As the sun sets over the Yokohama skyline, a row of Mid Night Club cars are parked up just a few green expressway signs from the infamous Wangan Bayshore route. Across the crowd, I spot 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 inaugural Wangan Base Yokohama – Option Street Night Festival.
Hosted by Web Option, the online home of Japan’s famed Option magazine, it’s the first car show at Yamashita Pier, an active shipping hub built on reclaimed land in the ’50s. Tonight’s festivities centre around Shed 4 on the pier’s Western Jetty, offering panoramic views of Yokohama city.
Arriving at 4pm, I picked up my media bib and passed through the main gates to find the event already heaving with people. While it had started at 2pm, Wangan Base Yokohama was a night festival that finished at 10pm, so the large early crowd surprised me given the heat. It could only get bigger from here.
With an event of this scale, it’s hard not to draw comparisons to the Tokyo Auto Salon. The pier around Shed 4 is a similar size to the exhibition halls of the Makuhari Messe on the opposite side of Tokyo Bay.
While TAS takes place in the dead of winter – often amidst snow – Wangan Base Yokohama was hotter than an engine bay in the height of Japan’s summer. Relief came as day turned to night, though I hope next year’s event is scheduled for autumn.
Yes, don’t worry if you missed out this time; the 2025 event is already confirmed.
Imagine Tokyo Auto Salon focused solely on tuner cars, with no manufacturers, and was held outdoors at a disused commercial shipping pier. Add an aircraft hangar and food trucks, and you’ve got 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 was the 20-something 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 go down.
I was chuffed to see a few Mid Night cars in person for the first time. If I had to choose a favourite, I’d happily take the keys to this blue FD3S Mazda RX-7. It’s not the original Mid Night car from the mid-’90s, but a second iteration owned by the same gentleman.
Another first-time sighting, though long admired, was the Revolfe S.A.-built Z32 Nissan Fairlady. It’s styled like the iconic Air Breathing Research (ABR) Hosoki S130Z Fairlady, with the owner’s consent, of course.
As the sun disappeared, the golden hour turned to blue and then pitch-black night. For about 10 minutes, the crowd murmured concerns: ‘Isn’t it too dark?’ ‘I can’t see a thing.’ I shared their thoughts until work lights and industrial-sized rigs were switched on to illuminate the venue.
Inside Shed 4, it was more like a typical automotive show, minus the commercial flair of Tokyo Auto Salon. Tuner booths from brands like Tomei, Top Secret, and Endless filled the space with products and demo cars.
I’d say 99% of the cars on display were built for driving, not just looks – another potential first. Large events often focus on cars that look nice but haven’t seen any real action.
Liberty Walk showcased their greatest hits; I think Kato-san has earned the right to be just a little bit shiny.
I’m not sure if Wangan Base Yokohama signifies 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 put a huge effort into it, and plan to continue hosting shows of this calibre into the future as long as venues permit. This particular location is one of the best in the area.
At the end of the evening, the rollout was equally as impressive as the show itself, with cars parading down the pier and spectators waving them off.
If you plan to visit Japan for the cars, consider packing sunscreen instead of a beanie and gloves. Wangan Base Yokohama – Option Street Night Festival represents a fresh and exciting glimpse into authentic Japanese performance car culture, and the inaugural event was simply epic.
Toby Thyer
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tobythyer.co.uk
Credit : Source Post
