VIP or bippu style is one of the few true pillars of Japanese car culture.
Emerging in the late 1980s and early ‘90s, it was an aesthetic built off Japan’s flagship luxury sedans – Crowns, Celsiors, Cedrics, and Cimas, to name a few. Originating, though not exclusive to, the Kansai region of Japan, these big-bodied four-doors were built for presence rather than attention, with Junction Produce founder Takatomi-san considered one of the key figures behind the movement.
Early in 2025, Dino and I had the chance to catch up with Takatomi-san in Osaka to talk about the now-worldwide culture. Naturally, he didn’t show up empty-handed, bringing along his Nissan Cima and Toyota Crown Majesta, two poster cars of bippu style. While the two cars don’t share the same badge, the styling principles are almost identical.
On the Cima, a front lip, widened fenders, skirts, trim, and wheels. It’s a simple recipe, but one that completely changes the car’s presence. Much the same follows suit on the Crown. The Toyota has a slightly more modern execution, but together, it would be a stretch for the average pedestrian to tell the two apart. Inside both cars, Takatomi-san keeps his signature details, with ‘FUSA’ knots hanging from the mirror – a dead giveaway of a Junction Produce build.
It wasn’t until the mid-1990s that VIP style really took its first strides. As more cars began appearing in popular tuning magazines, teams emerged, and the style started being seen overseas. Cars once reserved for older gentlemen were now being purchased by younger drivers, and brands like Junction Produce began to thrive. Interiors evolved into luxury spaces with curtains, cushions, accessories, and dark window tints, reinforcing the idea of anonymity.
Our VIP culture deep dive didn’t end there. Just a few short months later, Dino and I met up with an Osaka local and his V12 Toyota Century in the heart of the city. The Century has always been one of my grail JDM cars, and this one in particular was one of the most perfectly executed I’ve seen.
The Toyota Century sits at the top of the VIP hierarchy. Its origins lie in Japan’s most formal luxury car, never designed to stand out. The VIP formula follows and remains the same to this day: wider wheels, a lowered stance, and a subtle lip kit from the Junction Produce catalogue. It quickly becomes clear that, in most cases, it’s all these cars ever needed.
Decades on from bippu’s late ’80s inception, not much has really changed. The platforms might be different, and the style may have spread far beyond Japan, but the core idea still holds. Not how much you add, but how restrained it can be while still changing the car’s entire demeanor. VIP style doesn’t rely on trends, which is probably why it’s lasted this long without needing to reinvent itself.
