During TAS 2025 week, the Peaches Underground Tokyo gathering returned for another year of brain-melting quality and infinite variety. But just like last year, there wasn’t much ‘underground’ left.
But I don’t say that with any negativity. Organizing an event like this entails a lot of more than meets the eye.
Tokyo’s car culture is undeniably one of the best in the world, but ironically it’s now virtually impossible to show off in its purest form.
Gone are the days of city center parking garages full of cool cars, a scene reminiscent of The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. Nowadays, any indication of a car encounter taking place at such locations is quickly met with a locked gate and the police.
But for the Korean-born, Tokyo-based media and apparel company Peaches ‘No’ was not an option. They looked everywhere in the region for a location for more than 200 cars and 2,500 spectators.
And that brings us to the parking lot of Ajinomoto Stadium in Chofu, Tokyo.
Luke, one of the event organizers, explained that this meeting was not about replicating one Tokyo Drift set. Instead, it’s about sharing the city’s vast and vibrant car culture with the thousands of international visitors who come to Japan during Tokyo Auto Salon week.
The event is still a joint venture with Takashi-san of Underground Tokyo, with each car personally selected by him.
And Takashi-san’s choices were absolutely correct. Variety was the key word. With only 200 spaces available, Takashi made sure the parking lot wasn’t just filled with Skyline GT-Rs and Porsche 911s. Instead, the selection ranged from drift-ready S13s to Bosozoku Laurels and competition classics.
Of course there were still plenty of GT-Rs and 911s with some of Tokyo’s best in attendance, including this beautiful white BNR32 on red RAYS Volk Racing TE37s.
This year there was also support from both Nissan and Porsche. It’s always refreshing to see manufacturer support at these types of enthusiastic events.
Porsche presented their 992 911 GT3 RS, which commanded respect even among such an eclectic mix of cars.
But it was Nissan who really stole the show, bringing out not one, but two of their most prized cars for the evening. One of these was the IDx concept car from 2013, a tribute to the Silvia and the Fairlady Z.
The real crowd-pleaser, however, was the R34 Skyline GT-R JGTC GT500 Pennzoil race car. Typically seen at events like the Nismo Festival and other Nissan events, bringing it to Underground Tokyo was a bold move that strengthened the automaker’s ties with the enthusiast community.
Nissan’s recent efforts in the enthusiast space are led by Iso-san, a key figure in Nissan’s Prototype division and a major presence in Tokyo’s automotive scene. This wasn’t Iso-san’s only contribution during Tokyo Auto Salon week, but we’ll save that story for another time.
M’s Machine Works also appeared with his time attack Cayman. For those unfamiliar, this lightning-fast Porsche covers Tsukuba in just 56 seconds. A few GT3 road cars from M’s also completed their lap.
Choosing one highlight was not an easy task, but the In the middle of the night 964 built by Garage TBK was an absolute highlight. In the middle of the night’The car’s revival has sparked excitement among a new generation of Japanese car enthusiasts, and people were quite excited to see this car on the road.
The centerpiece of the event wasn’t a car, but a giant portable light box, designed to show them off in their best light. One of the toughest challenges organizers face is providing proper lighting for the cars, so what better way to solve that than with a studio-quality diffused light box for them to drive under?
With so many spectators it was challenging to get a clear picture, but it is clear how popular this match was.
The Low Brain crew was in full force, including Takuya-san’s Corolla car and John’s Corona, which I saw earlier that day in the Makuhari Messe parking garages.
Honda Civics were also in force, and the lineup consisted of a few Kanjozoku-inspired creations.
These two sound machines ensured that no one left without hearing the owners’ Spotify Wrapped selections for 2024.
The global automotive landscape continues to change as enforcement around gatherings and events becomes stricter – and Japan is no exception. From the outside, some may criticize organizers or companies for ‘capitalizing’ in the increasingly popular JDM scene. But the truth is that events like the Peaches Underground Tokyo meeting have a real place. They provide a rare opportunity to share these cars and this culture with those who don’t have the luxury of experiencing it year-round.
Alec Pender
Instagram: no plans co
