1 00:00:01,720 --> 00:00:09,760 Speaker 1: Causer Media. You're listening to the Away Days podcast on 2 00:00:09,800 --> 00:00:15,120 Speaker 1: the ground outside reporting from the underbelly with me Jake Hanrahan. 3 00:00:17,239 --> 00:00:21,440 Speaker 1: To watch Awaydays documentaries, go to YouTube dot com slash 4 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:28,480 Speaker 1: at Away Days TV. This is part three Speed Tribe 5 00:00:28,520 --> 00:00:34,800 Speaker 1: twenty five, Episode one. This podcast is a production of 6 00:00:35,040 --> 00:00:47,319 Speaker 1: H eleven Studio and Call Zone Media, Osaka, Japan. I'm 7 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,880 Speaker 1: sat in a car that's doing over one hundred miles 8 00:00:49,880 --> 00:00:53,280 Speaker 1: per hour on a stretch of road known locally as 9 00:00:53,440 --> 00:00:58,920 Speaker 1: the Kanjo Loop. The guide driving is sending a text 10 00:00:59,000 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: at the same time. I'm terrified. I gripped the chair 11 00:01:02,880 --> 00:01:05,360 Speaker 1: and the seatbelt, then the back of my own head 12 00:01:05,560 --> 00:01:10,120 Speaker 1: as we zoom around the corner at top speed. The 13 00:01:10,200 --> 00:01:13,679 Speaker 1: car is a souped up nineties era Honda Civic, the 14 00:01:13,840 --> 00:01:17,720 Speaker 1: only car the Kanjo races driving a sack up. Both 15 00:01:17,760 --> 00:01:19,440 Speaker 1: the back seats have been torn out to keep the 16 00:01:19,480 --> 00:01:22,759 Speaker 1: car as light as possible. This Civic is for racing 17 00:01:22,800 --> 00:01:26,760 Speaker 1: on Japan's highways and back ropes. As we speed down 18 00:01:26,760 --> 00:01:29,720 Speaker 1: the elevated road of the Kanjo Loop, the street lights 19 00:01:29,760 --> 00:01:33,280 Speaker 1: stream past the windows like flares in the night. The 20 00:01:33,360 --> 00:01:35,640 Speaker 1: driver shifts the heavy gearstick as if it's part of 21 00:01:35,680 --> 00:01:39,440 Speaker 1: his extended anatomy. He grips the wheel with his gloved hands. 22 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:44,080 Speaker 1: The car roars, tires screech, one wrong move and that's 23 00:01:44,240 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: us card punched, dead, mangled, wreck of smoking steel and 24 00:01:48,920 --> 00:01:52,680 Speaker 1: burned flesh. But the driver does have control and we 25 00:01:52,760 --> 00:01:57,840 Speaker 1: are most definitely alive. Scary, but I can't lie. It's 26 00:01:57,920 --> 00:02:02,680 Speaker 1: also exhilarating. We're driving so fast the car shakes every 27 00:02:02,720 --> 00:02:05,320 Speaker 1: time the driver weaves in and out of the traffic. 28 00:02:06,080 --> 00:02:08,919 Speaker 1: This is not a racetrack dot not in the legal sense. 29 00:02:09,919 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 1: This is real Japanese street racing. This is kanjo, zoku 30 00:02:15,080 --> 00:02:20,840 Speaker 1: or kanjo for sure. Kanjo is not about car park 31 00:02:20,919 --> 00:02:25,120 Speaker 1: meetups with shiny alloys and a harmon card and sound system. 32 00:02:25,240 --> 00:02:27,959 Speaker 1: This is not a car club you'll find on Facebook. 33 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 1: Kanjo is chaos. It's driving Balaklava's hinge number plates and 34 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,639 Speaker 1: civics hit in ninety at three a m. It's street 35 00:02:36,680 --> 00:02:42,280 Speaker 1: racing in its most defiant form. This racing culture centers 36 00:02:42,360 --> 00:02:46,280 Speaker 1: around the Hanshin Expressway loop here in Osaka. It's kind 37 00:02:46,320 --> 00:02:50,239 Speaker 1: of a ring road, a circular elevated highway that cuts 38 00:02:50,240 --> 00:02:54,160 Speaker 1: through the city like a racetrack, built by accident from 39 00:02:54,240 --> 00:02:57,080 Speaker 1: ground level. Its snakes throughout the city like a huge 40 00:02:57,200 --> 00:03:02,440 Speaker 1: concrete dragon. It's a pretty incredible thing of architecture. Now, 41 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:04,720 Speaker 1: at night, when the traffic thins out and the city 42 00:03:04,840 --> 00:03:10,080 Speaker 1: is mostly asleep, the Hanshin Expressway transforms into the Kanjo Loop. 43 00:03:12,040 --> 00:03:15,000 Speaker 1: This highway becomes the battleground for civic cruise to race 44 00:03:15,120 --> 00:03:26,080 Speaker 1: and taunt the police. Kanjo Zoku started in the late 45 00:03:26,200 --> 00:03:31,520 Speaker 1: eighties and early nineties. Back then, Japan's economy was absolutely booming. 46 00:03:33,520 --> 00:03:35,920 Speaker 1: After getting smashed a bit by the nukes in World 47 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,920 Speaker 1: War Two, Japan rebuilt itself. First. Of course, they had 48 00:03:39,960 --> 00:03:42,440 Speaker 1: the help of the US, which began pouring money into 49 00:03:42,520 --> 00:03:46,800 Speaker 1: the country's new leadership during the Korean War. But the 50 00:03:46,880 --> 00:03:50,360 Speaker 1: Japanese have a very hard work ethic, and so they 51 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,240 Speaker 1: hit the ground running, saved a lot, and focused on 52 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:58,920 Speaker 1: tech and manufacturing cars electronics in heavy industry. But the 53 00:03:59,000 --> 00:04:03,400 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies, companies like Sony, Toyota, and Panasonic were becoming 54 00:04:03,440 --> 00:04:07,480 Speaker 1: household names all around the world. But the real explosion 55 00:04:07,560 --> 00:04:11,280 Speaker 1: came in the eighties. Thanks to loose policy and even 56 00:04:11,320 --> 00:04:15,520 Speaker 1: looser rules around money, credit and a culture of corporate loyalty, 57 00:04:16,000 --> 00:04:21,520 Speaker 1: the Japanese economy went into overdrive. Banks were lending like crazy. 