You Cannot Beat Tokyo Automotive Tradition

Attending a secret Tokyo underground automotive meet is one thing on virtually each fanatic’s bucket record when visiting Japan’s capital metropolis for successful of its automotive tradition. However regardless of the way it can seem on-line, meets like this are literally only a few and much between.

Due to that, having so lots of Tokyo’s finest modified vehicles collectively for a nighttime meet turns into much more particular, even when it technically wasn’t underground on this explicit night time.

The gathering was masterminded by Mori-san, the proprietor of a well-known ER34 Skyline I featured again in 2015 when it was first accomplished.

Understanding that so many overseas guests can be on the town for Wekfest Japan throughout the Golden Week vacation, Mori-san reached out to his community and a plan shortly got here collectively.

The concept was easy: an invitation-only gathering at a novel location, referred to as the No Identify Meet.

I teamed up with Alec, Speedhunters’ latest contributor, arriving early within the night to catch the roll-in.

These meets are often held in underground parking garages round Tokyo or Yokohama, out of web site and out of thoughts. Nonetheless, this one was a bit completely different, taking on the loading bay and connecting carpark of an industrial warehouse.

A collection of floodlights alongside the warehouse’s entry street created a tremendous trying scene.

I virtually thought the meet can be a bit too darkish to shoot, however the lighting simply supplied a possibility for barely completely different imagery.

I’m fortunate sufficient to be borrowing a pal’s NA1 Honda NSX-R for the month, so this meet was the right alternative to convey it out.

Heading into town and right down to Shinagawa Wharf, there was loads of automotive exercise. Being Golden Week, virtually everybody was off from work, and what higher solution to have fun than to get some driving and socializing in.

Because the venue began to fill with all kinds of fantastic vehicles, I knew it was going to be night time.

It’s not typically that you simply’ll see an NSX-R sat subsequent to a different two NSXs, however right here we had it. One was a left-hand drive Acura import from the US.

A number of the vehicles had been moved contained in the loading bay to make extra space outdoors, the primary being this clear Porsche 993 owned by LA Kenta from Tokyo Drive Automotive Membership.

Inside moments, this space was crammed to the brim with an superior collection of vehicles.

Climbing the adjoining constructing’s staircase gave top-down shot of the meet. You’ll be able to see simply what number of vehicles had been crammed into this one lot, to not point out the overflow out on the road.

The vehicles had been packed so tightly in actual fact, that it was onerous to maneuver between them.

Jun from Hardcore Tokyo arrived in fashion with two of his 2023 Tokyo Auto Salon builds.

This EG Civic hatchback, which we have now seen numerous instances earlier than, is each a race automotive and a present automotive.

Its Idemitsu-themed livery is completely on level.

The exhaust system of the Ford V8 on this De Tomaso Pantera is so dramatic trying.

Parked close by was Souki-san’s Nissan Leopard, which I used to be happy to have the ability to take a look at intimately for the primary time. I nonetheless can’t consider this factor handed its shaken inspection on the strictest check middle in Shinagawa.

Souki-san is perhaps finest identified for his wide-body Lamborghini Diablo VT, however in the case of producing probably the most drama (and noise), his F30 Leopard kaido racer takes issues to a different degree. I should have dodged these takeyari exhaust pipes no less than a dozen instances all through the night!

As Alec and I made our rounds, much more vehicles had been arriving outdoors.

I headed out and located the whole lot from a Y-plate S30 Fairlady Z to an Impala lowrider.

At 11:00pm, after few hours on the location, the meet began to wrap up. It had been loads of enjoyable chatting to so many guests from so many alternative international locations, who had been all blown away by the turnout. However the night time was not over.

It was time to get again behind the wheel of the NSX-R and hit the street.

Our vacation spot? An afterparty of kinds at Umihotaru Parking Space – the pure development for any good meet in Tokyo.

After assembling a small group of vehicles, we headed onto Wangan Doro.

Cruising by the Tokyo Aqua Line tunnel in convoy with the Pantera, ER34 Skyline and slant-nose 911 was an actual sight. However the sound… that was one thing else!

Ever because the police began shutting down Tatsumi and Daikoku Parking Areas, Umihotaru PA has change into one among my favourite meet-up spots.

It doesn’t have the cityscape outlook of Tatsumi or the ambiance of Daikoku, however Umihotaru’s well-lit parking areas, eating places and conbini make it excellent for a late-night hold.

It’s meets like this that hold the wheels of automotive tradition handing over Tokyo and the overall Bay space. They’re additionally a good way to proceed assembly the passionate house owners of some unbelievable vehicles.

I hope you appreciated this one!

Dino Dalle Carbonare
Instagram: dino_dalle_carbonare
[email protected]

Alec Pender
Instagram: noplans