Guide - Drift
Japanese sports cars: the icons, the museums and the events to visit
Nine cars that shaped Japan's sports car culture, four manufacturer museums with hours and booking rules, and three car events through January 2027.
Japan’s sports car culture is easy to see in person: four manufacturer museums, three car events through January 2027, and the nine cars behind both. Mazda’s museum is free, Nissan’s needs an appointment and Tokyo Auto Salon costs $19 to $26 a day. This guide sits under the Drift hub, which covers the street and circuit side.
Which cars shaped Japanese sports car culture?
Nine models define the culture, listed in order of launch. The facts are the makers’ own. Rows marked per search summary rest on a maker page seen in search results and not read in full.
| Car | Launch | What the maker says |
|---|---|---|
| Fairlady Z | Late 1969 | The S30 series ran 1969 to 1978. Nissan counts more than 520,000 sold worldwide. It won the 1971 East African Safari Rally. |
| AE86 | May 1983 | Corolla Levin and Sprinter Trueno coupes, built 1983 to 1987. 1.6 L DOHC 16-valve engine, 130 PS, front engine, rear-wheel drive. Toyota says its reputation grew after a popular 1990s manga, which it does not name. |
| Silvia S13 | May 1988 | Nissan dates the generation 1988 to 1993. It won a Good Design Award and Car of the Year Japan. All engines became the 2.0 L SR20 in 1991. |
| Skyline GT-R | 1989 | The R32. The GT-R name returned after 16 years. 2.6 L twin-turbo RB26DETT, 280 PS, all-wheel drive. It won all 29 Group A races it entered in Japan from 1990 to 1993. Per search summary. |
| NSX | 1990 | Mid-engine, 3.0 L V6 with VTEC, 280 PS in Japan. Acura calls it the first production car with an all-aluminium body. |
| RX-7 | 1991 | The third generation (FD), sold in Japan as the Anfini RX-7. Two-rotor 13B with sequential twin turbos, 255 PS. Production ended in 2002. Per search summary. |
| Supra | 1993 | The A80, built to 2002. 3.0 L inline-six 2JZ-GTE, six-speed manual on the RZ grade. It raced at Le Mans and in SUPER GT GT500. |
| Chaser | Sep 1996 | The sixth generation JZX100, built to Jun 2001. A four-door hardtop that Toyota calls a dynamic sports sedan. The Tourer V has a 2,491 cc 1JZ-GTE single turbo, 280 PS, rear-wheel drive. |
| Silvia S15 | Jan 1999 | The Spec-R has a 2.0 L SR20DET turbo, 250 PS, a new six-speed manual and weighs 1,240 kg. Nissan's page gives no production end year. |
Toyota began reproducing discontinued AE86 parts in November 2021 through its GR Heritage Parts programme, among them brake calipers, knuckle arms and driveshafts.
No maker page gives a drift or street role for the S13, S15, RX-7, Skyline GT-R or Chaser, so this guide states none.
Where do Initial D, Gran Turismo and Tokyo Drift fit?
Three works carried the cars into pop culture. Initial D, by Shuichi Shigeno, was serialised by Kodansha from 1995 to 2013 and collected in 48 volumes, and its sequel MF Ghost is ongoing, per Kodansha USA. Gran Turismo first went on sale in December 1997: Polyphony Digital gives 23 December for Japan and the PlayStation US store gives 22 December, so regional dates differ. Polyphony says the series passed 100 million units by mid-2025. The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift opened in the US on 16 June 2006, directed by Justin Lin, rated PG-13 and 105 minutes long, per the American Film Institute Catalog. The publisher pages do not confirm Initial D’s magazine or start month, and no official source gives the filming locations of Tokyo Drift.
Which car museums can you visit?
