In December 2025, I made my way back to Japan for the Yokohama Hot Rod Custom Show. Beyond the full-size builds and headline cars, one of my favorite traditions is a smaller, often overlooked display: custom diecast cars.
Every year, Mooneyes dedicates space to these scaled creations, and every year they manage to surprise me. Chopped roofs, metalflake paint, pinstriping, even fully reworked interiors — the same creativity and craftsmanship you see on the show floor, just scaled down.
It’s a reminder that in this scene, attention to detail doesn’t stop with real cars. Sometimes, the smallest builds tell the biggest stories.
I could not waste the opportunity, so I brought a couple of collectibles with me for autographs. Here is a Hot Wheels 'special delivery' van signed by both Shige Suganuma and Chico Kodama, owners of Mooneyes.
And this is the Kustomcity drag bus dedicated to the 2008th edition of the same Yokohama show and a Hot Wheels Japan Convention Daysun 510 Wagon, both signed by Hiro "Wildman" Ishii - the first Japanese pinstriper.
After scouting the important people, I retrned back to check more of the diecasts customs.
Of course, the show is also a tremendous opportunity for finding rare collectibles.
