In case you missed it, Top Gear Philippines went to cover the Tokyo Auto Salon (TAS) for the first time ever. I found myself with our content producer Charles Banaag at the show this year, and as I’ve said time and again, it was absolutely overwhelming to see as a first-timer.
Suffice to say, we did have a few lapses here and there in terms of what we wanted to accomplish just because of how daunting the entire weekend felt. While we did get by just fine in the end, there were a few things we wish we had known before we arrived at TAS.
I’m sharing here some of our learnings that we hope can help other first-timers when they come to visit Japan for the Tokyo Auto Salon weekend. Read on and enjoy, folks.
OTHER STORIES YOU MIGHT HAVE MISSED:
Motovlogger ‘MotoDeck’ just got a brand-new Toyota Tamaraw
5 Brand-new coding exempt cars you can get under P1-M
1) Go to the venue early. Like, really early.
This year’s TAS was once again held at the Makuhari Messe, a huge event venue in Chiba that also used to host what we used to call the Tokyo Motor Show. The first day doesn’t start too early, but we wish we had gone to the Makuhari Messe parking area (I’ll be writing a separate story on this soon) first thing in the morning on the first day of TAS. See, the parking area alone was already a car show on its own, and we wish we had more time there.
We could’ve camped out by the entrance of the parking area for some car spotting before we went inside. Next year, we’ll be there by sunrise and make sure we see all the hot cars coming in.
2) Allot the whole weekend for TAS.
It’s worth it. You can come back for the events happening on different days, and you can also go car-spotting endlessly in the area for the entire weekend. Whether you’re there to shoot content like we were or you’re just a car enthusiast wanting to soak all of TAS in, it’s best to be there on multiple days. Don’t be like us—we missed the drifting events this year. That would’ve been something else to watch. And you wouldn’t need to be there 24/7—you’ll just have to be ready to come back for whatever else is happening that weekend.
3) Wear your most comfortable shoes.
This one’s a no-brainer for any motor show or any trip to Japan whatsoever, but I’m putting it here anyway. See, I thought I wore comfortable shoes, and it was just natural for my feet to give out at the end of a full day of walking. But when I tried out Charles’ On when I was already complaining my feet were sore, I immediately felt relief. Best believe I’ll have a pair of Ons myself next year when we come back.
Also worth noting is that unlike in your typical motor shows, you’ll want to keep returning to a lot of booths around TAS throughout the course of a day. You won’t be there to just see the cars—you’ll want to take everything in. Trust us, there’s a high chance you’d end up doing more walking and standing than you initially expected.
4) Bring money. Lots of it.
Actually, shoes are the least of your concerns when you get to TAS. What we realized when we got there was that most of the people who go to TAS have the intention to shop. Whether it’s for toys, limited-edition merch, or car parts and accessories, they’re ready to spend. That was something Charles and I weren’t ready to do at all.
If you have a project car at home, TAS has everything for you. From body kits like Modellista and Varis to wheels like Rays, and even the smaller stuff from Autobacs, you’ll find all of them there.
If you like collecting diecast cars, best believe there’ll be a huge Tomica booth waiting for you at TAS year in and year out. A lot of other high-end stuff from Ignition Model and Inno64 were also present at TAS this year.
Streetwear and other apparel from tuners-turned-brands like Liberty Walk are also up for grabs during TAS. We’re not gonna lie—we felt a bit of FOMO seeing all those people, especially the Pinoys, walking around TAS with huge LBWK paper bags in tow.
It’s perfectly fine to show up to TAS just to see the cars and the displays, of course, but it’ll be a lot more fun when you add some shopping to the mix. Your credit cards aren’t safe at TAS, guys.
5) Prepare to be out and about at night all weekend.
We said you’d have to be at TAS the whole weekend, right? But that’s during the day. Each night during Tokyo Auto Salon, there will be multiple car meets around Tokyo and Chiba. If you really want a better taste of the Japanese car scene, you wouldn’t want to miss these. Some meets need tickets, others simply need information just to access them. Either way, if you want to really see some nice cars, you should be on the lookout for these meets.
Bonus tip: If you want to see everything during TAS weekend, bring vitamins and make sure you stay hydrated all the time. Japan’s weather during this time of the year will be unforgiving, and it won’t help if you’ll be out and about non-stop. Both fatigue and the cold will catch up with you, and you might find yourself sick before TAS even starts.
