JDM Tuning

Five cars, five very different exhaust notes. The lineup, the setups, how we tested, and both parts of the exhaust sound showdown in one place.

The HKS Technical Factory is one of Japan's most iconic tuning houses. In this quick POV walkthrough, I step inside the showroom to see HKS-built RB26 engines sitting right on the floor.

GR Garage Master One Tomei-Kawasaki is a showroom full of top-tier aftermarket parts and rare Toyota Gazoo Racing cars, including the limited-production GRMN Yaris and the GR Corolla.

If you're a die-hard Skyline GT-R fan, the Nismo Omori Factory is the holy grail. This was my second visit this year, and the rotating showcase floor had an entirely new lineup of iconic race cars.

For anyone obsessed with Honda tuning, visiting Spoon Type One in Tokyo is a bucket-list experience. I took a POV tour of the facility to see the craftsmanship that has made Spoon one of the most respected Honda tuners on the planet.

This was an unbelievable day at Top Secret in Chiba. I came to see the gold legends, and ended up meeting two icons from completely different worlds: legendary tuner Smokey Nagata and corridos tumbados superstar Natanael Cano.

Liberty Walk always brings one of the most talked-about booths to Tokyo Auto Salon. I filmed it over Day 1 and Day 2 so you can see every build, including the R35 GT-R convertible.

If you are hunting for a Nissan Skyline GT-R, or simply want to witness a breathtaking collection of "Godzilla" in its natural habitat, you need to add Global Auto in Osaka to your JDM bucket list. I recently visited this renowned shop, and the sheer volume of pristine Skylines waiting in their yard is nothing short of mind-blowing.

Walking up to Garage Defend, you are immediately greeted by a sea of R34s, R33s, and R32s. While they do carry other iconic JDM machines like the Silvia S15, it is clear that the GT-R is their bread and butter.

Liberty Walk Headquarters in Owariasahi is the epicenter of absolute automotive rebellion. Love them or hate them, you cannot deny the global impact of Wataru Kato’s vision. I finally made the pilgrimage to LBWK HQ to see where these iconic, fender-cutting builds are actually born.

Japan's top tuners brought their A-game to Tokyo Auto Salon 2026. In this video I walk through booths from Orido, NEO86, VeilSide, HKS, Endless, SARD and Watanabe, from track weapons to boundary-pushing show cars.

If you are a car enthusiast visiting Japan, you probably have a list of shrines to visit: Daikoku PA, the Nissan Heritage Collection, and maybe a few tuners. But if you actually own a JDM car and want to see the literal treasure chest of the culture, you have to go to Up Garage Machida.

Smokey Nagata's Top Secret is one of the most iconic tuners in Japan, known for extreme builds and legendary high-speed runs. I filmed their Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 booth over Day 1 and Day 2 so you can see every build up close.

When it comes to the Honda Civic Type R EK9, many consider it the pinnacle of front-wheel-drive engineering. But what happens when you take that foundation and apply the modern, "no-expense-spared" restoration philosophy of Built by Legend in collaboration with the legendary Spoon Sports?

If you find yourself driving through the mountain passes of Gunma, there is one stop that is absolutely mandatory for any fan of the rotary engine: D’z Racing Café Garage.

There is a specific kind of reverence you feel when walking into the Nismo Omori Factory. This isn't just a showroom; it’s the heartbeat of Nissan’s racing and heritage programs. Even before I made it through the doors, the atmosphere was electric, with people already crowding around the DC2 Integra I drove there—proof that the JDM passion transcends brand lines.

If Day 1 was about the scale of the show, Day 2 was about the surgical precision of Japan’s top tuners. I spent my time getting up close with the brands that have influenced Daikoku Legends from the beginning.