58 00:04:22,000 --> 00:04:24,920 Speaker 1: Everyone was investing in the stock market or pouring money 59 00:04:24,960 --> 00:04:30,640 Speaker 1: into property. It created a giant asset bubble. At the peak, 60 00:04:30,800 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: the Japanese stock index hit nearly thirty nine thousand, nineteen 61 00:04:35,440 --> 00:04:40,120 Speaker 1: eighty nine. It wasn't just financial though. The whole vibe 62 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:45,080 Speaker 1: of the era was go fast, spend lots, accumulate, accumulate, accumulate. 63 00:04:46,400 --> 00:04:49,000 Speaker 1: To give you an idea of the abundance of the time, 64 00:04:49,520 --> 00:04:53,599 Speaker 1: Japan began buying up iconic American assets such as Columbia 65 00:04:53,640 --> 00:04:59,560 Speaker 1: pictures in the Rockefeller Center. Japanese fashion, cas and consumer 66 00:04:59,680 --> 00:05:04,560 Speaker 1: tech were everywhere. Some even speculated that Japan might overtake 67 00:05:04,600 --> 00:05:08,280 Speaker 1: the US as the world's top economy. This was the 68 00:05:08,320 --> 00:05:11,839 Speaker 1: wild backdrop for the beginnings of the Kanjo street culture. 69 00:05:12,760 --> 00:05:15,560 Speaker 1: There was a surge of young bard petrol heads with 70 00:05:15,640 --> 00:05:18,120 Speaker 1: time and a chip on their shoulder as they saw 71 00:05:18,160 --> 00:05:22,720 Speaker 1: the whole country getting rich. The Kanjo scene came from this. 72 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:25,200 Speaker 1: It was kind of like a spot, kind of like 73 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:29,520 Speaker 1: a gang and everything else in between. Crews would take 74 00:05:29,560 --> 00:05:32,840 Speaker 1: to the Kanjo Loop at night in heavily modified hondas, 75 00:05:33,160 --> 00:05:36,840 Speaker 1: weaving through the traffic, dodging police and taunting rival groups. 76 00:05:38,520 --> 00:05:42,360 Speaker 1: As you can imagine, this was all completely and utterly illegal, 77 00:05:43,279 --> 00:05:45,800 Speaker 1: but that's kind of what made it so alluring to 78 00:05:45,839 --> 00:05:49,200 Speaker 1: the youth of that era. The Kanjo CRUs in turn, 79 00:05:49,279 --> 00:05:53,160 Speaker 1: had respect, an air of danger and non stop street cred. 80 00:05:54,040 --> 00:05:56,680 Speaker 1: Here in Asaka. At the center of it all, there 81 00:05:56,680 --> 00:06:02,159 Speaker 1: could only be one car, the Honda Civic old school 82 00:06:02,279 --> 00:06:07,240 Speaker 1: high revving featherweight Civics from the ef EG and EK generations, 83 00:06:07,480 --> 00:06:10,920 Speaker 1: built from the late eighties to early two thousands. These 84 00:06:10,920 --> 00:06:13,520 Speaker 1: are the cars that Kanjo began with and now the 85 00:06:13,520 --> 00:06:16,760 Speaker 1: ones they still roll with. The use of the Civic 86 00:06:16,880 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 1: was a perfect emblem of the movement. It was cheap, 87 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,800 Speaker 1: fast and deadly nimble on a tight highway circuit. With 88 00:06:24,880 --> 00:06:29,000 Speaker 1: a few modications like a stripped interior, coil overs, semi slicks, 89 00:06:29,200 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: and a roaring B sixteen or B eighteen engine, you've 90 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,679 Speaker 1: got something that can run circles around almost anything else 91 00:06:35,720 --> 00:06:39,679 Speaker 1: on the road. It's the perfect vehicle for the Kanjo loop. 92 00:06:40,320 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: Good luck to any of the police that tried to 93 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:48,039 Speaker 1: catch up with them. No chance. But it's not just 94 00:06:48,160 --> 00:06:51,440 Speaker 1: about speed. As I said, the Civic became the symbol 95 00:06:51,480 --> 00:06:55,080 Speaker 1: of Kanjo. These are not pretty show builds or slick 96 00:06:55,160 --> 00:06:59,960 Speaker 1: aerodynamic sports cars that banged up race cars, stickered vinyl 97 00:07:00,440 --> 00:07:03,320 Speaker 1: rough and with all the comforts model out of them. 98 00:07:03,600 --> 00:07:07,200 Speaker 1: The Kanjo Civic is ugly in the most beautiful way possible. 99 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,200 Speaker 1: As well as the cars themselves. The other fascinating part 100 00:07:11,240 --> 00:07:13,840 Speaker 1: of the kanjo scene is just how tribal it is. 101 00:07:14,880 --> 00:07:17,560 Speaker 1: This isn't just a bunch of lads racing around the city. 102 00:07:18,000 --> 00:07:22,520 Speaker 1: These are solid, well organized crews, tight knit, disciplined, and 103 00:07:22,680 --> 00:07:27,679 Speaker 1: often very secretive. Names like No Good Racing, Temple Racing, 104 00:07:27,920 --> 00:07:31,760 Speaker 1: Law Break, and Team Flox a legendary in the scene. 