To the Grand Festival of Car Culture

Manufacturers pour their ingenuity into most production cars so that many people can buy and enjoy them. However, people's love for cars varies. Some find enjoyment in modifying their purchased cars to achieve extreme performance for specific purposes, or in decorating them in surprisingly flashy ways. Others might find that adding just a little something extra to their beloved car can significantly enhance its appeal.

The Tokyo Auto Salon is an annual festival that celebrates the car lifestyle made possible by customization and tuning, which go beyond manufacturer options. It's a stage for the creators who support this enjoyment.

This event, once criticized as a festival for illegal modifications and known for its unusually large number of provocatively dressed companions compared to other exhibitions, is what we decided to explore. For this report, OPENERS ventured into this car culture, with which we don't usually have much contact, accompanied by Soichi Shimizu, the founder of "Daijo Ferrari Kyō" (Great Vehicle Ferrari Sect) and an eco-car critic, and Kumiko Shimizu, a GT-R enthusiast who had just fitted her R35 GT-R with a rear four-light simultaneous activation kit and carbon fiber interior. How do these two distinct Shimizus view the Tokyo Auto Salon?

Can't Afford to Tweak Cars Without Money or a Job!

SoichiWell, it was boring again this year.

KumikoHuh?! I actually enjoyed it quite a bit.

SoichiBack when Veilside used to do those amazing snow-flower effects with gullwing doors...—

KumikoOh, I remember that! So nostalgic.

SoichiYeah, it felt like something was really happening back then!

KumikoIt was more glamorous before, wasn't it? When you say Veilside, I think of them modifying Japanese cars, like the Toyota Supra for top speed, or the R32 GT-R with a cowl that looked just like a Ferrari's.

SoichiThere's no young energy anymore. Back in the day, delinquents who modified Japanese cars and drove around Rokko would now be over 30, modifying used Alfas or Mercedes, moving on to foreign cars. That's probably why the Auto Salon has become an event for older guys.

KumikoIt's heading that way.



SoichiOr maybe it's just a rehash of the old days. That's why the aggressive impression is weaker, right? It feels like everything's been scaled down.

KumikoIt has. The scale seems to be shrinking, and the number of exhibitors feels like it's decreased too. Although, in actual numbers, it might even be increasing.

—According to data, the number of exhibitors in 2012 was 361. In 2011, it was 384, but in 2008, four years prior, it was 264, and in 2009, it was 267.

SoichiAnd now manufacturers like Nissan are getting involved. Before, it was tuners and shops doing it. Things from the underworld have come into the light. What really surprised me was the sheer lack of promotional models! It's been about four years since I last came, and I felt like their numbers had dropped to a tenth.

KumikoEven if it's not a tenth, it's been three years for me too, and I definitely feel like there are fewer. Last time, they were there for all three days, and even before the public opening on the first day, it was much more crowded. I wonder how the visitor numbers will be this year?

SoichiThe Tokyo Motor Show had a good increase in visitors compared to last year, but I'm not sure about this one. Up to this point, I wonder if the segment of people who enjoy this kind of modification is declining? I don't see many of them around town anymore.

—Visitor numbers for the 2012 event reached a record high of 255,709. However, not all of them may be passionate about car modifications. There are likely people who come just to photograph the promotional models.

SoichiAt best, they can only fiddle with their phones. Well, I suppose it's fine as something for older guys to enjoy thoughtfully. My Ferrari is also at the stage of 'maybe I'll change the wheels.' Most of my Ferrari-owning friends who change wheels buy used ones they find at shops. 'Should I put this on?' 'I'll give you a good price!' Very few people buy new ones anymore. It's all about saving money. They circulate them.

KumikoSaving money is your motto, isn't it, Soichi?

SoichiIt's my motto. And if that's okay, then it's fine. It's about changing your mood. After using them for about a year, I think, 'Maybe I'll switch to something else.' It's like Yahoo Auctions now. I just keep circulating them. It's the same with Ferraris themselves; even ordinary people without much income are buying and selling them at an incredibly fast pace.

KumikoIs that so? I had no idea.

SoichiThis salaryman who bought his first Ferrari three years ago is already on his seventh.

KumikoBut isn't buying the first one the hardest part?

SoichiThe first purchase... well, savings... it's usually financed.

KumikoYou could buy a house with that!

SoichiNot really. A Ferrari costs around 10 million yen. You can't even buy a studio apartment with that. Compared to that, cars let you buy the pinnacle. It's addictive, like a drug. And so they keep buying and selling.

Might Makes Right

KumikoBut isn't that situation problematic for the Auto Salon industry?

SoichiWell, yes. Because they keep buying new cars, they don't spend much on any single one. But it's true that with cars like Ferraris or Lamborghinis, just buying and selling them, perhaps with only a muffler change, is exciting enough. However, with more ordinary cars, you really have to modify them.

