Grab a cup of coffee and join the street racing and import tuner scene reunion that’s part of JANM’s exhibition, Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community. Co-organized by Darin Dohi, a former street racer with Gardena’s KMA, this event will showcase a selection of a dozen cars that reflect the merging of two scenes that many Japanese Americans and Asian Americans participated in from the 1970s through the 2000s.

Please note that cars must be invited to join the main event. All are welcome to attend and mingle without their cars.

Cruising J-Town: Behind the Wheel of the Nikkei Community tells the stories of influential figures and everyday car lovers alike who have played vital roles in countless car scenes—from hot rods and lowriders to the import craze and drift racing.

See the five classic cars that anchor the exhibition: George Nakamura’s 1940s “Meteor” hot rod; Brian Omatsu’s custom 1951 Mercury coupe known as the “Purple Reign”; a 1956 Ford F150 pickup truck owned by Kirk Shimazu; Tod Kaneko’s 1973 Datsun 510, one of the models that launched the import car craze; and a hot pink 1989 Nissan 240SX from professional drift racing driver Nadine Sachiko Hsu’s days with the Drifting Pretty team.

Revisit historic Los Angeles locations such as the original Ascot Speedway in South Los Angeles; F&K Garage in Little Tokyo; sites of the Mojave dry lake racing scene; Lion’s Drag Strip; the Irwindale Speedway; and classic service stations through photos and memorabilia; and discover the central role that cars and trucks played in the working lives of Japanese Americans.

Come for the cars, stay for the stories, and take Cruising J-Town home with you when you purchase the companion book. Filled with insightful essays, vintage and contemporary photographs, drawings, and more, it’s available for purchase online at the JANM Store.

Photo Courtesy of Jonthan Wong/Motortrend