Yokohama Japan’s Hot Rod Show

Posted by pikesan on Dec 9, 2007 in Shows & Events, Vintage Rides | 1 comment

While cruising Myspace looking for car and bike enthusiasts to bring to the light of MyRideisMe.com, I learned of the 16th Annual YOKOHAMA HOT ROD Custom Show 2007 that happened December 2^nd in Pacifico Yokohama sponsored by Mooneyes Yokohama.

I’ve got a special interest in what’s going on in Japan since I work for Nissan and I lived in Harajuku, Tokyo, Japan in 2000. When there, I’d occasionally see a car that was completely out of place: an old Chevy wagon or a vintage Mustang, but nothing like what’s at this show.

To find the best pics of a Japanese show you look at Japanese websites, right? Good luck! That’s where a new friend from Myspace named Jiro from Gifu, Japan (near Osaka) helped me find some of those websites, especially this one: SP@RETIME. Maki Kurata from Nagoya, Japan runs Sp@retime and it is LOADED with outstanding pictures of the bike and hot rod scene in Japan. The picture to the left was just loaded. Maki and his buddies are riding in Japan now and it is COLD there now! This gallery’s called: いつものメンツで極寒ナイトクルーズ！ which loosely translates to: “The regular crew on an arctic night cruise”. Maki’s also got a Myspace page if you want to check it out. Maki’s Myspace

Maki told me a little about the show… Here’s his favorite bike:

It’s built by a shop called “Paradise Road” in Nagoya. In addition to building cars and bikes, they host the No.1 Custom car show in Japan. Paradise Road is owned by Happy Hernandez. He’s got a cool looking Myspace page too. Judging by the other photos I’ve seen of this bike floating around the web, this was certainly one of the finest at the show. I’ll share one more of pic from Paradise Road if I get permission.

Be sure to check out Happy Hernandez’s Paradise Road!

From there, I Maki-san served up his other favorites from the show and who built them.

This bike was built by “Hidemo” which I think is short for Hide Motorcycles. Here’s another website to check out: HIDEMO.

Browsing the Hidemo bikes, I found out this bike’s called Mod Chopper 3 and won Best of Show in Yokohama for the motorcycles. Check out all the details for this bike here (in English and Japanese) then go to the great photo presentation of the bike build. Click on the banner below to have a look, then check out the Other bikes built by Hidemo.

Then Dig this Old School Style built in Japan by Spice-MC.

Then you’ve got super detailed paint on this chopper called: MISARIINO from Motor Cycles-Den. At the website, there’s fantastic write-up about a bike made completely from titanium, aluminum and stainless steel called “The Titan” When you get there, click on it.

Finally, there were a bunch of trick cars at the show too. This car is in Japan!

Maki spent his time shooting the bikes, but his friend Kage got the cars. Most of these cars were Japan locals, but some had been flown in. The site is called “Rod-n-kustom Blogzine”. It’s worth checking out for the TONS of pictures and movies of Japan shows. This guy gets around! Click on his banner below.

After looking at the pictures at Sp@retime I had to say, WOW, there’s alot of innovative work going on! I haven’t seen something as cool as the Mod Chopper 3 in a long time. Next time I’m in Japan, I’m heading down to Nagoya to see my new friends drink beer and hopefully take a ride. I couldn’t be more impressed. Domo arigatou gozaimashita.

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