As the sun sets over the Yokohama skyline, a line of Mid Night Club cars are parked just a few green highway signs off the infamous Wangan Bayshore route. Across the audience, I see Top Secret’s Kazuhiko “Smoky” Nagata and VeilSide’s Hironao Yokomaku on the main stage, reflecting on Japan’s golden age of performance tuning. It’s a scene that feels slightly surreal in the best possible way.
Welcome to the first Wangan Base Yokohama – Option Street Night Festival.
Hosted by Web option, the online home of Japan’s famous Option magazine, it is the first car show on Yamashita Pieran active shipping hub built in the 1950s on reclaimed land. Tonight’s festivities center around Shed 4 on the pier’s western jetty, offering panoramic views of the city of Yokohama.
When I arrived at 4pm, I grabbed my media bib and walked through the main entrance and saw that the event was already packed with people. Although it had started at 2pm, Wangan Base Yokohama was a night festival that ended at 10pm, so the large early crowd surprised me given the heat. Things can only get bigger from here.
With an event of this magnitude, it is difficult not to make comparisons with the Tokyo Auto Salon. The pier around Shed 4 is the same size as the exhibition halls of the Makuhari Messe on the other side of Tokyo Bay.
While TAS is set in the depths of winter – often in the middle of snow – the Wangan base in Yokohama was hotter than an engine room during the height of the Japanese summer. Relief came as day turned to night, although I hope next year’s event will take place in the fall.
Yeah, don’t worry if you missed something this time; the 2025 event has already been confirmed.
Imagine if the Tokyo Auto Salon focused solely on tuner cars, with no manufacturers, and was held outdoors on a disused commercial shipping pier. Add an airplane hangar and food trucks and you have Wangan Base Yokohama – Option Street Night.
There were too many standout cars to detail, but this 2JZ swapped RA65 Toyota Celica convertible was a highlight.
Another treat were the twenty Mid Night Club cars lined up on the gangway to the pier. When Mid Night greets you at the door, you know something special is about to happen.
I was happy when I saw some Mid Night cars in person for the first time. If I had to pick a favorite, I’d happily take the keys to this blue FD3S Mazda RX-7. It’s not the original Mid Night car from the mid 90’sbut a second iteration of the same gentleman.
Another first sighting, although long admired, was the Revolfe SA built Z32 Nissan Fairlady. It is styled like the iconic Air Breathing Research (ABR) Hosoki S130Z Fairladyof course with the owner’s permission.
As the sun disappeared, the golden hour turned to blue and then to pitch black night. For about ten minutes the crowd murmured in concern: “Isn’t it too dark?” “I can’t see anything.” I shared their thoughts until work lights and industrial installations were turned on to illuminate the site.
In Barn 4, it looked more like a typical car show, without the commercial flair of the Tokyo Auto Salon. Tuner booths from brands such as Tomei, Top Secret and Endless filled the space with products and demo cars.
I’d say 99% of the cars on display are built to be driven, and not just for looks; another potential first. Major events often focus on cars that look nice, but haven’t seen any real action yet.
Liberty Walk showcased their greatest hits; I think Kato-san has earned the right to just have a little bit shiny.
I’m not sure if Wangan Base Yokohama marks the rebirth of tuner culture in Japan – as it never really went away – but the event is great news for the local scene. Web option I have put a lot of effort into it and plan to continue organizing shows of this caliber in the future as long as venues allow it. This special location is one of the best in the area.
At the end of the evening, the rollout was as impressive as the show itself, with cars parading along the pier and spectators waving them goodbye.
If you plan to visit Japan for the cars, consider bringing sunscreen instead of a hat and gloves. Wangan Base Yokohama – Option Street Night Festival represents a fresh and exciting take on authentic Japanese performance car culture, and the first event was simply epic.
Toby Thyer
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tobythyer.co.uk