105 00:07:31,800 --> 00:07:36,000 Speaker 1: Some of them go back decades. No Good Racing, for example, 106 00:07:36,120 --> 00:07:39,640 Speaker 1: is the most iconic kanjo crew in Japan. The name 107 00:07:39,680 --> 00:07:42,440 Speaker 1: alone is a giant fock to the public, who deemed 108 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:47,400 Speaker 1: the Kanjo racers as quote unquote no good. The Japanese 109 00:07:47,440 --> 00:07:50,880 Speaker 1: police even used their name in anti street racing campaigns 110 00:07:51,240 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: with posters that said don't be like No Good Racing. Obviously, 111 00:07:55,480 --> 00:07:57,960 Speaker 1: that didn't work, and it only made their legend grow 112 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:01,760 Speaker 1: bigger and bigger. The series will go to meet Not Good. 113 00:08:14,440 --> 00:08:18,840 Speaker 1: Each crew had its own identity stickers, slogans, and color schemes. 114 00:08:19,600 --> 00:08:23,160 Speaker 1: Some of them even had connections to Japan's criminal underworld, 115 00:08:23,600 --> 00:08:28,160 Speaker 1: specifically the yakuza. Either way, these were not casual hobbyists. 116 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:30,880 Speaker 1: You couldn't just pull up and join. There was a 117 00:08:30,920 --> 00:08:36,360 Speaker 1: serious hierarchy, loyalty, respect, rivalries. It's gang culture, but with 118 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:44,440 Speaker 1: a v tech engine. Now, as you can probably imagine, 119 00:08:44,640 --> 00:08:48,240 Speaker 1: underground street racing crews in Japan are not that easy 120 00:08:48,280 --> 00:08:51,800 Speaker 1: to find. You might see them zoom past you on 121 00:08:51,880 --> 00:08:55,920 Speaker 1: the expressway, but that's about it. The car rime in 122 00:08:56,040 --> 00:08:58,800 Speaker 1: is being driven by a contact I've made through a 123 00:08:58,800 --> 00:09:01,280 Speaker 1: friend of a friend. He's part of one of the 124 00:09:01,320 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 1: local kanjo crews here in Osaka. He's agreed to take 125 00:09:05,559 --> 00:09:07,600 Speaker 1: me to a garage that is kind of a base 126 00:09:07,679 --> 00:09:11,160 Speaker 1: for a few of the next generation of kanjo drivers 127 00:09:11,240 --> 00:09:16,040 Speaker 1: around here. After the white knuckle ride on the expressway, 128 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:18,440 Speaker 1: we put off the snaking roads and drive for a 129 00:09:18,440 --> 00:09:21,360 Speaker 1: while into what is clearly a blue collar neighborhoods away 130 00:09:21,400 --> 00:09:25,960 Speaker 1: from the city center. This is not the QT anime 131 00:09:26,160 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 1: style Japan that weves stupidly stereotyped the whole country to 132 00:09:30,360 --> 00:09:34,520 Speaker 1: be like. This is a wear and tear area, hard graft. 133 00:09:34,679 --> 00:09:38,720 Speaker 1: Only everyone in this neighborhood works, construction or car paths. 134 00:09:39,280 --> 00:09:43,559 Speaker 1: There's no thrills here whatsoever. Every inch serves a purpose, 135 00:09:43,960 --> 00:09:46,959 Speaker 1: mostly industrial. We pull up to a garage topped to 136 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:50,320 Speaker 1: away at the back of a small estate. It's around 137 00:09:50,320 --> 00:09:52,960 Speaker 1: ten at night now, but business is clearly still open. 138 00:09:53,440 --> 00:09:55,479 Speaker 1: The lights are on and I can see the silhouettes 139 00:09:55,520 --> 00:09:58,960 Speaker 1: of a few men smoking and chatting outside. How our 140 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:01,880 Speaker 1: guide makes a call and the gates are opened. We 141 00:10:01,960 --> 00:10:04,480 Speaker 1: pull in and part behind a row of Honda Civics. 142 00:10:04,480 --> 00:10:07,440 Speaker 1: Of course, this is a garage where people come to 143 00:10:07,480 --> 00:10:11,480 Speaker 1: get their illegal race cars tuned up and repaired. If, 144 00:10:11,720 --> 00:10:14,480 Speaker 1: like me, you find some kind of beauty in the 145 00:10:14,760 --> 00:10:18,319 Speaker 1: raw aesthetic of something like a Civic, you will absolutely 146 00:10:18,400 --> 00:10:22,240 Speaker 1: love the Caanjo Loop race cars. They are raw, compact, 147 00:10:22,640 --> 00:10:26,600 Speaker 1: just perfect. These are cars meant for high speed racing 148 00:10:26,679 --> 00:10:31,400 Speaker 1: at night, blurred vision and streaming brake lights on each 149 00:10:31,480 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: door and bonnet. There's a decaled specific to whichever crew 150 00:10:34,360 --> 00:10:38,720 Speaker 1: the races belong to. We enter the garage. It's a 151 00:10:38,760 --> 00:10:44,479 Speaker 1: borderline cyberpunk scene of stickered civics, removed head gaskets, raised engines, 152 00:10:44,600 --> 00:10:48,319 Speaker 1: dust and oil. The yellow halogen bulbs above flicker as 153 00:10:48,320 --> 00:10:51,240 Speaker 1: a man steps forward to shake my hand. He's got 154 00:10:51,280 --> 00:10:54,959 Speaker 1: bleached blonde hair and visible scars across his face. He's 155 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:57,920 