For many car enthusiasts around the world Japan holds a special place in their hearts. In the 1990s, especially in racing, brands such as Nissan, Mitsubishi and Toyota led the way in design and performance. It has been reported that the legendary Nissan R32 GTR was even banned from the Australian motor racing circuit because nothing else could catch up with the iconic Japanese supercar at the time.
The Japanese automotive world is also very recognisable in pop culture. Manga, anime and of course the iconic film “The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift” have attracted many fans worldwide.
There is a place in Japan called the supercar shrine and that place is the Daikoku parking lot near Yokohama on the highway connecting Yokohama and Tokyo (one of the highways between the two cities).
Daikoku car park more commonly known as Daikoku PA. In Japan there is another type of car park called SA, Service area, which is much larger with more services, restaurants, etc. Daikoku PA is thus a meeting place for car enthusiasts to meet and go for rides. In fact it was never designed as a meeting place for petrolheads. It was originally used by car enthusiasts when street racers such as members of the Mid Night Club met in the parking lot in the late 1970s and 1980s. Today despite the fact that street racing has all but disappeared Daikoku PA remains popular due to the fact that it is the largest car park on the Shuto Expressway and that it is easily accessible from almost all parts of Tokyo. This time I saw special nuclear cars coming from Chiba, Saitama and even Aichi prefectures, fifty to three hundred kilometres from Tokyo.
Like other rest stops on Japanese highways Daikoku PA also has a small restaurant, toilets and a Lawson convenience store which also contributes to motorsport. In addition to the traditional shop offer, several car-inspired snacks are sold here. Outside there is also a row of car and machine-themed vending machines offering miniature versions of everything from favourite Japanese cars to forklifts and street signs.
As with all car meetings especially those like Daikoku PA which have no timetable or events you never know what you will find and how busy it will be. If there is a specific meeting scheduled somewhere else, very often fans of a car club centred around a particular model going to that meeting will often drop by Daikoku PA on their way. This means that it can be a matter of moments from an empty lot to dozens of tuned-up Lamborghinis pulling into the car park. What you do depends on the time of day the weather and just your luck.
To get the best chance of seeing the head-turning machines it’s best to visit Daikoku PA at weekends. Friday and Saturday evenings are usually busy. They are often filled with more of the modified sports compact cars for which Japan has become world famous. It is on these nights that you are more likely to see the neon lights, the chrome trim and some of the structures that inexplicably pass the biennial road safety inspection. This Friday was dominated mainly by Nissan with its famous Fairlaydy, the clunky Toyotas, the Porche, a few American cars and many other models.
Getting to the site. I’m sad to say, there is no public transport here. There is always the option of contacting me.
