A New Realm for the Japanese Classic Car Show

Before There Were Japanese Classic Cars

Did you know the first instance of Japanese cars featured at a car show here occurred back in 1958?

It was at the Import Car Show held that year in Los Angeles, and it featured a Datsun 1000 and Toyota Toyopet Crown.  

However, this was not a classic car show. The two cars had not even been sold yet in the United States. That would occur shortly thereafter (see Automotive History’s “January 9, 1958 – Toyota and Datsun come to the USA”).

The earliest instance of a show celebrating vintage Japanese cars in the US may be the annual gathering of Datsun 240Z owners known as ZCON (also known as the International Z Car Convention) in July of 1988 in Dallas, Texas.

In 1995, Stuart Resor and the Toyota Owners and Restorers Club (TORC) held the first show of all-models of a single Japanese brand in 1995 at Moonlight State Beach in Encinitas, California. That event was called All Toyotafest, and it celebrated its 30th anniversary last year (see LA Car’s “All Toyotafest Celebrated Its 30th Anniversary”).

The JCCS is Born

While brand or model-specific Japanese cars were being celebrated at shows like All Toyotafest and ZCON, TORC members Koji and Terry Yamaguchi longed for a show that included the vintage models of all the brands—similar to what they saw while living in Japan.

The Yamaguchis organized the first Japanese Classic Car Show at Queen Mary Park in Long Beach, California. Although initially intended as a one-time gathering, the positive reception of that first show prompted the Yamaguchis and other organizers to make the JCCS an annual event.

Last year, the Japanese Classic Car Show celebrated its 20th anniversary at the Marina Green Park in Long Beach. An estimated 500+ cars were exhibited and 10,000+ attendees gathered to celebrate the show’s porcelain anniversary (see Sam Mitani's "The Japanese Classic Car Show 2025: Celebrating 20 years of heritage" in Racer). 

Classic Shows Slow to Respond

Despite the success of events like the Japanese Classic Car Show and All Toyotafest, traditional classic car shows in North America have been slow to recognize any brands from Asia into their marque fold.

The British Goodwood Festival of Speed is a notable exception, having named Honda in 2005 (for its F1 history), Toyota in 2007 (for 50 years of racing), and Mazda in 2015 (for its racing successes) as its Honored Marque (see Japanese Nostalgic Car’s “A Tribute to Mazda at the Goodwood Festival of Speed”). 

In North American, the Florida-based Amelia Island Concours d'Elegance has curated Japanese classes from time-to-time. It also hosted a celebration of Japanese prototypes and endurance winners in 2017—showcasing the Nissan GTP-ZX Turbo and the North American debut of the Prince R380 (see Classic Car Journal’s “Japanese cars still waiting for consistent concours…”, Nissan USA Newsroom’s 2017 press release, and Conceptcarz’ “Nissan GTP-ZX Wins Class At Amelia Island”).

What Happened in Monterey?

In August of 2026, Monterey Car Week—North America’s most prestigious annual celebration of classic cars—recognized Japanese brands in a big way.

The Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca officially named Icons of Japanese Motorsport as its featured marque—an historic departure from the traditional focus on European and American classics. 

The Reunion showcased legendary performance and racing heritage from Mazda, Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Yamaha, Acura, Lexus, Infiniti, and Mitsubishi (see WeatherTech Raceway’s July 17, 2026 news release). 

At Laguna Seca, a dedicated JDM Car Show was held on the lakebed, celebrating street style, tuning, drifting, and time attack builds—a first for Laguna Seca.

Historic racing machinery such as the Mazda 787B, Toyota TS050, and championship-winning rally Subarus were demonstrated and/or displayed. And for the first time, a major curated exhibit featured world-championship motorcycles from Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha (see Racer's "Rolex Monterey Reunion celebrates Japanese race cars").

Finally, major concourses and gatherings across the Peninsula integrated Japanese and JDM vehicle classes onto their lawns (see Acura Newsroom’s “Honda Celebrates Eight Decades of Motorsports Heritage at Monterey Car Week…”, and Jalopnik’s “There Were So Many Awesome JDM Cars At Monterey Car Week…”).

What happened in Monterey represents a watershed moment for Japanese car acceptance into the classic car world. American and European cars are no longer the exclusive domain of these shows. Monterey Car Week blew the doors wide open for the cars in the Pacific Rim. 

Entering A New Phase

With a 20-year run under its belt and all that happened in Monterey, the Japanese Classic Car Show enters its third decade with heightened recognition of the cars and brands it features. 

It’s all the more fitting that the official theme of the 2026 Japanese Classic Car Show is "Entering a New Phase". Adds JCCS CEO and Event Organizer Terry Yamaguchi, 

“As the event steps into its third decade for its 21st annual show on October 3, 2026, the theme focuses on celebrating family, heritage, and the bonds that unite the global JDM community.”

Featured Generation Vehicles

The JCCS has announced that the 21st annual event will include Featured Generation Vehicles, spotlighting four iconic models that have served as inspirations throughout the years:

Datsun 521 Pickup
Honda Civic
Mazda MX-5 Miata
Toyota Crown Wagon

Says Terry, “More than cars, JCCS celebrates the people who preserve this legacy and pass it on to future generations.”

Special Guest

The JCCS is excited to welcome Hiroshi Tamura as its Special Guest for the 21st anniversary event. “Tamura is one of the key figures behind two of Nissan’s most celebrated modern sports cars—the Nissan GT-R and the new Nissan Z,” says Yamaguchi.

During his career at Nissan, Tamura played a major role in sports car product planning and development. “His passion for Nissan performance and Japanese sports-car culture has made him a familiar and respected figure among enthusiasts around the world,” says Yamaguchi.

Partnerships

The JCCS enjoys partnerships with several prestigious entities. Among the Partners for 2026 is the Automotive Restoration Market Organization (ARMO/SEMA), which will host an official booth at the event to celebrate automotive heritage.

Admission

While vehicle registration is now closed, public visitor tickets are available on the JCCS Visitor Information Portal. Advanced pre-purchase adult tickets are $20 ($25 on the day of the show), and children 12 and under can enter free. Organizers say the Japanese Classic Car Show will take place rain or shine. 

We’ll yield the floor to Yamaguchi-san for the final words on the 2027 show:

“For the past 20 years, JCCS has grown together with kyusha enthusiasts who share a deep appreciation not only for Japanese classic cars, but for Japanese culture itself. Japan’s automotive manufacturers have become some of the nation’s most respected ambassadors around the world, and through JCCS we have witnessed an extraordinary level of pride, respect, and admiration for Japanese automotive heritage.

What has been built here in America goes beyond a car show. It is a celebration of Japanese automotive history, the friendships and connections these vehicles create, and the legacy that is passed from one generation to the next. The kanji featured in this year’s poster reflects those values—respect, heritage, family, and the enduring bonds that unite our community.”