Jive-Bomber submitted a new blog post: The Mooneyes Yokohama Show Continue reading the Original Blog Post
Don't "find the time", MAKE THE TIME. I went last year and it was incredible. The people, the cars, the passion.............
There are a number of my Facebook Friends from Japan .....We have a pretty good size model building circle........It is clear the the Japanese are great artisans......Looking at this video is just further evidence.......Beautifully done cars........
I haven't been for twenty years, but my friend brought me back a T-shirt from last year. Very good film.
Been there for work. The people are very cool; different for sure, mostly reserved, they have a great appreciation for the arts, and awesome appreciation for detail. This has to be an incredibly expensive hobby for these folks, but I bet they "get it" as well, and most are probably not just buying nice rides.
So for those that have gone to Japan for the show how difficult was it? I'm interested in going. - Were there any visa requirements that had to be gotten before travel? - Is the area difficult to navigate without knowing Japanese? How hard is it to "get" to the show? - What other attractions are there in the area? - Is the area expensive? What would be a typical budget be to go? - How long did you stay?
This is the #1 show I want to attend someday followed by Chopped and the Lonestar Roundup. The Japanese in my eyes have built some of the nicest hot rods, customs, lowriders, etc. in the last little while. Someday when I'm done school I hope to live there. Don't think my "beater" would fit in with the other gorgeous canvases at the show though.
Thank you for posting my vid! Glad you liked it enough to share, honored! Yes, do it - if you can - do it. The level of detail and dedication the Japanese enthusiasts put into their cars is staggering. The event is huge and the people are beyond awesome. Just a passport. Make sure you have your lodging and return flight info handy b/c the officials want to make sure you're not going to overstay your welcome. The train stations all have an "information" counter where you can simply tell them where you're trying to go and they will give you very helpful instructions. Surprisingly a lot of english spoken there. The people are unbelievably nice and like to help others. My trip was mostly car related, we spent the week touring Japanese custom shops (vids below). I also spent a night at a traditional Japanese Ryokan in a resort town. It was off-season so I had the entire hotel and hot springs to myself. Incredible. Budget $1500 for your flight, $100/night for hotel, $40-50 day on meals. You could do the whole trip for $2500 and eat well/live well. You could definitely do it cheaper with proper planning. Get a credit/debit card that gives points, that's how I managed to do it first class and keep it under $2K. I did a week, I think Coby did two? In addition to the show, we were fortunate enough to join Local Hero Japan (Yeah TOSHI!) on a multi-day shop tour: Another highlight was when Local Hero arranged a cruise night in Nagoya. Basically, folks brought out their cars and all of us visitors were welcome to hop in and cruise with whoever we wanted. Epic!
Amazing videos @Skidmark, I remember meeting you at LSRU in 2012 and was jealous hearing about your cross country trek in your Olds. Now I'm envious about your trip to Japan. Great pointer on a trip to Japan, if they keep this thing going hopefully I can take some of your advice in a couple years. Keep up the awesome videos, you got a hell of a talent with that camera.
Incredible videos - I'm definitely going there to photograph these cars sooner or later. I have been there twice before on vacation and it is an amazing place.
This show is dripping with hot rod culture. I went in 2012, missed it by 3 days in 2013 and 14 just might work out for a second visit. Travel to the show can be very simple: purchase your round trip ticket on the Narita express train to Yokohama right at the airport where you exit from customs/immigration. Look on the internet for a hotel near the Yokohama train station. There are even a couple right in the underground mall attached to the station. I walked to the Pacifico from the station rather than gamble on getting the right subway connection. It is a nice walk, mostly enclosed and you get to go right through the Nissan world headquarters. Definately a bucket list item for any true hot rodder....
Show is one week away. I leave for Tokyo on Wed. Any other HAMBers making the trip to Japan for the show?
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