SoraNews24’s Mr. Sato heads to Japan’s largest tuner car show, but it’s his friend who’s really enjoying himself.
In Japan, most offices shut down for at least the first three days of January, which this year meant a lot of people went back to work for one day on Friday the 4th, then had another weekend off. So by the time Friday the 11th rolled around, our reporter Mr. Sato was feeling his energy levels dipping dangerously low as he tried to power through his first full week of work in 2019.
But when he saw his assignment for the day, he perked up, because we were sending him out to the Makuhari Messe convention center to cover the Tokyo Auto Salon.
Now while Mr. Sato is the only member of the SoraNews24 staff to ever be the star of his very own itasha art car, as well as our only writer to have ever ridden shotgun in a high-powered motorsports machine in a bizarre yet still effective way to create butter, he’s not really all that much of a car enthusiast. However, the Tokyo Auto Salon isn’t just about cars…
…it’s also about food court curry!
Oh, and also beautiful booth models.
Mr. Sato is a veteran attendee of the Tokyo Auto Salon, but this year he was accompanied by his friend Butch, a.k.a. Big Wave (because when you’re larger-than-life to the extent that Butch is, one nickname isn’t enough).
Since Mr. Sato has already had the pleasure of posing with the Auto Salon’s hospitable models, this year he decided to let Butch be the one in front of the camera, and his pal enthusiastically threw himself into the project, with a smile as bright as his rooster-red mohawk tips.
That’s not to say Butch Big Wave and the Sato Kid didn’t spend any time checking out the actual products being promoted by the various exhibitors. For example, Butch, being a big, beefy guy, likes big, beefy trucks with big, beefy tires.
As a matter of fact, in a number of his photos you could argue it’s primarily the tires he’s posing with, and the models just happen to be in the shots.
By the way, if you’re wondering what the difference is between the Tokyo Auto Salon and the Tokyo Auto Show, the Auto Show is primarily for can manufacturers to display their for-sale vehicles and concept cars, while the Auto Salon is for aftermarket tuning part companies. So just like the cars at the Auto Salon tend to have flashier wings and body kits, so too do the spokesmodels have more dynamic and daring outfits.
That’s not to say the carmakers themselves don’t have booths at the Auto Salon, though. For example, here we see Butch with a model for Nissan, keeping a brave face during the continuing drama surrounding the arrest of CEO Carlos Ghosn.
At this point, our two correspondents found their stomachs rumbling as loudly as a large-displacement V8, so it was over to the food court for some of that aforementioned curry…
…and then right back to the show floor.
At one point Butch even got to try his hand at a little spokesmodeling himself, beckoningly holding up a pamphlet for Clarion’s navigation system for Subaru.
▼ In Japan, the Fast and the Furious franchise is known as Wild Speed, and this booth was promoting the upcoming spin-off Wild Speed Hobbs & Shaw.
Then it was time for just a few more tire/tuck pics…
…and a bit of cosplay…
…before Mr. Sato and Butch bed the Tokyo Auto Salon farewell and headed home, feeling like champions all the way and hoping that Mr. Sato’s model friends invite him to dinner again this year.
Photos ©SoraNews24
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