Speaker 1: dressed fashionably with a metal chain around his neck. He 156 00:10:58,000 --> 00:11:00,640 Speaker 1: runs this garage for the racers and is eager to 157 00:11:00,720 --> 00:11:02,719 Speaker 1: talk about the subculture that he grew up in. 158 00:11:03,200 --> 00:11:10,480 Speaker 2: Con I guess kanjo zoku are young speed addicts. It 159 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:12,880 Speaker 2: all started when the kids who were riding in motorcycle 160 00:11:12,920 --> 00:11:16,439 Speaker 2: gangs evolved from the bikes into racing the cars. According 161 00:11:16,520 --> 00:11:19,240 Speaker 2: to the olders I know, in this subculture, they began 162 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:21,719 Speaker 2: to modify cheap cars like the Civic or even other 163 00:11:21,760 --> 00:11:24,880 Speaker 2: cheap cars back then, like the Hachiroku AEE eighty six 164 00:11:25,120 --> 00:11:27,880 Speaker 2: or the Starlet. They drive at illegal speeds on the 165 00:11:27,880 --> 00:11:30,839 Speaker 2: Osaka Loop road and they'd race around the normal people 166 00:11:30,880 --> 00:11:34,200 Speaker 2: in their cars. This is the counterculture in Osaka. It 167 00:11:34,200 --> 00:11:36,720 Speaker 2: has been popular with young people for a long time. 168 00:11:37,120 --> 00:11:39,320 Speaker 2: During a normal day, these kids who race can be 169 00:11:39,360 --> 00:11:42,920 Speaker 2: really quiet and orderly. They don't make trouble, but deep 170 00:11:43,000 --> 00:11:46,960 Speaker 2: down they're searching for something extraordinary at that place on 171 00:11:47,040 --> 00:11:49,320 Speaker 2: the Loop. I think it's the feeling of being able 172 00:11:49,360 --> 00:11:52,400 Speaker 2: to ride however you want that they seek. That's kanjo. 173 00:11:52,800 --> 00:11:56,000 Speaker 1: It's controversial, obviously, the police want to come after you, guys. 174 00:11:56,000 --> 00:11:57,160 Speaker 1: They don't want you to be doing it. 175 00:11:57,600 --> 00:12:02,760 Speaker 2: Mo Conzo's well, realistically, the number of people street racing 176 00:12:02,800 --> 00:12:06,160 Speaker 2: has decreased due to police enforcement. They've cracked down and 177 00:12:06,200 --> 00:12:10,000 Speaker 2: have become much stricter. It's become increasingly difficult to race. 178 00:12:10,040 --> 00:12:13,400 Speaker 2: Every year. The police have become much harsher, so punishment 179 00:12:13,480 --> 00:12:16,480 Speaker 2: is worse. Several years ago there was a big roundup 180 00:12:16,520 --> 00:12:19,800 Speaker 2: of conjo racers in which nearly one hundred people were arrested. 181 00:12:20,280 --> 00:12:23,360 Speaker 2: After that, no one properly raced for about two years. 182 00:12:23,600 --> 00:12:26,880 Speaker 1: So what will happen to you if the police catch 183 00:12:26,880 --> 00:12:30,280 Speaker 1: you running the cando? 184 00:12:30,559 --> 00:12:33,160 Speaker 2: If you get caught running the canjo now, you'll usually 185 00:12:33,200 --> 00:12:36,680 Speaker 2: get arrested for what the police call joint dangerous behavior. 186 00:12:37,160 --> 00:12:39,880 Speaker 2: That's the charge. The first time penalty is they take 187 00:12:39,880 --> 00:12:41,920 Speaker 2: away your license away for two years and give you 188 00:12:41,960 --> 00:12:45,680 Speaker 2: a fine. Also, some people have had accidents involving ordinary 189 00:12:45,679 --> 00:12:48,559 Speaker 2: people's cars where they abandon their civic and run away. 190 00:12:48,960 --> 00:12:51,120 Speaker 2: When that happens, the police come to their homes the 191 00:12:51,160 --> 00:12:53,880 Speaker 2: next day. I've heard many cases like this. 192 00:12:56,120 --> 00:12:59,120 Speaker 1: In recent years. The kanjo scene has been decimated by 193 00:12:59,160 --> 00:13:02,800 Speaker 1: the police crut down. Understandably, they don't want people flying 194 00:13:02,800 --> 00:13:06,600 Speaker 1: around the expressway in excess of one hundred miles per hour. 195 00:13:07,559 --> 00:13:09,880 Speaker 1: Legal race tracks have been opened for the racers to 196 00:13:09,920 --> 00:13:12,840 Speaker 1: get their kicks, but for many it's just not the same. 197 00:13:14,040 --> 00:13:17,840 Speaker 1: If Kanjo is morphed into some kind of legal racing hobby, 198 00:13:18,280 --> 00:13:21,760 Speaker 1: it's no longer Kanjo. The underground nature of it and 199 00:13:21,800 --> 00:13:24,280 Speaker 1: the cat and mouse chases with the police is what 200 00:13:24,440 --> 00:13:28,320 Speaker 1: makes it special for the people involved. In the early 201 00:13:28,360 --> 00:13:31,559 Speaker 1: two thousands, the police began to try and contain this 202 00:13:31,800 --> 00:13:35,240 Speaker 1: outlaw racing culture. They were tried to catch the racers 203 00:13:35,280 --> 00:13:38,720 Speaker 1: on the spot, but it rarely worked. The cando drivers 204 00:13:38,800 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 1: knew the loop inside out, had fast cas and were 205 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:46,120 Speaker 1: usually gone long before the sirens kicked in. But things 206 00:13:46,160 --> 00:13:48,840 Speaker 1: changed when the police started to play the long game. 207 00:13:49,360 --> 00:13:53,240 Speaker 1: Instead of chasing, they started watching. High end cameras were 208 00:13:53,240 --> 00:13:56,720 Speaker 1: set up around the highway and undercover traffic