Classic Japanese cars shot up in ‘Hunt’ movie’s recreation of 1980s Tokyo

One of the central action setpieces in the 2022 movie Hunt is a bloody shootout on the streets of 1980s Tokyo. It features several vintage Japanese cars that become machine gun fodder, but the scene wasn’t filmed in Tokyo at all. Hunt is South Korean movie starring Lee JungJae, the lead actor in Squid Game, and all the cars were imported to South Korea from Japan. [Warning: the clip is extremely violent, so don’t watch it if you wish to avoid seeing such things.] 

Hunt tells the story of Agent Park of the ANSP, South Korea’s version of the CIA, and his attempts at foiling an invasion plot by North Korea. However, there’s a North Korean mole within the agency that seems to be one step ahead of his every move. Many twists and turns with unusual alliances and betrayals ensue.

In the shootout scene, rival parties are trying to help/stop a North Korean nuclear physicist’s defection to the South while attending a meeting in Tokyo. Originally the scene was supposed to be shot in Japan, but the COVID-19 pandemic prevented on-location filming. Instead, producers imported around 20 Japanese cars to Busan, South Korea in order to recreate the feel of early 1980s Japan. The set designers also made Japanese road signs, fire hydrants, and storefronts.

Cars include a Nissan Caravan, Toyota Crown taxi, and multiple generations of Nissan/Prince Glorias, some dating back to the 1960s, all of which get destroyed. The scene is gruesome and intense, reminiscent of the bank heist gone wrong in Heat, crossed with the vibe of Seibu Keisatsu. Other background cars include a Toyota Publica and a rare Kujira Crown Wagon. While it’s nice to see these cars captured on screen, many of the late 1960s cars would have already been uncommon sights in 1980s Tokyo and more appropriate for a movie set in the 1970s. Hopefully the rarer ones weren’t ruined for the movie and found good homes in South Korea after filming.