The annual Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show is one of those g events that bring international attention to Yokohama while also delighting local crowds. Even if you think you aren’t that much interested in cars and motorcycles, we bet this event may change your mind. It’s an absolute spectacle of the senses. Custom vehicles aren’t only about high-performance machinery. Part of the philosophy behind this cultural movement that has deep roots in California is that machines can be art. When you see the hundreds of cars and bikes on display, you’ll probably agree.
Sometimes the beauty is in the bright, elaborate paint jobs that make the cars seem like canvases. Sometimes it is the unusual mechanical design, making them seem like something out of a Transformers movie. Either way, these are works of art. Need we even say that kids may like the displays as much as adults?
While there are nearly 1000 show cars and motorcycles, there are also more than 200 vendors of clothing and accessories. Add to that live music, painting contests and demonstrations and you have more than just an event. This is a festival.
Now in its 23rd year, the Hot Rod Custom Show fills the entire exhibition hall of Pacifico Yokohama and attracts visitors from over a dozen countries. Last year, over 15,000 people visited, including nearly 200 media organizations (we go every year!). Best of all, it’s organized locally, by our friends at MOONEYES Japan in Honmoku.