units began 209 00:13:56,840 --> 00:14:01,120 Speaker 1: quietly tracking the races. They grab license plate numbers, follow 210 00:14:01,160 --> 00:14:05,640 Speaker 1: the cars home, and then start building proper cases. Honestly, 211 00:14:05,679 --> 00:14:09,679 Speaker 1: the police were pretty smart about it. They waited, watched, 212 00:14:09,720 --> 00:14:13,120 Speaker 1: and then picked people off one by one, often at 213 00:14:13,120 --> 00:14:17,800 Speaker 1: home in quiet raids. Sometimes these came even weeks after 214 00:14:17,840 --> 00:14:21,640 Speaker 1: the illegal races, the police went after more than just 215 00:14:21,680 --> 00:14:24,920 Speaker 1: the drivers too. Tuning shops that were known to help 216 00:14:25,040 --> 00:14:28,000 Speaker 1: modify the kanjo cars like the one we've just been 217 00:14:28,040 --> 00:14:33,000 Speaker 1: in started getting police visits. If you were selling illegal 218 00:14:33,040 --> 00:14:36,920 Speaker 1: exhaust systems or helping tweak their ECUs off the books, 219 00:14:37,320 --> 00:14:40,680 Speaker 1: you were on the radar of the cops. A few 220 00:14:40,720 --> 00:14:44,360 Speaker 1: shop owners even got hit with charges for aiding illegal racing. 221 00:14:45,200 --> 00:14:48,760 Speaker 1: The police were not messing about. At the same time, 222 00:14:48,960 --> 00:14:53,040 Speaker 1: public pressure started building. Videos of the races were all 223 00:14:53,080 --> 00:14:57,640 Speaker 1: over the internet, flashy clips showing cars weaving through traffic 224 00:14:57,720 --> 00:15:04,120 Speaker 1: at crazy speeds. People were not happy. Understandably, regular drivers 225 00:15:04,160 --> 00:15:06,880 Speaker 1: did not want to get killed on their commute, and 226 00:15:06,920 --> 00:15:09,320 Speaker 1: the government didn't want to be seen letting it slide. 227 00:15:10,360 --> 00:15:15,120 Speaker 1: So the crackdown kept on going. Things got worse. More surveillance, 228 00:15:15,520 --> 00:15:19,400 Speaker 1: more arrests, more cars impounded, more pressure on the whole 229 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:26,720 Speaker 1: kanjo scene. Now, in a way, this was very effective 230 00:15:26,800 --> 00:15:29,480 Speaker 1: in crushing the scene, but at the same time it 231 00:15:29,640 --> 00:15:34,560 Speaker 1: forced it to evolve. Many rival crews joined forces by 232 00:15:34,640 --> 00:15:38,520 Speaker 1: establishing networks and friendships to let each other know where 233 00:15:38,560 --> 00:15:41,640 Speaker 1: anti kanjo measures were placed on the highways they race. 234 00:15:42,800 --> 00:15:46,920 Speaker 1: This was completely new. Before they absolutely hated each other. 235 00:15:47,320 --> 00:15:50,840 Speaker 1: Now they had to work together, and so the people 236 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:54,160 Speaker 1: still involved are the most hardcore of the hard core. 237 00:15:54,920 --> 00:15:57,720 Speaker 1: Threats of arrest don't seem to phase them, even in 238 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:01,080 Speaker 1: a country with a conviction rate of over ninety nine percent. 239 00:16:02,520 --> 00:16:06,840 Speaker 1: The police's illegal street racing crackdowns aren't just focused on Kanjo, 240 00:16:06,920 --> 00:16:10,320 Speaker 1: though there are several different underground street racing scenes and 241 00:16:10,400 --> 00:16:14,920 Speaker 1: styles here in Japan. The bigger threats from law enforcement 242 00:16:15,040 --> 00:16:19,160 Speaker 1: and also the crashing economy has created a new generation. 243 00:16:19,560 --> 00:16:22,920 Speaker 1: Amidst all of these racing styles in Japan, we plan 244 00:16:23,040 --> 00:16:40,360 Speaker 1: to document as many as possible. Later that night, I 245 00:16:40,440 --> 00:16:42,920 Speaker 1: head out on foot to find a building adjacent to 246 00:16:42,960 --> 00:16:45,280 Speaker 1: the loop. I want to find a high point to 247 00:16:45,280 --> 00:16:47,880 Speaker 1: get an idea of the scale of this road that 248 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:51,280 Speaker 1: underneath is huge. As a walk along the pavement at 249 00:16:51,280 --> 00:16:56,160 Speaker 1: ground level, the road above looms over everything. Huge metal 250 00:16:56,240 --> 00:16:58,880 Speaker 1: and concrete pillars rise up here and there to support 251 00:16:58,920 --> 00:17:02,280 Speaker 1: the loop. With the help of a local, I find 252 00:17:02,280 --> 00:17:05,959 Speaker 1: a nearby building with an open door, explain what I'm 253 00:17:06,000 --> 00:17:08,960 Speaker 1: trying to do, and one of the residents kindly unlocks 254 00:17:08,960 --> 00:17:11,800 Speaker 1: a door from the stairwell to a small office that 255 00:17:11,960 --> 00:17:16,320 Speaker 1: has a balcony. From this vantage point, I can see 256 00:17:16,320 --> 00:17:19,960 Speaker 1: the Kanjo Loop wind throughout the city. It's like a 257 00:17:20,040 --> 00:17:30,080 Speaker 1: huge concrete serpent climbing through the urban landscape. Suddenly I 258 00:17:30,119 --> 00:17:33,480 Speaker 1: hear the high speed gearshifts of two cars driving way 259 00:17:33,520 --> 00:17:36,840 Speaker 1: too fast. I can't see them from here, but I 260 00:17:36,880 --> 00:17:45,199 Speaker 1: can hear them Kanjoe Zoku. Before the loop was this 261 00:17:45,440 --> 00:17:48,680 Speaker 1: neon lit racetrack for modern civics. The road was a 262 00:17:48,760 --> 00:17:53,560 Speaker 1: key infrastructure development that transformed a saca's urban transit system. 