Ahh… classic car events. They’re the place to see some of the cleanest, most pristine bikes in the country, and be both amazed and a little annoyed.
Both of these things happened at the Pacifico Yokohama Exhibition Center last weekend. The occasion was nostalgic 2 days 2023.
You see, as anyone who knows me will attest, I love a good moan. And there’s no better place to start than at a classic car show. Or at any car show.
But before I bring down the mood, let’s talk about the good stuff, because there was one many at the 2023 edition of this annual event, which he hosts A nostalgic hero magazine.
Nostalgic 2day is the event to attend if you want to see the crème de la crème of Japanese classic cars. And not only sports classics, but kei cars and family sedans too.
These are cars that have been perfectly preserved or restored and are presented in mint condition. It’s the polar opposite of the Tokyo car show, as evidenced by the swarm of middle-aged men snapping at Isuzu Piazza. At TAS, cars come second to promotional models for many.
In addition to finished show cars, Nostalgic 2day is a great place to see cars that are already partially restored. It gives you a glimpse of how much work goes into preparing these time machines.
Another thing I loved about Nostalgic 2day was the used parts stall. I remembered browsing car boot sales in the UK that I would love to see in Japan.
There were also plenty of food trucks on hand, with a small dining and lounge area between the display cars. It was all very beautiful, but I couldn’t help but think it would be nicer to be outside, regardless of the mild spring chill. That was just one of my objections. So now that I’ve started, let me continue my moaning…
It’s all well and good to be able to see these amazing old cars up close, but what completely ruins the atmosphere for me is the jostling of thousands of fans trying to soak up the nostalgia. Not to mention it makes photographing at such events somewhat challenging.
The problem with Nostalgic 2days – echoed by Dino, who is also a veteran of the event – is that the cars are packed too tightly and there are too many people. Basically, this only applies to Japan in general, but I think it’s true for many events around the world.
The other issue, and something that Jun-san from Hardcore Tokyo agreed with while we were chatting over an original kaido competitor, is that these cars mostly always stay the way they are. We had both seen most of the cars on display before, and even the new designs were basically the same as the others. Take Star Road for example. Their cars are amazing, but they will never develop. They will always be beautifully presented kyusha, as well as the following nicely presented kyusha.
Of course there are exceptions. Daddy Motor Works and Banzai Racing Equipment (BRE) are two companies that are pushing the envelope. kyusha may. The latter has a four-rotor drive Hakosuka, which I present this year and the craziest ones in the former kyusha ever build.
I can’t really complain because if we want to see crazy kyusha, then of course there are events like TAS and SEMA. The Las Vegas show seems to be a bit more spacious and better positioned for car enjoyment as well.
It’s a really annoying little paradox that we love cars but hate the place where we can see them. I can’t be the only one, so I’d be interested in how you guys and gals handle large crowds in small spaces.
To top it off, you can check out more of the Nostalgic 2days 2023 cars in the bonus gallery below and in a walkthrough video I made, check it out here.
Toby Thyer
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Extended gallery
