With the cold Nordic winds starting to creep in, I figured it was a good time to revisit some photos from my trip to Japan earlier this year. Five weeks in Japan had already given me more car culture than I could have asked for. Between exploring Tokyo and making the trip to Nagoya for Wekfest and DoriDore, I thought I’d pretty much filled my Japanese car culture quota before heading back to Sweden. As it turned out, I’d barely scratched the surface.
The final event I attended was the 2026 Mooneyes Street Car Nationals, held at the Aomi Parking Area in Odaiba, Tokyo. I’d spent the morning bouncing between Daikoku PA and Tatsumi PA, so by the time I made it to Aomi, it was already well after lunchtime. That left me with only a few hours to run around with the camera before people started packing up.
After passing through the ticket gate, I was immediately overwhelmed by the sheer number of cars on display – around 1,200 in total. I’d always assumed the event was exclusively about American muscle cars, lowriders, and hot rods, and while those made up the majority of the lineup, I quickly discovered plenty of other gems scattered throughout the show. With more than 12,000 people through the gates, it was busy.
We’ll get to the non-American cars in a moment, but first I have to mention the one vehicle that caught my eye from across the venue. Shining brighter than a diamond was this absolutely bonkers chrome-gold Hummer H2, encrusted in sparkling embellishments. Yes, you read that right.
Almost every panel, along with much of the interior, was covered in hundreds of tiny rhinestones. The painstaking effort required to attach each one individually must have been nothing short of mind-numbing.
One thing I love about Japanese car culture is how easily it throws you into scenes you know absolutely nothing about. The mini-trucks were a perfect example.
Just look at them. Vibrant colors, slammed to the ground, and loads of chrome work.
There were plenty of lowriders too. We barely get any of this stuff in Sweden, so seeing some proper American lowriders in person was a real treat.
I could stare at this purple ’64 Chevy Impala, aka South Side Player, for hours. John Kennedy’s work speaks for itself; every panel has been customized, and the engine has been fully rebuilt. There’s even a mural on the side that is probably best described as NSFW.
With the sun now doing its best to cook the better part of my face, I picked up the pace and went hunting for the domestic side of the show. Thankfully, there was no shortage.
Along with slammed and heavily stanced builds, a few of which I’d already seen at Wekfest in Nagoya, there were plenty of wild creations that were completely new to me. The deeper I went, the more obvious it became: whatever your taste, there was something here to grab your attention.
One section of the show hit me with a serious dose of nostalgia. This group of modified early-2000s cars took me straight back to what got me into cars in the first place. Seeing those wild graphics, chrome wheels, and oversized body kits again was pretty special.
Alongside them was this crazy S15 Nissan Silvia Varietta. I’ll admit, I initially thought it was a Honda Integra; those taillights certainly don’t help. It wasn’t until I got a proper look that I realized what I was actually looking at.
Then there was this thing – a Toyota AE86 that looks like it drove straight out of a Back to the Future fever dream. Absolutely wild.
There was plenty of Euro stuff around too, but honestly, I’ll let the pictures do the talking.
Looking back, I really wish I’d stayed longer. A few hours at the Mooneyes Street Car Nationals was nowhere near enough time to take everything in, and I’m pretty sure I missed more cars than I actually saw.
That was probably the biggest takeaway from my five weeks in Japan. No matter how much you see, there’s always another parking lot, another meet, or another completely ridiculous build waiting around the corner.
I came to Japan thinking I’d seen a lot of what its car culture had to offer. I left knowing I’d barely scratched the surface. I guess I’ll just have to go back.