263 00:17:54,000 --> 00:17:58,200 Speaker 1: As I mentioned earlier, Japan underwent rapid economic recovery after 264 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:03,560 Speaker 1: World War Two. This included a massive focus on infrastructure. 265 00:18:04,480 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 1: For the nineteen sixties, traffic jams had become a major 266 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:11,879 Speaker 1: issue in big cities like Osaka. Roads were narrow and 267 00:18:11,960 --> 00:18:15,760 Speaker 1: car ownership was increasing rapidly due to the economic bubble. 268 00:18:16,880 --> 00:18:21,399 Speaker 1: The government and private companies like Hanschin Expressway Company stepped 269 00:18:21,440 --> 00:18:27,119 Speaker 1: in to build high capacity elevated roadways throughout the city, 270 00:18:27,359 --> 00:18:31,440 Speaker 1: and so the Hanschin Expressway system the Kanjo Loop began 271 00:18:31,560 --> 00:18:36,240 Speaker 1: construction in the early nineteen sixties. It was a response 272 00:18:36,280 --> 00:18:40,280 Speaker 1: to the nineteen sixty four Tokyo Olympics boom in Japan's 273 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:45,560 Speaker 1: growing economy in Asakka, planners imagined a ring road style 274 00:18:45,640 --> 00:18:50,320 Speaker 1: expressway that would loop around the central commercial districts. This 275 00:18:50,400 --> 00:18:54,480 Speaker 1: circular route would ease traffic by connecting various outward roads 276 00:18:54,520 --> 00:18:58,359 Speaker 1: and relieving pressure from the ground level street network, and 277 00:18:58,440 --> 00:19:02,080 Speaker 1: so the Kanjo Loop was built primarily between nineteen sixty 278 00:19:02,119 --> 00:19:06,600 Speaker 1: four and nineteen sixty nine. For the shear's scale and 279 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:10,159 Speaker 1: ambition of the project, that wasn't bad time at all. 280 00:19:11,400 --> 00:19:13,920 Speaker 1: The loop forms a seven and a half mile circular 281 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:19,240 Speaker 1: route cuts through Asaka's central areas. During construction, the loop 282 00:19:19,280 --> 00:19:22,560 Speaker 1: had to be elevated above a crowded, built up city, 283 00:19:23,000 --> 00:19:29,560 Speaker 1: requiring meticulous planning to minimize disruption. Surrounded by homes, roads, 284 00:19:29,560 --> 00:19:33,560 Speaker 1: and commercial businesses, the loop was built on large reinforced 285 00:19:33,640 --> 00:19:37,760 Speaker 1: concrete legs to fit in and around the area. Had 286 00:19:37,760 --> 00:19:39,480 Speaker 1: they not done it this way, they would have had 287 00:19:39,480 --> 00:19:43,840 Speaker 1: to demolish huge swarths of buildings. As it is, most 288 00:19:43,840 --> 00:19:47,760 Speaker 1: of the road hobvers ten to fifteen meters above ground level. 289 00:19:48,240 --> 00:19:52,680 Speaker 1: It's a site to behold, and whilst this obviously wasn't planned. 290 00:19:53,080 --> 00:19:56,679 Speaker 1: The expressway is designed like the perfect racetrack for rogue 291 00:19:56,800 --> 00:20:00,960 Speaker 1: canjo drivers. Many of the curves and owners are sharp 292 00:20:01,280 --> 00:20:06,399 Speaker 1: and require extreme precision driving. This makes it ideal for racing, 293 00:20:06,800 --> 00:20:11,760 Speaker 1: but also incredibly risky. There are over a dozen tightly 294 00:20:11,800 --> 00:20:16,040 Speaker 1: spaced on ramps and off ramps, often requiring sharp merges 295 00:20:16,080 --> 00:20:21,119 Speaker 1: and quick acceleration. These ramps contribute to the loop's notorious 296 00:20:21,119 --> 00:20:25,119 Speaker 1: difficulty at high speeds. This road was never designed for 297 00:20:25,200 --> 00:20:27,640 Speaker 1: cars to be hitting it at one hundred miles an hour, 298 00:20:28,119 --> 00:20:32,240 Speaker 1: especially with the low visibility. Pretty much the entirety of 299 00:20:32,280 --> 00:20:35,679 Speaker 1: the loop as high walls, sound barriers, and narrow lanes. 300 00:20:37,240 --> 00:20:40,080 Speaker 1: For the street racers, these features just add to the 301 00:20:40,080 --> 00:20:44,040 Speaker 1: thrill of the Kanjo experience. The danger blows their hair back. 302 00:20:47,800 --> 00:20:51,520 Speaker 1: For the nineteen seventies, the loop was fully operational. It 303 00:20:51,600 --> 00:20:55,480 Speaker 1: became a crucial part of a sucker's transit puzzle, especially 304 00:20:55,520 --> 00:20:59,520 Speaker 1: for commuters and commercial vehicles trying to avoid the city 305 00:20:59,600 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: center congestion, and as we know, it also became a 306 00:21:04,160 --> 00:21:10,399 Speaker 1: makeshift underground racetrack. Now, some people will tell you that 307 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:14,320 Speaker 1: Kanjo Zoku is dead, It's done, no one really raises anymore, 308 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:17,919 Speaker 1: but that is simply not true. There are several different 309 00:21:17,960 --> 00:21:21,040 Speaker 1: crews still active, and some of them are even growing 310 00:21:21,080 --> 00:21:24,880 Speaker 1: as they remain largely in the shadows. There are dozens 311 00:21:24,920 --> 00:21:28,000 Speaker 1: and dozens of crews or teams still, but the main 312 00:21:28,040 --> 00:21:32,760 Speaker 1: ones are forever remembered and refused to disappear. Kanjozoku dot 313 00:21:32,800 --> 00:21:36,560 Speaker 1: Com and excellent resource on this world with first hand 314 00:21:36,600 --> 00:21:42,080 Speaker 1: and second hand sources, has documented this well. They're right quote. 