Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be off-roading in Japan. That said, I had a blast as Nitto Tires flew me and four other editors to Osaka and Itami to check out how Nitto Tires are made and tested. For more on that story, check out page 128. This photo shows me blasting up a huge embankment that was mostly hard rock and dirt. I was able to do it in two tries because my philosophy was, and still is, "just smash the throttle and let nature sort it out." Our little Pajero (which is Japanese for indestructible) performed like a champ and went over and through everything we threw in its path. Special thanks to Tim, Conrad, T.J., Mitchi, Teppei, Masa, Naozumi, and lastly, Tomo, for this great exrience.