If the Megashow at Funabashi was the main event, then what happened afterward was the secret after-party. On the same night in January, I left the organized chaos of the racecourse and headed into the heart of the city for an "underground" meet at Aomi PA.

Attending the Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) for the first time is a sensory overload that no amount of YouTube videos can truly prepare you for. For the 2026 show at Makuhari Messe, the energy was unreal, feeling less like a trade show and more like a massive celebration of the "Golden Era" of JDM culture. Here is a blog post capturing that first-timer experience. Entrance to Tokyo Auto Salon 2026 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba. Sensory Overload: My First Pilgrimage to Tokyo Auto Salon