315 00:21:42,440 --> 00:21:45,359 Speaker 1: Since the late seventies, there have been many many teams 316 00:21:45,359 --> 00:21:47,600 Speaker 1: that have either ran on the Loop or claimed to 317 00:21:47,640 --> 00:21:50,800 Speaker 1: have had. Some of these teams still exist to this day, 318 00:21:51,119 --> 00:21:53,800 Speaker 1: whilst others have been ingrained into the asphalt of the 319 00:21:53,840 --> 00:21:57,520 Speaker 1: Loop itself and faded into local folklore, so to speak. 320 00:21:58,680 --> 00:22:00,919 Speaker 1: To look at some of the estab names we can 321 00:22:00,960 --> 00:22:04,320 Speaker 1: speak of, No Good Racing formed in nineteen eighty five, 322 00:22:04,760 --> 00:22:07,240 Speaker 1: and that uses their ever so tongue in cheek motto 323 00:22:07,359 --> 00:22:11,520 Speaker 1: of bye by police, a pretty self explanatory statement of 324 00:22:11,560 --> 00:22:14,480 Speaker 1: their intentions should they be met by any form of 325 00:22:14,520 --> 00:22:18,879 Speaker 1: resistance by local law enforcement. The first senior of No 326 00:22:19,040 --> 00:22:21,000 Speaker 1: Good Racing said that when he was racing in his 327 00:22:21,040 --> 00:22:23,919 Speaker 1: earlier years, people would say it was No Good and 328 00:22:23,960 --> 00:22:26,199 Speaker 1: it became a sort of running joke that stuck and 329 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:29,600 Speaker 1: became the team's name. Of course, as the group would 330 00:22:29,600 --> 00:22:31,800 Speaker 1: go on to become one of, if not the most 331 00:22:31,880 --> 00:22:35,159 Speaker 1: well known group. The name took on other meanings, but 332 00:22:35,200 --> 00:22:39,920 Speaker 1: we can leave that to your imagination. How about Temple Racing, 333 00:22:40,680 --> 00:22:44,720 Speaker 1: formed in nineteen seventy eight in the Higashi Shimiyoshi area 334 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:48,720 Speaker 1: of Asaka. That's right, teams had a home turf, so 335 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,200 Speaker 1: to speak, so being careful and respectful in another area 336 00:22:52,280 --> 00:22:55,639 Speaker 1: of the city would mean avoiding confrontation, either from another 337 00:22:55,680 --> 00:23:00,359 Speaker 1: team or again the Red Siren Crew the police. The 338 00:23:00,440 --> 00:23:03,720 Speaker 1: team name derives from the character Simon Temple from the 339 00:23:03,760 --> 00:23:07,760 Speaker 1: English TV series called the Saints, a popular character used 340 00:23:07,760 --> 00:23:11,840 Speaker 1: in the team's style at the time. Other names such 341 00:23:11,880 --> 00:23:15,800 Speaker 1: as Warp Racing formed in nineteen eighty two. They are 342 00:23:15,840 --> 00:23:18,480 Speaker 1: well seen across social media as the current group of 343 00:23:18,520 --> 00:23:22,640 Speaker 1: players attend such tracks as the Central Circuit in Hiogo 344 00:23:22,760 --> 00:23:28,159 Speaker 1: Prefecture or again Suzuku Circuit over in My Prefecture. But 345 00:23:28,200 --> 00:23:30,440 Speaker 1: that's not to say they don't appear in the nighttime 346 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:34,080 Speaker 1: of the city in any one place. The resonation of 347 00:23:34,320 --> 00:23:38,480 Speaker 1: B series engines coming and disappearing in a flash to 348 00:23:38,560 --> 00:23:41,280 Speaker 1: provide just a glimpse of how many teams there are 349 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:45,080 Speaker 1: or were. Some names we can talk about are no 350 00:23:45,200 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 1: good Racing, Temple Racing, Warp Racing, Late Riser, Law Break Checker, 351 00:23:50,400 --> 00:23:56,560 Speaker 1: Top Gun Racing, Magnuani Racing, Borough Racing, Crafty Dust, Fairness, Fantasy, 352 00:23:56,800 --> 00:24:02,320 Speaker 1: Fine Formation, Get Chapin Racing, Get On, Child Hampty, Joker Racing, 353 00:24:02,400 --> 00:24:06,439 Speaker 1: Kaiser Loop, Loose Racing Loop in Mercury, and so and 354 00:24:06,480 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: so it goes on and on end. Quote. Clearly, there 355 00:24:11,560 --> 00:24:14,680 Speaker 1: are many different crews here in Osaka, but they don't 356 00:24:14,720 --> 00:24:18,200 Speaker 1: exactly stand around advertising what they do when they're not racing. 357 00:24:18,800 --> 00:24:20,480 Speaker 1: I want to sit down with one of these major 358 00:24:20,520 --> 00:24:22,639 Speaker 1: players and try to ride along with them in a 359 00:24:22,720 --> 00:24:27,080 Speaker 1: proper underground race on the Kanjo Loop. A friend of mine, 360 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:30,800 Speaker 1: a local, is helping us due to the illegalities of 361 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:34,119 Speaker 1: Kanjo and his strong ties to it. I want to 362 00:24:34,200 --> 00:24:38,880 Speaker 1: keep him very anonymous. We'll just call him John. John 363 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,399 Speaker 1: has various connections with different crews across the city. He 364 00:24:42,480 --> 00:24:44,920 Speaker 1: knows what he's talking about, and he knows what he's doing. 