Four manufacturers run visitor museums: the Toyota Automobile Museum, the Mazda Museum, the Nissan Heritage Collection and the Honda Collection Hall at Mobility Resort Motegi. Mazda’s is free but guided and booked online. Nissan’s needs an appointment. Toyota’s sells tickets online. Honda’s details conflict, so treat that row as unconfirmed.
| Museum | Hours | Closed | Price | Booking |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Toyota (Nagakute) | 9:30 to 17:00, last entry 16:30 | Mondays (Tuesday if Monday is a holiday); year-end and New Year, dates not on the home page | Last known $8 (¥1,200); current figure unclear | Online ticket available; not stated as required |
| Mazda (Hiroshima) | Not on the official page; guided tour only | Saturday and Sunday in principle; open Sat 7 Nov and 5 Dec 2026, 9 Jan and 20 Mar 2027 | Free | Required, online only; change or cancel 2 days ahead |
| Nissan (Zama) | Set by the reservation calendar | No fixed dates; year-end, New Year and Golden Week may vary | Not stated on the official page | Required, appointment only, no walk-ins |
| Honda (Motegi) | Sources differ: 10:00 to 16:30 or 17:00 by season | Conflict: a secondary report says Tuesday and Wednesday from December to February, a Honda release says daily | Unconfirmed: a secondary report says the hall is free and the resort gate costs $12 (¥1,900) | Not stated |
Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.
The Honda row rests on one press release and secondary reports.
Nissan’s guide is in Japanese. An English audio guide runs on your smartphone through a QR code, so bring earphones. Reach Zama from Minami-Rinkan (Odakyu Enoshima line) by Kanagawa Chuo bus to Hibarigaoka 1-chome and a 7 minute walk, or from Sagamino (Sotetsu line) by bus.
Before you book Nissan’s calendar opens at noon on the 5th of the previous month. Each person can hold one booking for up to five people, travel agencies cannot book, and under-16s come with an adult. Mazda takes bookings online only, with no phone or email option.
Before you go Plan around winter closures. Mazda is shut from 26 Dec 2026 to noon on 5 Jan 2027 and again from 8 to 26 Feb 2027, and Toyota’s museum closes over the year-end.
Which events can you attend?
Tokyo Auto Salon 2027 is the only one of the three with confirmed ticket prices.
| Event | Date | Venue | Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| Classic Car Festival | Sun 15 Nov 2026, 9:00 to 16:00 | Toyota Automobile Museum, Nagakute, Aichi (36th edition) | Not stated on the museum's home page |
| NISMO Festival | Sun 6 Dec 2026, 8:00 to 16:00 | Fuji Speedway, Shizuoka (26th edition) | Not announced; the organiser said autumn 2026 |
| Tokyo Auto Salon | Fri 15 to Sun 17 Jan 2027 | Makuhari Messe, Chiba | Fri $26 (¥4,000), Sat $19 (¥3,000), Sun $19 (¥3,000) |
At Tokyo Auto Salon, Friday is a business day, so public entry runs from 14:00 to 19:00. Saturday runs 9:00 to 19:00 and Sunday 9:00 to 18:00. Tickets are digital only and card payment only, with no refund unless the event is cancelled. Children below elementary school age enter free with a guardian.
Toyota’s museum also schedules demonstration runs on 12 Dec 2026 and 9 Jan 2027, at 11:00 to 11:30 and 14:00 to 14:30, and a special exhibition called Japan’s Motorization Journey from 11 Sep 2026 to 28 Feb 2027. Prices for both are not stated.
No 2027 date is confirmed for Nostalgic 2days or for a public Japan Mobility Show.
Can I…?
- Can you ride a drift taxi in Japan without a licence?
- Which IDP do you need for a drift lesson in Japan?
Where next?
- The Drift hub: history, rides and winter options.
- Daikoku PA car meet: whether tourists can go.
- Destinations: Japan region by region.
Quick answers
Which car museum in Japan is free to enter?
The Mazda Museum in Hiroshima is free, per Mazda's official page. Entry is by guided tour booked online only, and the museum is closed on Saturdays and Sundays in principle.
Can I visit the Nissan Heritage Collection without a booking?
No. Nissan's tour page says the Zama garage is by appointment only, with no walk-ins. The reservation calendar opens at noon on the 5th of the previous month, and each person can hold one booking for up to five people.
How much is Tokyo Auto Salon 2027?
Friday 15 January is $26 (¥4,000) from 14:00. Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 January are $19 (¥3,000) each. Tickets are digital and card only, with no refund unless the event is cancelled.
What does the Toyota Automobile Museum cost?
The last known adult price is $8 (¥1,200). The current figure is unclear right now because the museum's fees page did not load.