Rays Fan Meeting is an entire car show where the only common theme is the wheels

Imagine an entire car show where the only connection between all the cars is the wheels. That’s the idea behind the Rays Fan Meeting, a gathering of over 800 cars from Honda Beats to Land Cruisers. The only rule is that the cars must be equipped with Rays wheels.

The 2026 Rays Fan Meeting held on April 19 was the fifth such gathering, an annual event since 2022. Participation was in such demand that Rays had to cut off registration. Even so, more than 800 cars showed up at Fuji Speedway to participate. Of particular note this year was Rays celebrating the 30th anniversary of the iconic TE37.

Rays makes wheels that fit almost every type of car and they’ve been around since 1973, so it’s no wonder the show had old school Fairlady Zs and Supras alongside Delicas and Jimnys. Their designs are also incredibly versatile, so they look completely different depending on whether they’re on a GT-R or a minivan. And, their wheels are the weapons of choice for several rally, SuperGT, drift, and LMP-1 teams.

The event featured consultants who can recommend wheels and fitment, a raffle in which the grand prize was a set of wheels, and a driving experience program that let you ride shotgun with a pro driver in a Mazda Roadster, Toyota GR86, Honda Civic Type R or Nissan Fairlady Z to demonstrate how different wheels work with different cars. On the flip side, it was an opportunity for Rays to get feedback from its fans and customers.

Rays also announced two new brand ambassadors: F1 mechanic Katsuhiro Shirahata and 15-year-old racing phenom Sara Matsui, who has been selected for the Williams Racing Academy. Rays supplied the Williams F1 team from 2007-14, and currently supplies the Toyo Tires drift team, whose members also addressed the crowd.

For comparison, a typical Tokyo Auto Salon usually has 850 or so cars. The diversity of cars at the Rays Fan Meeting was just as impressive. A gathering that’s almost twice the size of JCCS based on wheel brand alone shows just how deep the trust and adoration for Rays runs in Japan.