It’s become a tradition for Dino and I to photograph Liberty Walk cars on Sunday night, after Tokyo Auto Salon. Toshi and Kawamura-san always pull through, no matter how ridiculous our asks for how difficult the location is to get to.
This all started back in 2020, when we were able to photograph the Super Silhouette R34 Skyline. We had a break of course due to the pandemic shut down, but we picked right back up in 2023 with the F40.
We shoot during rain or shine, and our date with the Ferrari was a very wet one. In 2024 we shot the Lamborghini Countach, and in 2025 we shot the Lamborghini Miura in front of 7-Eleven. Toshi told me I had five minutes to shoot last year, and I told him I would take four.
While 2026 seems like an off-year for Liberty Walk, having gone from a five-million dollar classic exotic car to a 180SX Silvia and a drop top R35 GT-R, I don’t actually see it that way – and neither does Dino. In the past few years, the cars themselves were the stars, which is great. The shock value of cutting up an F40 and a Miura stands on its own, but what made this year special was pushing the boundaries of what is possible with Japanese tuning.
In terms of two cars that have been modified time and time again, I feel like the S13 and the R35 really take the cake. It’s almost impossible to do something new with these platforms, but Liberty Walk has done it again.
My favourite between the two is the 180SX done in a Porsche 935 style. I love the fact that they widened the rear end completely, including relocating the taillights, to fit the newly widened body while keeping the proportions of the vehicle pleasant to the eyes. I’m also glad they retained the pop-up headlights, my favorite part of the S13’s front end.
We took both cars into a few different hot spots in Tokyo, and it proved to be a challenge to get any shots at all due to the sheer amount of people surrounding the vehicles. We caused quite a commotion, especially because everyone was out and about. It may have been a Sunday night, but the next day was a national holiday, known as ‘Coming Of Age Day.’
Despite the hordes of people stumbling out of the bars and restaurants to see these vehicles, I was still proud of the photos we were able to get. I want to thank Kato-san from Liberty Walk again for letting Dino and I shoot his creations after every Tokyo Auto Salon.
It’s quite the adventure watching them disassemble the booth as they load these vehicles out of the convention center onto a tow truck, never even touching the pavement. I’m definitely looking forward to 2027.
Toshi-san is fine with us getting him and Liberty Walk in trouble – just once a year – as we photograph his latest and greatest project cars in and around Tokyo.
