Admittedly, I’m a bit bummed because I wasn’t able to attend Tokyo Auto Salon this year due to the ongoing global shitstorm. I thought Yasu was going to go, at least, but I couldn’t even convince him to be inside the Makuhari Messe venue and be exposed to the plethora of possibly infected humans. I knew I was going to miss 2021 because they cancelled the event outright but was looking forward to going back in 2022. This actually marks the first time I’ve ever missed a TAS event since I first started attending back in 2013. From what I heard from friends in Japan, the event was much smaller and the crowd was definitely smaller, which was expected. I think my friends were trying to make me feel better because the show wasn’t nearly as big as it has been in the past but the thought of just being able to shoot the cars there with a smaller crowd sounded amazing. It’s usually pretty impossible to get a clean shot while the show is going on but from what I’ve seen of the photos posted online, you could definitely tell that the show was smaller. I’m hoping Japan re-opens by spring time so I can finally return and visit friends there but at this rate, who really knows?…

Nonetheless, I do have photos for you from Japan, but not from TAS. It actually isn’t even from this year since these photos were captured towards the very end of 2021. My friend Masa Chiba hosted a new event known as “Phantom Day” a month ago and Yasu asked if I wanted him to do some coverage. I’ll never say no to photos from Japan so of course, I asked him to shoot as much as he could. Yasu had planned to bring a couple cars out to the Tokyo-side for the show to support Chiba’s event and display the new front lip and sides for the GR86 platform. As usual, Mori’s EK9 would also be there as was a couple of other Hondas from Mode Parfume. I don’t know how Yasu has the energy for it but he always takes these 6+hour drives to events and then comes home right after. That sounds like an awful time, lol. You know how I know? I’ve done it with him before and it is NOT fun. We always do manage to make it an interesting time at least by convincing all of our other friends to come along with their cars and these photos are a friendly reminder that I really miss it—no matter how arduous the journeys are…

Phantom Day is a USDM-themed event so you get a mix of all different styles of cars both US-style and traditional “JDM”. There’s a little bit of everything for everyone but it is definitely catered more to the enthusiasts who appreciate the Western-style. Some of the cars you’ll see below look like something you’d see here at home and that’s exactly how they want you to see it. If they can convince you that they are builds from North America, they’ve done their jobs. I can appreciate it though I’d rather much see the more traditional stuff but USDM style is so commonplace there now that it’s almost become engrained into their automotive culture.

See for yourself…

Thanks to Yasutaka Shimomukai from Exceed Japan for the photos!!…

Exceed Japan’s resident painter, Toku, getting some final touches done on Mori’s EK9 before everyone was set to take off to Tokyo-side…

Yasu’s brand new Toyota GR86 is looking great these days with a newly-created prototype Exceed front lip and side diffuser…

I also really like how the Rays Gram Lights 57FXZ wheels look on the GR86. The car is such good flow. I can’t wait to see the front lip and sides here stateside when they’re in production…

Masao Hirano from Mode Parfume’s Civic Ferio running their Mode Parfume front bumper, sideskirts, and front wide fender kit…

A couple of others came along for the caravan to the Kanto region which is about a 7-hour drive…

Exceed GR86 and Exceed EK9 Civic Type R democars…

The gang arrived in Chiba around 8 AM and got to setting-up. At the Concept booth was the Spoon Sports-inspired Honda CR-Z and the X-Point turbocharged S2000 with full Mode Parfume widebody kit. It had been placed there the night before so there was some frost that had built-up onto the top of the cars…

A group of S2000s waiting to be staged outside the venue…

Kosuke Kuratani’s AP2 S2000 with a Powerhouse Amuse front bumper, OEM hardtop, and Volk TE37SL…

This AP1 S2000 featured a Falken Tire-inspired livery also running an Amuse front but with a bit more aggressive aero…

Nerimato Kakiotoka’s AP2 S2000 looked great, also running an Amuse front but with a Mugen hardtop, EVS mirrors, and gray Desmond wheels…

Kohei’s bagged and wingless Formula Red AP1 S2000 on white TE37 wheels…

It’s honestly kinda rare to see a Mitsubishi Evolution X these days without crazy amounts of aero on it. This one is on the simpler side of the spectrum, no over fenders or anything, just sitting cleanly on a set of white TEs and rocking a set of Ganador mirrors…

Neko’s Ferio from Secret Base Niigata looks so good with the Exceed by Mode Parfume front lip and 3-piece Frontline wheels…

