The Concorso d’Eleganza Japan is due to return in mid-March 2025, with a seven-day tour around the country to follow.
Taking place on March 15-16, the Concorso d’Eleganza Japan will take place in the grounds of the Yakushiji Temple – the main temple of Hosso Buddhism – in the ancient capital of Nara, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The event kicks off on Friday March 14, 2025 with an official welcome dinner party, while Saturday see judging throughout the morning and an official gala dinner party.
On Sunday there will be a traditional morning celebration starting just before sunrise – the Magic Hour, with attendees donning traditional Japanese clothing. To round off the concours, there’ll be another special dinner in the evening.
Previous Best of Show winners include Corrado Lopresto’s 1942 Alfa Romeo 6C 2500 SS Bertone in 2016, and Nicola Livon’s 1951 Alfa Romeo 2500 SS Villa d’Este in 2018. Previous special celebrations have incorporated tributes to Carrozzeria Touring Superleggera, Zagato’s 100th anniversary and Lamborghini Polo Storico. In 2019, Best of Show went to a Zagato-bodied Lamborghini 350 GT; this was the last time the event was run prior to the 2025 revival.
This year the concours will be followed by a seven-day Tour d’Eleganza, taking place between March 17-23. Days one and two incorporate a short, 85km trip from Nara to Kyoto, with time to explore both cities, before day three sees participants leave Kyoto on the morning of March 19 for Kisofukushima at the foot of the Japanese Alps near Nagano. There participants will stay at a traditional onsen ryokan with a 355-year history. Day four sees the tour head to a winery hotel in Kawaguchiko, with a chance to take in the majesty of Mount Fuji. There will be a driving course around Mount Fuji on the fifth day, before those taking part head for three nights in Tokyo.
More details can be found here.
