Last week, I brought you a quick look inside Car Shop Glow – a custom LED taillight maker and RX-7 specialist shop based near the centre of Tokyo, Japan.

To coincide with the visit, the CSG team arranged for a few customer-owned Mazdas to stop by. What better to cap off the day than with a convoy cruise through the city to check out some famous Parking Area (PA) spots.

Coordinating five FD3S RX-7s, one RX-8, and one Eunos Roadster (Miata/MX-5) to drive together in Tokyo during rush hour was no small feat, but it was worth it.

For those who don’t know, Japan has strict regulations on vehicle modifications, making it risky to take heavily modified cars onto the streets. You might get away with it if your car looks and sounds stock, but most of the Mazdas in our group did not.

I admire so much about the Japanese modified car community, but at the top of the list is their enthusiasm. Most of these guys and girls drive their cars hard, too.

We planned to visit a few different spots around Tokyo to mix things up, but most of the cars were too low or wide for some roads and entrances, so we kept the route simple – Umihotaru and then Daikoku.

The drive from Car Show Glow in Nerima-ku to Umihotaru PA was smooth. Crazily, we managed to stay in convoy. Trust me, it wasn’t easy until we finally got on the highway.

Japan is still new to me, but this wasn’t my first time driving on the Wangan or visiting these two PAs. Like everyone, I’ve seen countless pictures and videos online, but nothing compares to the real thing.

Driving through the tunnel under Tokyo Bay, surrounded by loud rotaries, was insane. My eardrums were ringing, but who would want it any other way?!

Umihotaru PA has easy parking and is convenient for regrouping should our rotary convoy have become separated.

The last time I was in January after TAS when it was the middle of winter and cold. This time, in the middle of summer, we were dealing with 35°C (95°F) heat. It was a test not just for the cars to avoid overheating but also for the drivers and passengers. Luckily, the car I was in had working AC, and I was relieved to see the others did, too.

After a group photo with the cars, we headed to our final stop for the night: Daikoku PA. And yes, we made a scene!

I was amazed we almost got all seven CSG cars parked together in a line, especially considering how crowded the PA was. I’m not entirely sure how the guys did it, but it just shows how friendly and understanding other enthusiasts are here; they genuinely appreciate and support what you’re doing.

Daikoku capped off a great afternoon at Car Shop Glow. Our friend Jack captured some 4K video of our cruise, so check that out by hitting play above.

Thank you, CSG, and thank you, Japan – I’ll see you again very soon!

Jacky Tse
Instagram: jtune_nz

Photography by Ash Bechan
Instagram: pixeltoon_media

Additional Photography & Video by Jack Prebble
Instagram: jackprebblemedia

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