Kazushi Sato’s USDM EH Civic hatchback also running a Exceed by Mode Parfume front lip and Superstar-produced Chevlon Racing M2 wheels…

Yuya Takahashi’s custom painted 1999 Civic SiR with Exceed by Mode Parfume front lip, Shift Sports FRP hood, and Chevlon Racing wheels…

The Chevlon wheels also featured custom hardware to match the lug nuts…

’96-spec Integra Type R that has been repainted a custom blue hue running Mode Parfume sideskirts, Exceed front lip, and 3-piece Frontline wheels. Love the custom pinstriping on the body as well to give this ITR a unique look…

Yuya Nishizawa’s EK9 Civic Type R running an Exceed front lip, Mode Parfume sides, Spoon Sports mirrors, and Advan Racing TC4 wheels…

Huge shout-out to the boys from Secret Base Niigata for always running Exceed and Mode Parfume goods on their builds…

Noah from Rhapsody’s Volkswagen MK5 Golf on Work Wheels…

The Exceed Japan section all set-up next to the Mode Parfume booth at Phantom Day…

Red Bull-themed EK9 CTR from NO GOOD RACING running SSR Type-C wheels and a rare Mugen SS front lip…

This Z31 Fairlady Z looked very period-correct on Work Equip 03…

Yusuke Sakurai’s amazing USDM Toyota Corolla GT-S from Car Peace…

The engine bay is superbly-executed with a built 4A-GE featuring Keihin FCR41 carbs on a custom-made manifold and one-off exhaust manifold…

The FCR carbs also host a set of titanium velocity stacks…

Under the custom painted valve cover are TRD camshafts paired with TODA Racing cam gears…

The interior has been meticulously maintained retaining a majority of the OEM USDM GT-S interior but with custom reupholstered rear seats in Bride gradation fabric to match the Bride seats up front…

Takuya Horiuchi’s Grigio Scuro R35 GTR bagged on Air Lift suspension and Rotiform TUF-R wheels…

Masaya Tomizawa from Lowcul’s Pandem widebody BMW E30 coupe…

You can never go wrong with this classic combination of a white EG6 Civic on bronze Volk TEs wrapped in meaty rubber. The Exceed front lip fits tightly and the car sits just right…

The rear hosts a set of clear taillights, an OsakaJDM Devil Wing, and custom center-exit straight-piped exhaust…

Rion and Yayo welcomed guests to the Enkei wheels booth…

Did you guys know that there’s a new Enkei RPF1 RS wheel coming?…

Yayo and Rion posing on an Integra sedan with Exceed front lip and Enkei wheels…

This DC5 Integra was re-imagined to look like a USDM RSX Type-S with A-Spec front lip, US front bumper, and 3-piece SSR Professor MS3 wheels…

Kent Muro’s RSX-styled DC5 Integra with a USDM front, headlights, VIS front lip and Enkei RPF1 Type-RC wheels…

Nicely done engine bay with a wire-tuck, paint-matched valve cover, Skunk2 intake manifold, and intake pipe…

Naoki’s Subaru WRX STI from Dropper Japan running a full ‘Zombie Land Saga’ livery and WCI wheels…

Yanagi’s EG6 is one of my favorites in Japan, glad to see it still looking good with the US Racing front lip and Saenai Heroine no Sodatekata graphic on the driver’s side…

I like how the Itasha graphic carries over into the engine bay covering the driver’s side shock tower. It makes perfect sense since he always has his hood off at events to showcase his reworked bay and B16A set-up…

Super GT mechanic Junya Ebihara’s Lexus SC300 coupe on BBS wheels…

Toyota Altezza with a OEM Lexus front grille, headlights, full BN Sports aero, and Work Wheels…

So interesting to see WCI wheels still on cars in Japan being that they’re virtually non-existent here in the U.S….

Kohei Miyata from LEVEL ONE Japan’s Spoon Sports-equipped AP2 S2000 on polished Desmond wheels…

This Integra was running an Exceed by Mode Parfume front lip on his Acura-badged front face and white Volk TE37V wheels…

Shiba’s EP3 Civic Type R with an Air Walker front lip and teal Volk Racing RE30s…

You can’t see Tatsu’s rare 3Q Car front bumper on his EP3 in this photo…

…because it was blocked by this brand new Desmond Marquis Promoda wheel…

Kenta’s Mugen-themed EP3 Civic Type R on Buddy Club P1 wheels. You can see his bronze Mugen MF10 wheels laid-out on the floor next to his front bumper…

That’s all I got for today. There are still some more photos from Phantom Day coming so stay tuned!!…