365 00:24:45,800 --> 00:24:48,000 Speaker 1: He was around in a time when Kanjo Cruise would 366 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:51,080 Speaker 1: have full on gang fights, various meetups if there was 367 00:24:51,119 --> 00:24:55,720 Speaker 1: ever a dispute. He's old school, So John reaches out 368 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:58,000 Speaker 1: to various different crews for us to try and meet 369 00:24:58,440 --> 00:25:00,520 Speaker 1: he vouches for us. We have a hit history of 370 00:25:00,560 --> 00:25:03,959 Speaker 1: not fucking anybody over when it comes to anonymity, and 371 00:25:04,000 --> 00:25:09,439 Speaker 1: we cover underground countercultures properly. It's all good. Eventually we 372 00:25:09,480 --> 00:25:12,800 Speaker 1: get a call. There are a few lads who are interested. 373 00:25:13,600 --> 00:25:16,240 Speaker 1: I can't say which group it is why will become 374 00:25:16,280 --> 00:25:19,040 Speaker 1: clear later, but we're told to head out and meet 375 00:25:19,080 --> 00:25:21,000 Speaker 1: them at a garage a late one night on the 376 00:25:21,000 --> 00:25:25,120 Speaker 1: outskirts of Osaka. We drive over and meet a few 377 00:25:25,200 --> 00:25:28,520 Speaker 1: lads in what looks like a completely normal mechanics center, 378 00:25:29,200 --> 00:25:33,600 Speaker 1: mainstream equipment, regular cars, nothing particularly out of the ordinary, 379 00:25:34,080 --> 00:25:38,679 Speaker 1: and nothing that screams kanjo. Turns out, though, that this 380 00:25:38,840 --> 00:25:42,680 Speaker 1: garage moonlights as a base for various illegal underground racing 381 00:25:42,760 --> 00:25:46,639 Speaker 1: crews across the city. Backroom deals for band off the 382 00:25:46,680 --> 00:25:50,639 Speaker 1: books equipment take place here. The next generation of Kanjo 383 00:25:51,080 --> 00:25:55,560 Speaker 1: is very much hidden in plain sight. After we shake 384 00:25:55,600 --> 00:25:58,679 Speaker 1: hands and exchange pleasantries, some of the guys at the 385 00:25:58,680 --> 00:26:01,159 Speaker 1: garage usher us into a room behind a row of 386 00:26:01,240 --> 00:26:05,400 Speaker 1: kas in various states of repair. The main guy, we'll 387 00:26:05,400 --> 00:26:09,000 Speaker 1: call him Himari, has an aura about him that's unmatched. 388 00:26:09,359 --> 00:26:12,640 Speaker 1: He's scruffy, short, skinny, and he looks as if he's 389 00:26:12,720 --> 00:26:15,159 Speaker 1: just woken up at all times, but he has this 390 00:26:15,280 --> 00:26:18,280 Speaker 1: air about him that just tells you this is the guy. 391 00:26:18,680 --> 00:26:22,399 Speaker 1: He doesn't even need to make an effort. It's just him. 392 00:26:22,680 --> 00:26:24,600 Speaker 1: He chain smokes as he makes us tea in the 393 00:26:24,640 --> 00:26:27,440 Speaker 1: back room and invites us to sit down in the chairs, 394 00:26:27,840 --> 00:26:32,119 Speaker 1: which are all old repurpose civic seats. This room is 395 00:26:32,160 --> 00:26:35,919 Speaker 1: decorated with old car parts, withered racing posters, and a 396 00:26:35,960 --> 00:26:39,960 Speaker 1: half dozen ash traits. The lads inside are all linked 397 00:26:40,000 --> 00:26:44,000 Speaker 1: to Kando directly. The super friendly and happy to help us, 398 00:26:44,359 --> 00:26:46,760 Speaker 1: but they're also very cautious due to the level of 399 00:26:46,840 --> 00:26:52,240 Speaker 1: police crackdown. After some chatting, tea, drinking, and what seems 400 00:26:52,240 --> 00:26:55,880 Speaker 1: to be about a thousand cigarettes, Himari makes a phone call. 401 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,240 Speaker 1: When he's done, it's good news. One of the big 402 00:27:00,240 --> 00:27:02,840 Speaker 1: bosses of one of the biggest kanjo crews in a 403 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,119 Speaker 1: Soaca is willing to meet us tomorrow night. We'll get 404 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:17,240 Speaker 1: dinner with them. They'll decide if we can race alongside them. 405 00:27:17,359 --> 00:27:19,840 Speaker 1: The young guys are editing in the foot so that 406 00:27:20,160 --> 00:27:37,080 Speaker 1: today go very well. Next week we'll discover the surprisingly 407 00:27:37,160 --> 00:27:42,960 Speaker 1: close connection that canjo racers have to organize crime you've 408 00:27:42,960 --> 00:27:46,520 Speaker 1: been listening to the Away Days podcast. To watch independent 409 00:27:46,560 --> 00:27:50,879 Speaker 1: Away Days documentaries, subscribe to our channel at YouTube dot 410 00:27:50,880 --> 00:27:56,240 Speaker 1: com slash at away Days TV. Your Wait Days podcast 411 00:27:56,320 --> 00:28:03,080 Speaker 1: is a production of H eleven Studio for Cool Zone Media. Reporting, producing, writing, 412 00:28:03,480 --> 00:28:08,760 Speaker 1: editing and research by me Jake Hanrahan, co producing by 413 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:14,320 Speaker 1: Sophie Lichterman, Music by Sam Black, Sound mixed by Splicing Block. 414 00:28:14,800 --> 00:28:18,920 Speaker 1: Photography by Johnny Pickup and Louis Hollis. Graphic design by 415 00:28:18,960 --> 00:28:21,400 Speaker 1: Laura Adamson and Casey Hifield.