Part of the Formula One display...
Part of the Formula One display at Mega Web was this machine, which had users press randomly lit buttons in an attempt to match F1 driver concentration levels.
Nissan Gallery
Tokyo's Ginza district is most often associated with high-end shopping, fashionable restaurants and luxury hotels, but for car guys, the Nissan Gallery is the stop. This multi-level building houses new Nissan cars, upcoming concepts, classic cars and a revolving assortment of displays. Nissan Motorsports (Nismo) is often displaying cars, merchandise (which is for sale as well) and team profiles, making it a one-stop wonderland for Nissan fans.
Mega Web
For Toyota fans, Mega Web is the must-see stop. Hop on the rail system and exit at Shimbashi, where you'll exit the station and hop onto the Yurikamome rail line. This train will take you over the famous Rainbow Bridge and into Odaiba. Exit at the Daiba stop and you'll be standing in front of the Pallete Town plaza. Pallete Town is a multi-level shopping plaza, housing a Caesar's Palace look-alike mall, as well as Mega Web and History Garage. Mega Web is Toyota's automotive showcase, where you can find design concepts, production cars and racing displays abound. Super GT, Formula One and Dakar rally machines can regularly be found on display, with movies and simulators at the ready. Plus, if you can provide an international driver's license, you can take any Toyota car out for a test drive on a specially designed test course.
All sorts of Toyota race machines,...
All sorts of Toyota race machines, like this Super GT Supra, can be found at Mega Web.
History Garage
Directly across on the ground floor of the Pallete Town plaza lies History Garage. Run in conjunction with Mega Web, History Garage is actually an enthusiast museum that caters to more than just Toyota. Sure, you can find pristine restored AE86s and 2000GTs, but the museum is much more than that. The walls ooze auto history, and any car buff would be wise to soak it up. On the lower level is the Grand Prix Garage, where WRC, Le Mans and Champ Cars live. Down there, an elaborate gift shop (with a massive selection of die-cast scale model cars) sits right next to the restoration area, where you can catch technicians performing repair work to a host of classic machinery. From within the History Garage's intricately designed displays and packed interiors, you'll feel like you just stepped into the automotive equivalent of the Playboy mansion, and that's not a bad thing at all.
Spoon Sports
Spoon Sports is a renowned Honda tuner that needs no introduction, and has not one, but two buildings within Tokyo, located in Ogikubo. The main four-story building houses much of Spoon's engine building, damper assembly, brake caliper rebuilding and component assembly, as well as their office. Type-One, Spoon's second shop, is just a short ride down the street and is where many customers cars are received and built into Spoon masterpieces. The Spoon Sports staff is quite friendly and receptive, and odds are that you will catch Ichishima-san himself at the facility, but the shop doesn't have a gift shop or receiving area. Don't expect to be able to stay in their face for too long.
We stumbled upon this battle-scarred...
We stumbled upon this battle-scarred WRC Celica at History Garage, which was once driven by TEIN president Yoshio Fujimoto.
BMW Square
Just around the corner from the Harajuku district of Tokyo, which itself is famous for eccentric clothing boutiques, lies Aoyama, the location of BMW Square. In a land where space is limited, and people even lucky enough to drive by with Vitz's, BMW Square stands strong as one of the few places to buy a luxury car. Inside BMW Square are an art exhibit, display case and a distinctly-Japanese version of a BMW dealership. The perfect place to see how Japanese M3 owners live the life.
Honda Collection Hall
As you can guess from its name, the Honda Collection Hall is the most extensive gathering of authentic H-badge machinery in the world, and is truly worth the trip out. The only problem? The museum is on the grounds of the Twin Ring Motegi racetrack in Tochigi, a few hours away from Tokyo. With the efficiency of the Japanese public transportation system, the trip from Tokyo isn't that bad at all, but you should still plan on heading out early and making it an all-day trip. The easiest way to get there is to hop the JR rail system to Utsunomiya station, and then grab a bus into Twin Ring Motegi. Our suggestion is to go on an Indy Car or Super GT race weekend, when there will be more to see at the track.
The hall is three stories tall, with each reserved, respectively, for concepts, production cars/bikes and racing cars/bikes. Hondas on display include Senna's McLaren-Honda F1 car, the NSX-R, JGTC Accords and Rothmans NSR500 sport bikes, to name a few. The machines on display are constantly rotated, and are actually repaired and tested outside in a special public viewing area.
Beyond car stuff, there is still an entire world to see in Tokyo. If you plan carefully and do your homework, a trip to Tokyo can turn out much cheaper, easier and enjoyable than you think. Every single stop we've listed is absolutely free, with no entrance fee, and careful spending can save major bucks. So, now that you're out of excuses, start your planning. Just remember, when you get to Japan, don't yell, don't stare, don't sneeze on people and be prepared to bow. A lot. You'll do fine.
 During our visit, the Nissan...  During our visit, the Nissan Gallery was showcasing this car of the future. Better Nismo displays do move in from time to time. |  Pachinko - a gambling game...  Pachinko - a gambling game that's practically a Japanese national pastime. |  Literally every Toyota sold...  Literally every Toyota sold in Japan is on display at Mega Web, making it one of the biggest Toyota-only auto shows. |
 Standing tall in the Ginza...  Standing tall in the Ginza district is the unmistakable Nissan Gallery. Come here if you are a Datsun, Prince or Nissan fan. |  Beautifully restored classics,...  Beautifully restored classics, such as this Celica 2000GT, are normal at History Garage. |  BMW Square is always an interesting...  BMW Square is always an interesting visit, as much showcase as it is dealership. |