Finally, an event for Civic-minded folks.

It’s funny to look back at movies and TV from the ’80s and hear casual comments about how Japan was going to take over the world. It might seem laughable from a modern perspective, but that sentiment was really palpable at the time, and part of the reason was that Japan had, in a remarkably short time, grown to be on par with the US and Europe in automaking by then.

The fuel efficiency of Japanese cars during a time of high oil prices helped them overcome huge trade barriers, and by the late ’80s and throughout the ’90s, the vehicles were also being sought after worldwide for their rapidly improving style, high-performance, and reliability. This all laid the foundation for the JDM scene.

▼ Cars of that era were so big that Mazda could even get away with using IPA symbols in its ɛ̃fini brand.

JDM stands for “Japan domestic market,” but in many cases, the Japanese cars and parts people buy, modify, and show off were always intended for export from the start. Nevertheless, growing up in the ’80s and ’90s probably meant you knew at least one person with a tricked-out Japanese car.

Now, the Toyota Automobile Museum in Nagakute, Aichi Prefecture will be celebrating the JDM scene of the late 20th century with an exhibit titled “What’s JDM? The Global Craze of Japanese Cars in the ’80s and ’90s.” The exhibit will run from 3 October 2025 to 5 April 2026 and will highlight the many stars of the JDM scene during its main growth stage.

Even though this event is being held by Toyota, they’re inviting seven other Japanese automakers to make this a real tribute to Japanese cars of that era. The cars are split into three categories, the first of which is State-of-the-Art Technologies of the Time, showcasing the following groundbreaking cars of their era: the ’89 Daihatsu Charade, ’86 Toyota Sprinter Trueno, ’89 Nissan Skyline GT-R, ’91 ɛ̃fini RX-7, ’94 Subaru Impreza WRX Sti, 2000 Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution VI Tommi Mäkinen Edition, ’98 Honda Integra Type-R, and ’97 Honda Civic Type-R.

▼ The Trueno was certainly a pioneer in JDM, later to become the star of the manga series Initial D.

The next category is Unique Designs and features the quirky ’89 Nissan Pao Canvas Top and ’91 Nissan Figaro, which also looks strangely like it belongs in a cartoon.

▼ It helps to see someone standing beside a Figaro to see just how tiny it is.

The final category is Compact with High Performance and it’s where you’ll find small but surprisingly strong rides, such as the ’87 Daihatsu Mira TR-XX, ’90 Suzuki Cervo Mode, ’91 Honda Beat, ’93 Autozam AZ-1, and ’95 Suzuki Cappuccino.

The event runs for about half a year, but the cars on display will change somewhat with about 10 being showcased at any given time. This means you should check in advance if there’s a particular car you want to see there.

▼  ’89 Skyline GT-R

But even if you miss your dream car, the Toyota Automobile Museum has plenty else to offer. A classic car meet of ’80s and ’90s cars is scheduled for 29 November in the museum’s parking area, and there will also be a car-themed children’s book reading on 26 October.

In other words, any time is a good time to visit the Toyota Automobile Museum, but it’s worth checking out during this exhibit to remember a simpler time before the Fast & Furious crew went to outer space in a rocket car.

Source: Toyota Automobile Museum, @Press
Images: @Press
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