OH NO! THERE GOES TOKYO, GO GO GODZILLA! An H2 in Tokyo will get you the respect you deserve.(News)(Hummer H2)

Byline: DINO DALLE CARBONARE

Nothing beats a Hummer H2 to complement an opulent lifestyle. The big and heavy truck is uncompromisingly indiscreet and subject to countless attacks by environmentalists the world over. If you want to get noticed, little else turns heads like a Hummer.

It's precisely the H2's in-your-face attitude that has made it a hit in Japan, with our friends from across the Pacific importing more than 2000 of these behemoths in the last two years. To find out why, we met up with Tomoki Shimaoka of 88 House, a Tokyo shop specializing in the import and tuning of all things Hummer.

Shimaoka-san also customizes domestic off-road vehicles like Toyota's Land Cruiser and the Nissan Safari, so when the Hummer craze took hold 88 House dove in headfirst, and was flooded with requests to import the truck. Eventually the company set up a second shop dealing only in Hummers.

We paid a visit to the shop to see the truck 88 House has prepared to showcase its services: the impossibly aggressive-looking, military-green H2 you see here. As Shimaoka explains, the bulk of his clients are high-profile personalities like baseball players, TV stars, rappers, and of course regular wealthy business owners, each with a need to make himself seen.

Buying into the Hummer experience is only the first step. Consider the truck a blank canvas that will be adorned with parts and gadgets galore. 88 House offers everything from chrome packages to a set of custom-made 25-inch wheels. Not crazy about the low-down look? Then a four-inch lift with enormous off-road tires, such as our demo truck sports, is the way to ...