16 Honda Clarity cars came together at a bizarre owners meet in Japan.

[Sho]

Hello everyone, I’m Sho, a Honda Clarity owner from Japan.

The other day, a truly bizarre “Honda Clarity owners meet” was held at a Honda specialty shop in Tochigi Prefecture, Japan (the home of Honda’s R&D center), and I’d like to share what it was like.

The event was organized by Mr. Shimizu, who served as the development leader of the Clarity series and has appeared in many media features. We were able to hear a lot of behind-the-scenes stories from the development process.
He also mentioned that it was his first time seeing so many Claritys gathered in one place, which really surprised him.He said there were more cars than they had prepared for the media test drive, lol

It’s said that around 20,000–30,000 Clarity PHEVs were sold in the United States, but in Japan, only about 450 units were sold. So having as many as 16 cars gathered this time was nothing short of a miracle. All of the colors officially sold in Japan were present. (As a fun fact, green was never offered in the Japanese market.)

 

[insightman]

Thank you for the great photos. Wish I could have brought my Clarity Touring to the meet!

I was excited in 2016 when Honda announced they would be selling the Clarity Plug-In Hybrid in all 50 of the United States. I placed my order the next day, but my Clarity didn't arrive for a full year after that.

Here's my Clarity PHEV--the first one in the state of Michigan--coming off the delivery truck in early November, 2017. Its Moonlit Forest Pearl paint is such a dark shade of green that it looks black in any light other than direct sunlight.

Was that color available in Japan? The sun was out when you took your photos, so I think I would have spotted any Moonlit Forest Pearl Claritys if one or more had been at your wonderful Honda Clarity Owners Meet.

As a favor, I allowed the dealership to display my Clarity in their showroom for a week before I took delivery. I was disappointed that no one who saw mine ordered one for themselves. However, many asked if they could get a Civic or Accord in Moonlit Forest Pearl (which they couldn't, because Honda offered it only for the Clarity).

 

[Sho]

Was that color available in Japan?

The Honda Clarity was never sold in Japan in the color Moonlit Forest Pearl.

Despite being a newly developed color specifically for the Clarity, Mr. Shimizu said that the sales team in Japan decided it wasn’t necessary. He also mentioned that he was very disappointed by that decision.

Interestingly, the same color—Moonlit Forest Pearl (BG66P)—was later used in Japan under the name “Forest Green Pearl” on Japan-market minivans such as the Stepwgn and the Freed.

 

[insightman]

That's sad Moonlit Forest Pearl was denied for Japanese customers!

Is it true that Clarity PHEVs for the Japanese market have a second port on the opposite fender for DC charging?

 

[Sho]

Is it true that Clarity PHEVs for the Japanese market have a second port on the opposite fender for DC charging?

Yes, there is a fast-charging port on the right rear fender. It uses the CHAdeMO standard, which is common in Japan and some other countries.
It also supports V2H and V2L.

 

[insightman]

Yes, there is a fast-charging port on the right rear fender. It uses the CHAdeMO standard, which is common in Japan and some other countries.
It also supports V2H and V2L.

I laughed when I saw your Clarity that has never traveled a California highway was authorized to use California's High-Occupancy Vehicle (HOV) lanes without having to carry passengers (at least until October of last year, when California ended the program).

I wondered about the Clarity PHEV and V2H. Years ago I found this photo of a Clarity Fuel Cell car hooked up to Honda's expensive Power Exporter 9000 and I wondered if it worked with the Japanese-market PHEV, too. Have you ever seen one of these devices?

I was surprised at the small number of Clarity PHEVs you told us were sold in Japan. Did Honda lease any of the Clarity Fuel Cell or Clarity Electric cars in Japan? Are there any hydrogen-powered cars in Japan, such as the Toyota Mirai?

Thanks again for giving us a glimpse of Claritys in Japan. Before the Honda Prelude was recently revived, I believe the Clarity PHEV was the last Japanese-built Honda sold in the US.

 

[Sho]

Haha, you caught me.
The previous owner was a big fan of North American specs, so it was set up like a California-spec car.
(I’ve since removed the decals.)

As for the Power Exporter, I’ve only ever seen them collecting dust at dealerships.
It should work with the Clarity PHEV as well.

The Clarity FCEV was offered on a lease basis in Japan, just like in North America.
Most of them were leased to government agencies. The EV version was never leased or sold in Japan.

Currently, FCEVs in Japan are mainly trucks and buses, though the numbers are still very small.
As for passenger cars, you’ll mostly see the Mirai, but even that is quite rare.