The Rally Japan 2026 Commission has announced that it will hold the ‘Rally Japan Street Session 2026’ as a pre-event fan gathering ahead of the FIA World Rally Championship (WRC) FORUM8 Rally Japan 2026, which is scheduled to take place from Thursday 28 May to Sunday 31 May 2026. In addition to an exhibition of rally cars, the event will feature appearances by 10 drivers scheduled to compete in the top category, who will take part in interviews and autograph sessions.
| Date and time | Monday 25 May 2026, 18:00–19:00 |
| Location | Toyotashi Station Main Street (2-chome, Kita-cho, Toyotashi, Aichi Prefecture) |
| Programme | Rally car exhibition, trophy unveiling, interviews with drivers, autograph session |
Takamoto Katsuta (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team)
Elfyn Evans (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team)
Sébastien Ogier (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team)
Oliver Solberg (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team)
Sami Pajari (TOYOTA GAZOO Racing World Rally Team)
Thierry Neuville (HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WORLD RALLY TEAM)
Adrien Fourmaux (HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WORLD RALLY TEAM)
Hayden Paddon (HYUNDAI SHELL MOBIS WORLD RALLY TEAM)
Jon Armstrong (M-SPORT FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM)
Josh McErlean (M-SPORT FORD WORLD RALLY TEAM)
| 17:55 | MC takes the stage |
| 18:00 | Opening: Address by Chairman Ota |
| 18:04 | Drivers take the stage |
| 18:04–18:08 | All drivers line up, driver introductions, interview (2025 WRC Champion: Sébastien Ogier) |
| 18:08–18:15 | Trophy unveiling |
| 18:15–18:40 | Autograph session |
| 18:40–18:45 | All drivers line up, interview (Takamoto Katsuta) |
| 18:45–18:50 | Photo session |
| 18:50–19:00 | Drivers exit |
Due to this event, traffic restrictions will be in place in the vicinity of the venue from 15:00 to 20:00 on the day.
No advance registration is required. If the venue becomes crowded, access to the area may be restricted.
The schedule for the day, participating drivers and vehicles on display are subject to change.
To build excitement for the event, we will be decorating the street lamp flags around Meitetsu Toyotashi Station as part of our city-wide decoration scheme, and installing manhole covers featuring rally car designs for a limited period.
＜Installation of street lamp flags＞
・Display period: Monday 11 May 2026 – Sunday 31 May 2026
・Location: Street lamps along the street in front of Toyotashi Station (43 locations)
・Installation items: Flags featuring the event’s key visual and designs of the competitors (drivers and co-drivers) taking part in Rally Japan 2026
(11 types in total)
・Other: Installation of the street lamp flags will take place in front of Toyotashi Station from 10:00 on Monday 11 May.
＜Installation of decorative manhole covers＞
・Display period: Monday 11 May 2026 – Friday 12 June 2026
・Display items: Manhole covers featuring photographs of rally cars from Rally Japan 2025 and the 2026 World Rally Championship season (24 designs in total)
・Locations: ① Pavement from Toyotashi Station to the Kita-cho 5-chome junction: 22 designs
② 2nd floor of the West Wing of Toyota City Hall, in front of the Sewerage Works Department: 2 designs
