lamps and front grille finisher are reminiscent of Edo cut glass. The wheel arches are made using a traditional metalworking technique and contrast with the bodywork in their polished silver finish.
The interior looks great with its Edo touches and futuristic dashboard - in fact a large monitor sitting within three chunky layers of fan-shaped glass with laser pointers as instrument needles. Beautiful patterns and textures abound, and the floor is constructed from precious wood. The door trims are heavily lacquered, as are the supple leather seats. In fact things are only marred by the somewhat inadvisable steering wheel, a flat, questionably upholstered slab with an unsuitable Nissan badge in the middle and a top crafted from buffalo horn. This ends up looking like a cross between 1980s Nissan and a pimp's boudoir.
Jikoo features an unusual navigation system, 'Edo Navi'. In front of the driver is a conventional satnav screen showing the streets of Tokyo. On the passenger's side is a screen showing a 400-year-old map of Edo - same place, very different time! At key historical places, related stories and events are related pictorially with a voice narration. This is a fascinating idea, and wonderfully executed - a surprising and beautiful blend of history and modern technology.
Jikoo is immensely cute, and crafted to portray astute stylistic cues from both the Edo period and the '30s in a contemporary package. Sadly it is unlikely to reach production, but various concepts used in the car will no doubt make their way into the mainstream in due course.
Overall length (mm): 3,730
Overall width (mm): 1,615
Overall height (mm): 1,230
Wheelbase (mm) 2,400
Tyres:195/50 R20
Adam Jefferson - 7 Nov 2003