Is this Japan's weirdest car meet?

For over a decade, Japan has been hosting the world's largest gathering of Renault Kangoos. Yes, really.

And while the inaugural event attracted just a few hundred fans, in this 14th year of the Kangoo Jamboree, there were nearly 2,000 models on show and more than 5,000 visitors.

One of those was Top Gear magazine’s Tom Ford, who joined the thousands at the foot of Mount Fuji to discover why these Japanese owners and enthusiasts are so passionate about a small French van with sliding side doors.

Over to Tom, in a very sodden field…