For our first ever Tokyo Auto Salon experience, we knew we’ve been missing out all these years the moment we stepped off the Kaihimmakuhari Station and walked towards the massive Makuhari Messe convention hall. The anticipation was met with an energetic buzz in the air, media outlets and the general public clamoring to get in, distant sounds of VTECs and V12s revving along the roads around the area and more.
Then we got in and it was even more incredible.
According to the official press release, the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon drew in the largest crowd to date, with over 95,081 people on its busiest day, Saturday – this is compared to last year’s busiest day with 73,343. In total, 2024 pulled in a monstrous 230,073 attendees inside its combined convention halls, more than 28% from last year’s sum. Outside of the crowd, almost 900 cars were on display for the show, and over 4,300 exhibitors were there to showcase their products, offerings, builds and more.
As such, what we saw and experienced with nothing short of breathtaking. The sheer amount of cars was a spectacle, with the widest selection of JDM builds in the world. Manufacturers like Nissan and Toyota took the opportunity to show off their latest cars – NISMO editions of the Skyline, GT-R and even Ariya crossover took to the stage, and the Toyota “Cullinan” Century stole our hearts, respectively. The larger OEMs like BBS, RAYS, BRIDE, Ohlins, KW, Toyo Tires, Michelin and so much more enlightened us with new product tech, and tuning houses like RE Amemiya, Mugen, D.A.D and others stunned with their showcars.
Diving deeper, seeing some extraordinary market-limited cars up close – the Suzuki Jimny, Toyota GR Yaris and Century come to mind right away – was a real treat, as was seeing our stateside friends enjoying the show. Tokyo Auto Salon is also home to “booth babes” – models hired specifically to draw attention to their respective booths – and opportunities to meet famous drivers and industry leaders, which is a rare occurrence even outside of Japan. Lastly, unlike the stateside “equivalent” show SEMA, Tokyo Auto Salon allows merch to be sold, so we also took the time to do a bit of JDM parts and apparel shopping too.
All in all, you don’t have to be a fanatic of cars or a JDM petrolhead to have enjoyed Tokyo Auto Salon. But needless to say, if you fit into those categories – it was absolutely incredible. Tokyo Auto Salon was held from January 12-14, 2024, in Chiba, Japan, and is an annual convention, with its slated next for mid-January 2025.
