By now, you probably already know that Japan is car obsessed — perhaps more so than anywhere else in the world. But while everyone is well aware of Japan’s ability to build great vehicles and its penchant for modifying those vehicles in every way imaginable — for better and for worse — it’s less well known that the entire country is heaving with car enthusiasts of every persuasion.

Despite the fairly recent tumultuous relationship between Japan and the US, people in Japan also have an intense fascination with all things American. It’s no real surprise, then, that these two interests often combine, and you see events such as the annual Speed and Custom Show — a concentrated representation of Japan’s huge kustom and low-rider scene, held at Nagoya Port.

We’ve got a full event report in the August issue of NZV8, available in store from July 1, but if photos are more your thing, you can enjoy the bonus image gallery that we couldn’t fit in the magazine.