Among the victims of the Great Hanshin Earthquake of early 1995 was the Dunlop tyre factory in Kobe; while the region recovered, the Japanese federation postponed the start of the 1995 All Japan Road Race season. When racing began in late April it was a 1-2 finish for the Honda teammates Takuma Aoki and Shin'ya Takeishi, setting the precedent for the rest of the year. Aoki's raw speed was evident in 1994 but he had lacked consistency; the 21-year-old matured for his sophomore year and displayed a particular aptitude for wet conditions with dominant performances late in the year. Assured of the title with one round to go, a retirement at Suzuka had no consequences for the new champion. For Katsuaki Fujiwara, a crash in the final race cost him a chance at the runner-up spot and when Shin'ya Takeishi came out ahead in the 3-way finish to the season he landed 2nd place for Honda to go with Aoki's championship.