The “Monkey Meeting in Tama” is an event that brings together Honda Monkeys and their owners, along with other vehicles equipped with horizontal engines. It was originally held at the Honda-operated amusement park, “Tama Tuck,” but when the park closed, the venue was moved to the Tokyo Summerland parking lot. The 17th annual “Monkey Meeting in Tama” was held on April 27, 2025, marking its 17th anniversary.
As you may know, the Honda Monkey originated as a vehicle developed as a children’s toy at Tama Tech. It was an ultra-compact motorcycle using a Super Cub engine, and the Monkey Z100, released in 1961, was based on this and was made commercially available. It had a simple mechanism with rigid suspension on both the front and rear, but it was in high demand overseas as a children’s bike, and became a popular model, leading to the decision to make it commercially available in Japan as well.
After that, the Monkey continued to grow as a full-fledged motorcycle equipped with suspension both front and rear, and in the 1970s it was active in mini bike races. It then attracted attention as a base for custom machines, and became extremely popular as a custom and tuned machine called the 4MINI. With this Monkey situation as a backdrop, the “Monkey Meeting in Tama” was started to provide a place where customized Monkeys and their owners could gather. It goes without saying that the original venue was “Tama Tech” because it is also the birthplace of the Monkey.
The event, which will be held for the 17th time in 2025, has been organized by Nakajima Yoshio, who also organizes the Cafe Cub Party, with the cooperation of Honda Motorcycle Japan. Nakajima has always advocated for the establishment and continuation of “two-wheel culture,” and holds these meetings at his own expense. This all began when Nakajima was a junior high school student, when Tama Tech opened, and he took a train to the venue and was impressed by the Super Cub he rode for the first time. Since then, he has made it his life’s work to hold meetings for Honda horizontal-engine motorcycles, including the Super Cub.
The “Monkey Meeting in Tama” has also been held as part of this initiative. The venue is packed with Monkeys that have been customized beyond recognition, from standard vehicles, and have led the popularity of the 4MINI. Recently, it seems that the Super Cub series has become the center of popularity, but the Monkey is still going strong. This is because the event was a great success, with over 550 participants in its 17th year.
The event’s highlights include a new model test ride and welcome concert by Honda Motorcycle Japan, followed by a talk show called the “Bike Forum” starting at 1:00 PM. The Bike Forum is an annual event aimed at raising awareness of two-wheeled culture. This time, students from the Honda Technical College Kanto Campus were invited to speak about their ongoing participation in the Honda Eco Mileage Challenge. The Honda Eco Mileage Challenge, which will add a class using plant-derived, carbon-neutral fuel in 2024, is a competition in which participants compete to see who can travel the furthest distance on one liter of fuel. The event, which has been running for over 40 years, is mandated to use Honda’s fuel-efficient horizontal engine. It is also the only competition to carry the “Honda Soichiro Cup.”
While it’s unclear how long gasoline engines will continue to be used, carbon-neutral fuels are a material worth paying attention to as they represent the future, not just battery-powered EVs. This fuel will allow traditional internal combustion engines to continue, allowing machines produced to date to be passed on to the future. It has already become established as a fuel for motorcycle racing, and the key point will be how well it can be used in commercial vehicles in the future.
To participate in the Monkey Meeting, you must register in advance and pay a participation fee. However, participants will receive free drinks, lunch service, and even a commemorative T-shirt (pictured above, left). Even so, it’s only 3,000 yen for those 16 and over, and 2,000 yen for those 15 and under, so it’s a bargain considering you can enjoy the whole day. You can also participate on the day, but due to limited availability of lunch and other items, priority is given to those who register in advance.
The organizers’ booth at the venue also sells various Monkey and Honda-related goods. There are many items on display that Monkey fans will be tempted to buy on impulse, so be careful not to loosen your purse strings too much. While participants are encouraged to drive their own vehicle to the venue, participation by transporter is also permitted. In this case, a parking fee of 1,000 yen will be charged in addition to the participation fee.
Following the Bike Forum, the annual Rock-Paper-Scissors Tournament begins. Many participants join in the hopes of winning some fantastic prizes prepared by the sponsors and organizers. With prizes worth more than the entry fee, there’s no excuse not to participate.
Following the rock-paper-scissors tournament, a popularity contest will be held where participants can vote. Various prizes will be awarded, including not only the custom car but also the long-distance visitor award, the oldest award, and the youngest award. Of course, there will be prizes for each award.
Another reason for its popularity is that if you have a small Monkey, you can bring your own machine up on stage and receive an award. It’s a great way to reward the effort you put into customizing your machine.
Below we will post photos of the contest winners.
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Here we would like to introduce the machine of Kazufumi Ishiwata, seen on the right in the photo above. It is based on a 2012 Monkey 125 (JB03), and in fact, it has a history of being awarded at the 2024 Monkey Meeting. Since the last time, the engine had already been tuned up to 145cc using an SP Takegawa bore-up kit, but he has further customized it to make use of the tires that he received as a prize for the award.
Ishiwata’s Monkey 125 has been customized so much that you would never know it was a JB03. Along with the bore-up kit, he also chose an SP Takegawa muffler.
The engine has been bored up to 145cc and the red anodized bolts and covers make it stand out even more. The horn on top of the engine even has a cover with the word “saru” (monkey) and a picture of a monkey on it, adding to the fun factor.
To make the most of the tires he received as a prize, he even bought new OVER Racing wheels. It turned out to be an expensive purchase despite being a free tire, but Ishiwata-san was able to handle it with a smile, and we could sense his love for the Monkey.
Not only the wheels, but also the rear shock and swingarm have been replaced. The rear shock is made by Ohlins and the swingarm is made by OVER Racing. He has invested over 500,000 yen to make the most of the free tires!
The last person we will introduce is the owner of the Z100, who won the popularity vote. At 77 years old, he also won the oldest award. It was a day that once again impressed us with the power of the Monkey, which has fans across a wide age range, from teenagers to people in their 70s.
