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"The Big Three-Oh!"
We Travel Halfway Across the Globe to Experience Mooneyes’ 30th Anniversary Hot Rod Custom Show in Yokohama, Japan!
BY Rob FortierPhotography BY Tim Sutton
W

ay back in 1999, a conversation between myself, Anthony Castaneda, and Mooneyes owner Shige Suganuma outside Castaneda’s recently acquired Doll Hut bar in Anaheim, California, ultimately led to my first of many trips to the land of the rising sun—Yokohama, Japan—to be an honored part of Mooneyes’ amazing Hot Rod Custom Show (HRCS).

Slammed red K5 Blazer and slammed 2nd gen sand C10
Over the last three decades, I’ve watched—and, for many of those years, witnessed firsthand—the HRCS grow into the world-renowned entity it has become. Due to the COVID-19 restrictions, which put a huge hamper on international travel, Suganuma held off on officially celebrating the show’s 30th anniversary until 2022 so that everyone, including myself, could have the opportunity to attend and be part of what would turn out to be a landmark event.

Originally, the HRCS was limited to vehicular entries of the four-wheeled nature. However, over the past 10 to 15 years, the show has opened its doors of the Yokohama Pacifico to motorcycles, which can be attributed to the overall growth, both in vehicle exhibitors and spectators. Even with a masked recommendation for all, I believe Suganuma definitely broke some records in 2022!

Suffice it to say, it was truly an honor to take part in Mooneyes’ 30th HRCS this past December. I’d like to officially thank everyone from Moon USA/Japan for continuing this amazing tradition and allowing us “foreigners” to celebrate accordingly!

Bagged light brown Chevy Carryall
Bagged light brown Chevy Carryall
Full frame and chassis with 409 motor
Metallic orange Chevy Apache
Highly modified truck with gullwing doors and retracting metal roof
Metallic blue stepside C-10
Man on iPad laying down next to truck
Matte red Ford F-1
Metallic orange Chevy Apache with custom matching Honda Monkey
Bagged light beige C10
Bagged light beige C10
Satin maroon Chevy Apache 3100
Satin maroon Chevy Apache 3100
Metallic mint Chevy panel van
Metal flake dark green C10
Metal flake dark green C10