Wangan Base Yokohama – Option Street Night Festival Unleashed

As nan sun sets complete nan Yokohama skyline, a statement of Mid Night Club cars are parked up conscionable a fewer greenish expressway signs from nan infamous Wangan Bayshore route. Across nan crowd, I spot Top Secret’s Kazuhiko ‘Smoky’ Nagata and VeilSide’s Hironao Yokomaku connected nan main stage, reflecting connected Japan’s aureate property of capacity tuning. It’s a segment that feels somewhat surreal successful nan champion imaginable way.

Welcome to nan inaugural Wangan Base Yokohama – Option Street Night Festival.

Hosted by Web Option, nan online location of Japan’s famed Option magazine, it’s nan first car show astatine Yamashita Pier, an progressive shipping hub built connected reclaimed onshore successful nan ’50s. Tonight’s festivities centre astir Shed 4 connected nan pier’s Western Jetty, offering panoramic views of Yokohama city.

Arriving astatine 4pm, I picked up my media bib and passed done nan main gates to find nan arena already heaving pinch people. While it had started astatine 2pm, Wangan Base Yokohama was a nighttime show that vanished astatine 10pm, truthful nan ample early crowd amazed maine fixed nan heat. It could only get bigger from here.

With an arena of this scale, it’s difficult not to tie comparisons to nan Tokyo Auto Salon. The pier astir Shed 4 is simply a similar size to nan accumulation halls of nan Makuhari Messe connected nan other broadside of Tokyo Bay.

While TAS takes spot successful nan dormant of wintertime – often amidst snowfall – Wangan Base Yokohama was hotter than an motor bay successful nan tallness of Japan’s summer. Relief came arsenic time turned to night, though I dream adjacent year’s arena is scheduled for autumn.

Yes, don’t interest if you missed retired this time; nan 2025 arena is already confirmed.

Imagine Tokyo Auto Salon focused solely connected tuner cars, pinch nary manufacturers, and was held outdoors astatine a disused commercialized shipping pier. Add an craft hangar and nutrient trucks, and you’ve sewage Wangan Base Yokohama – Option Street Night.

There were excessively galore standout cars to detail, but this 2JZ-swapped RA65 Toyota Celica convertible was a highlight.

Another dainty was nan 20-something Mid Night Club cars lined up connected nan gangway to nan pier. When Mid Night greets you astatine nan door, you cognize thing typical is astir to spell down.

I was chuffed to spot a fewer Mid Night cars successful personification for nan first time. If I had to take a favourite, I’d happily return nan keys to this bluish FD3S Mazda RX-7. It’s not nan original Mid Night car from nan mid-’90s, but a 2nd loop owned by nan aforesaid gentleman.

Another first-time sighting, though agelong admired, was nan Revolfe S.A.-built Z32 Nissan Fairlady. It’s styled like the iconic Air Breathing Research (ABR) Hosoki S130Z Fairlady, pinch nan owner’s consent, of course.

As nan sun disappeared, nan aureate hr turned to bluish and past pitch-black night. For astir 10 minutes, nan crowd murmured concerns: ‘Isn’t it excessively dark?’ ‘I can’t spot a thing.’ I shared their thoughts until activity lights and industrial-sized rigs were switched connected to illuminate nan venue.

Inside Shed 4, it was much for illustration a emblematic automotive show, minus nan commercialized flair of Tokyo Auto Salon. Tuner booths from brands for illustration Tomei, Top Secret, and Endless filled nan abstraction pinch products and demo cars.

I’d opportunity 99% of nan cars connected show were built for driving, not conscionable looks – different imaginable first. Large events often attraction connected cars that look bully but haven’t seen immoderate existent action.

Liberty Walk showcased their top hits; I deliberation Kato-san has earned nan correct to beryllium conscionable a little bit shiny.

I’m not judge if Wangan Base Yokohama signifies nan rebirth of tuner civilization successful Japan – arsenic it ne'er really went distant – but nan arena is awesome news for nan section scene. Web Option put a immense effort into it, and scheme to proceed hosting shows of this calibre into nan early arsenic agelong arsenic venues permit. This peculiar location is 1 of nan champion successful nan area.

At nan extremity of nan evening, nan rollout was equally as impressive arsenic nan show itself, pinch cars parading down nan pier and spectators waving them off.

If you scheme to sojourn Japan for nan cars, see packing sunscreen alternatively of a beanie and gloves. Wangan Base Yokohama – Option Street Night Festival represents a caller and breathtaking glimpse into authentic Japanese capacity car culture, and nan inaugural arena was simply epic. 

Toby Thyer
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tobythyer.co.uk