KumikoThat's right. For me, I felt it was uncool to drive a stock car, so I had to modify it. Unlike Ferraris or Lamborghinis, they weren't perfect from the start!



SoichiAnd also, you have to modify them to stand out, it's unavoidable. Other cars won't move out of the way!

KumikoWhen they don't move, you get annoyed, right?!

SoichiNo, no, no, no, not me.

KumikoIt becomes like, 'This right lane is mine,' doesn't it?

SoichiHmm, it becomes that way for you? (laughs)

KumikoHuh?!

SoichiBecause the car I usually drive is so low, it doesn't show up in the rearview mirrors of minivans. So they don't move at all. But when you drive something like a Porsche Cayenne, people naturally think, 'Get out of the way!' Even a stock one will make them move. And if you modify it heavily, they'll probably scatter like cockroaches.

KumikoLike, 'A dangerous person is coming'?

SoichiThat's what you can't quit. That's right. 'Get out of the way, you weaklings!'

KumikoIt is a pleasure, isn't it?

SoichiIt's a pleasure. It proves that might makes right. In the world, there are all sorts of rights and obligations, and the idea that might makes right doesn't hold up. But when you're in a heavily modified car, it does. That's wonderful. That's what it all comes down to. Even a GT-R makes them move, right?


SoichiYou want to project an aura that makes people think, 'I must bow down to this person.' That's the conclusion! Wealthy people must be frustrated. 'Why do I have to get stuck in traffic when I have so much money!' 'Why do I have to wait my turn!' After all, most things can be solved with money, right? But traffic jams... you can't solve those. But if the Vitz in front of you just moves, you think, 'Ah, it was worth tuning my car.' The significance lies in how many Vitzes move out of your way. Sometimes there's a Move that doesn't even look behind them. That's when you realize, 'Ah, my money only goes so far.' You learn that you can't completely control the world, and then you can find peace.

A Happy Relationship Between Aggressive Cars and Eco-Cars

SoichiAnd with the eco-car boom, the average speed is gradually decreasing. Lately, I've been focusing on eco-driving. I'm constantly battling the fuel economy gauge to see how much mileage I can get. From that perspective, aggressive cars that speed past are fun to watch. It's like they're really trying hard. It's like watching celebrities. As an ordinary person, seeing a star or an elite pass by makes me incredibly happy.

KumikoWhen I'm driving my Prius, and a car like that comes up behind me, I think, 'I have to get out of the way quickly! I have to get out of the way quickly!'

SoichiSo when they pass me, I think, 'They passed me!' It makes me happy. We're both happy. So please, try not to pass me on the left if possible. I'll move over. I'll move over immediately, so please don't pass on the left.

Becoming an Idol

SoichiIt was amazing when I drove the Countach. People would wave enthusiastically and chase after me.

KumikoLike an idol.

SoichiTruly. I felt like a star, thinking, 'Shall I let them hear the engine?' 'Shall I pop up the retractable headlights?' At service areas...—

KumikoEveryone would gather around for photos.

SoichiMoms and kids would gather. 'Look, Soichi, what an amazing car! Don't touch it!' The 'don't touch it' part is what I loved. It had an aura of 'you'll pay if you touch it.' No one's ever been scared of me. Being feared is nice. It's nice, isn't it? Super nice. I'd even take pictures of families—moms and kids—taking pictures of my car. I was so happy. When driving, the aggressive ones respond better, but at parking areas, I'm an idol. 'You can sit in it!' They'd ask, 'Really? Can I sit in it?' It's not like people are overjoyed when you offer them something you own. Have you had that experience with your GT-R?

KumikoWhen it was first released, for about a year, yes. It's different, you know. It makes me happy when my car is praised.

SoichiThere's nothing happier than making others happy. Ultimately, cars allow ordinary people to become stars among car enthusiasts.

KumikoThey're tools that make us shine.

Should Have Quit Sooner?

But at 700 or 800 horsepower, it becomes difficult. Daily driving is tough, and the expectations from everyone in races become immense. Then, the focus shifts to how much you can escalate the car's power, which becomes a pressure. Modern cars are quite well-made, aren't they? There's actually not much left to modify. I've only just realized that now. But those who continue tuning are all at 1200 horsepower. It's become a difficult world.

SoichiEven 1200 horsepower doesn't surprise you anymore. So, it's about synchronizing the amount of money spent with the satisfaction gained. Plus 100 horsepower, and if other cars scatter like cockroaches, that's a victory, right? But if you spend 10 million yen and think, 'It's just cockroaches moving, not much different,' then you'll regret it. Ferraris are exactly like that; whether it's a 3 million yen 348 or the latest 458, a Ferrari is a Ferrari, it doesn't change for ordinary people. But if I can buy a new one every year, I'm happy. 'Hooray!' If you spend too much on one car, you can't do that anymore.

KumikoI'm envious.

SoichiIt's pointless to buy a new GT-R every year, so why not switch to a Ferrari? (laughs)