Sapphire Blue Boxster, Mr. Wata

The other day, after about five years of wanting to meet him, I finally got the chance to meet someone I had admired for a long time.

His name is Mr. Wata.

After running an Alpina blog, he now operates the Porsche Boxster blog, “Wind & Light, Boxster.” Mr. Wata’s beloved 981 Boxster has an incredible current mileage of 230,000 kilometers (and it’s probably even more by now).

Mr. Wata’s blog

In Japan, or even worldwide, there might be no one else enjoying touring in a 981 Boxster as much as he does…

He is a well-known Boxster enthusiast among those in the know.

Actually, my husband has been a fan of Mr. Wata’s blog for quite some time. Because of that, when the blog first started, my husband told me, “You absolutely have to read Mr. Wata’s blog, it’s really interesting,” and I began following it regularly.

What stands out about Mr. Wata’s blog is how easy and enjoyable it is to read.

Many car blogs tend to be technical and geeky, but even as a complete novice back then, I found it very engaging, easy to understand, and captivating.

Probably it’s Mr. Wata’s personality (sometimes self-deprecating humor included), the vivid accounts of his tours, the beautiful photos, and above all, the edited YouTube videos of his trips…

All these elements blend together to create a “blog you can’t help but keep reading” and one you eagerly await updates from.

My husband and Mr. Wata met through a mutual acquaintance, and they’ve gone on tours together. When Mr. Wata visits the Kansai area, he kindly reaches out and they get to meet up.

But for me, somehow the timing never worked out, or I missed messages, and though I kept thinking “I want to meet him someday, someday,” five years passed.

Then, just recently, Mr. Wata was touring in the Kansai area, and I suddenly received a message (which, oddly enough, ended up in my spam folder… haha). We coordinated schedules, and at last, my husband and I were able to meet him in person.

A Porsche Is Made to Be Driven

We met at the Royu Driveway.

I drove my Carrera T, and my husband came in his Cayman T.

As a self-confessed rain-bringer, I was worried I’d cause rain (it had rained that morning), so I prayed for clear skies as we set off.

Fortunately, the weather cleared up, and from the Higashi Rokko Observatory on the Royu Driveway, we could see the distant mountains under a bright sky.

Thank goodness…

Mr. Wata was just as I had imagined from his YouTube videos—kind and gentlemanly. Of course, his voice sounded exactly as I had heard it online, and I was so thrilled I almost asked for a handshake (but I’m shy, so I didn’t actually do it, haha).

He told us, “Tonight, I’m taking a ferry to Miyazaki.”

“Well, I just went to Hokkaido recently, so now I have to balance it out by going to Kyushu,”

he said.

…Wow, I really have no idea what he means (LOL).

But this boldness, this craziness, is exactly what makes Mr. Wata so charming, and why so many Porsche owners are drawn to his free-spirited lifestyle.

His Boxster looked unbelievably pristine for having 230,000 kilometers on it.

He modestly said, “Oh, it’s not that great—if you look closely, there are small scratches,” but in front of this sapphire blue Boxster with beige interior, those tiny scratches are completely invisible.

A Porsche is truly a car made to be driven, and seeing that it runs perfectly even after 230,000 kilometers was overwhelming. Of course, regular maintenance like suspension refreshes, tire changes, and oil changes are done, but this really showed me the high performance and durability of Porsche.

I need to drive my Carrera T more, too. (It’s currently around 6,000 kilometers.)

With three kids, it’s hard to go on long trips as much as I’d like, and I haven’t really done a proper touring drive yet, so I hope to get out somewhere by spring this year. (I did go on a tour to Okayama once.)

And when the kids are a bit older and more independent, I want to try a long-distance tour like Mr. Wata’s.

Though our time was short, I’m really glad I got to meet Mr. Wata. I hope we can meet again soon.

Mr. Wata, I’m looking forward to your Kyushu touring videos! (No pressure, haha)
“Wind & Light, Boxster.“