Mooneyes Street Car Nationals

Mooneyes is a name anyone interested in car culture will recognize. The original company, founded in California by Dean Moon in the 1950s, was called MOON Speed Equipment. Renamed Mooneyes and now owned by Shige Suganuma, the company makes speed equipment and hot rod parts, and promotes custom car and motorcycle events in both the USA and Japan.

The Street Car Nationals is an annual event held in Odaiba, Tokyo every spring. 2014 marked the twenty-eighth year of its existence – not bad when you bear in mind that Shige Suganuma only started the company as a side project to his main job working for Disney Japan. The show attracts its fair share of greasers and rockabillies, but it’s very much a family friendly event and a good day out for one and all. The atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, and some of the exhibitors were happy to pose for photographs or chew the fat with other custom enthusiasts.

Naturally, there’s a lot of 1950s Americana on display, and the 2014 event played host to more than a few immaculate Chevrolet Bel Airs, several Oldsmobile 88s, a handful of Corvettes and – even older – a 1932 Ford Deuce Coupe. But the great thing about this event is that it attracts a fair number of classic Japanese cars as well. The Toyota Crown and the Nissan Gloria were both well represented here, along with low-slung Mazdas and pinstriped Datsuns.

Stroll over to a different area and you’ll find a cluster of VW camper vans – one even came with a surfboard and assorted beach goods as accessories (not too far-fetched, seeing as the show takes place in Tokyo Bay). Stroll a bit further and you’ll find the VW’s modern equivalent: a Nissan Elgrand decked out with a double bed and velvet carpet.

The show took place in the Aomi Parking Lot Area, adjacent to Fune-no-kagakukan Station on the Yurikamome Line, and there was room for around 600 cars this year – about 300 short of the previous year due to a scheduling conflict. It’s an important show for car and van enthusiasts, and entrants drive from far and wide to display their obsessions. The location is a key part of the event’s attraction. The big parking lot means that you never feel cramped, and there is easy access to the food stalls and vendors that line the perimeter of the show. If your interest in cars happens to be less than an obsession, you can combine your visit with other activities in the Odaiba area too. Shopping and entertainment is close at hand at Venus Fort, Aqua City and Decks, and the National Museum of Emerging Science and Innovation (Miraikan) is within easy walking distance of the Aomi Parking Lot Area.

Mooneyes is pretty central to the custom scene in Japan so be sure to check out its website for a variety of related events, and make sure you don’t miss the other great show on the calendar, the annual Hot Rod and Custom Show, held every December in Yokohama. The website is in both English and Japanese, and the Moon Café in Yokohama is a great place to hang out if you’re in the local area.