WEBVTT - Organized Crime on the Hanshin Expressway 0:00:01.720 --> 0:00:09.760 Causer Media. You're listening to the Away Days podcast on 0:00:09.800 --> 0:00:15.080 the ground outside reporting from the underbelly with me Jake Hanrahan. 0:00:17.200 --> 0:00:21.440 To watch Awaydays documentaries, go to YouTube dot com slash 0:00:21.640 --> 0:00:28.440 at Away Days TV. This is part three Speed Tribe 0:00:28.520 --> 0:00:34.800 twenty five, Episode two. This podcast is a production of 0:00:35.000 --> 0:00:46.320 H eleven Studio and Call Zone Media, Osaka. At night, 0:00:47.120 --> 0:00:50.159 the city is lit up like an led Christmas tree. 0:00:50.760 --> 0:00:54.640 Small street stools and larger family restaurants keep each side, 0:00:54.640 --> 0:00:59.120 street and back alley busy. The sound of drinking, conversation 0:00:59.320 --> 0:01:02.800 and cash red at every corner. There's something to spend 0:01:02.840 --> 0:01:06.280 money on if you want to. Vending machines, hole in 0:01:06.319 --> 0:01:10.759 the wall, bars and red light private clubs. Large halogen 0:01:10.800 --> 0:01:14.440 bulbs light up garish advertisements on every square foot of 0:01:14.480 --> 0:01:18.040 free space. We're in a blue collar district where no 0:01:18.080 --> 0:01:21.240 one takes card and everyone is sick of the inflation. 0:01:22.600 --> 0:01:24.280 I'm on my way to meet with the head of 0:01:24.319 --> 0:01:28.679 a Canjo racing crew to negotiate access. I want to 0:01:28.720 --> 0:01:32.160 film a real multi car civic race on the loop, 0:01:32.920 --> 0:01:35.560 not just a few here and there, A proper race. 0:01:36.280 --> 0:01:38.960 I've been told one is planned soon, and I want 0:01:39.000 --> 0:01:41.959 in You can't understand the culture behind all of this 0:01:42.240 --> 0:01:45.560 properly if you don't see it firsthand. I don't think 0:01:45.600 --> 0:01:49.240 so anyway, Yes, I get it. It's dangerous, but it 0:01:49.360 --> 0:01:54.640 is what it is. We get to the location this 0:01:54.680 --> 0:01:57.880 is where the Kanjo crew told us to meet, and 0:01:57.920 --> 0:02:00.760 with two guys from my team and John, who's still 0:02:00.800 --> 0:02:04.520 helping us negotiate this clandestine world of illegal street racing. 0:02:05.360 --> 0:02:11.560 The location is a really cool independent Korean restaurant. It's busy, cluttered, perfect. 0:02:12.600 --> 0:02:15.560 Just as we get to a table, the Kanjo crew arrives. 0:02:16.240 --> 0:02:18.880 Now I can't go into too many details due to 0:02:19.000 --> 0:02:22.600 various legalities, but it's a small crew of four or 0:02:22.600 --> 0:02:26.519 five people. The boss man stands out for his size. 0:02:26.680 --> 0:02:29.800 He's about six foot two and built like a brick shitouse, 0:02:30.320 --> 0:02:34.120 an unusual frame in downtown Asaka. His number two is 0:02:34.120 --> 0:02:38.280 a skinny chainsmoking mechanic with greasy hair and a crooked smile. 0:02:38.880 --> 0:02:42.200 The others are quiet and unassuming. Everyone is dressed in 0:02:42.240 --> 0:02:46.320 an assortment of trendy Japanese streetwear. The boss man greets 0:02:46.400 --> 0:02:50.119 us with a firm handshake and we exchange pleasantries. I'm 0:02:50.160 --> 0:02:53.400 eager to give him the present are boring. In Japan, 0:02:53.600 --> 0:02:57.480 bringing gifts of people is an important tradition. It's rooted 0:02:57.520 --> 0:03:01.040 in the country's strong etiquete culture. It's not just about 0:03:01.040 --> 0:03:05.680 giving a present, it's kind of a ritual. It shows respect, gratitude, 0:03:05.960 --> 0:03:11.600 and the careful maintenance of relationships. Presentation is key. Wrapping 0:03:11.720 --> 0:03:15.600 is considered almost as important as the gift itself. I 0:03:15.639 --> 0:03:18.560 wish I had known that. There's apparently an art to it. 0:03:18.960 --> 0:03:22.040 Handing over a nicely wrapped box with both hands and 0:03:22.080 --> 0:03:26.720 a bow tied on top shows proper etiquet. When visiting 0:03:26.800 --> 0:03:30.040 someone's home, bringing a small gift is standard, even if 0:03:30.080 --> 0:03:33.320 it's just snacks or a souvenir from your hometown. And 0:03:33.400 --> 0:03:36.440 when someone gives you a gift, you're generally expected to 0:03:36.480 --> 0:03:40.400 return the favor later, sometimes with a return gift known 0:03:40.440 --> 0:03:44.600 as okashi, often worth half the value of the original present. 0:03:45.080 --> 0:03:49.360 There are unspoken rules to this. Importantly, gifts are usually 0:03:49.400 --> 0:03:52.200 given modestly. You don't open them in front of the 0:03:52.200 --> 0:03:56.440 giver unless invited to. Doing so might be seen as greedy. 0:03:57.440 --> 0:04:00.920 Lavish gifts can make people feel uncomfortable or feel obliged, 0:04:01.280 --> 0:04:05.640 so everyone keeps it simple now. Japanese gifting isn't about 0:04:05.720 --> 0:04:10.880 the object. It's about maintaining balance, recognizing relationships, and expressing 0:04:10.920 --> 0:04:14.080 thoughtfulness in a way that keeps the social fabric smooth 0:04:14.400 --> 0:04:18.880 and intact. Now, with all this in mind, my contact 0:04:19.000 --> 0:04:23.680 in Japan told me to bring some gifts before we arrived. Obviously, 0:04:23.760 --> 0:04:26.480 I want to respect the customs of the country. Generally, 0:04:26.600 --> 0:04:28.680 I do that anyway if I'm going somewhere. It's been 0:04:28.760 --> 0:04:31.000 taught to me in my family. You bring gifts to 0:04:31.040 --> 0:04:34.320 new people that you meet. That's just how it is. Obviously, 0:04:34.400 --> 0:04:36.839 I was not going to turn up empty handed, so 0:04:36.920 --> 0:04:39.240 I asked the contact, what the hell do I bring 0:04:39.320 --> 0:04:42.520 as a gift to illegal street racing petrol heads in 0:04:42.560 --> 0:04:49.200 the gritty suburbs of a Sakka. His response, Max Power magazine. 0:04:50.320 --> 0:04:53.560 I laughed, but he was serious. It's the perfect gift 0:04:53.640 --> 0:04:56.880 for a brit to bring if you're interested in kanjo zoku, 0:04:57.160 --> 0:05:00.839 he told me. Growing up, I remember seeing Max Power 0:05:00.880 --> 0:05:03.800 on the shelves of every news agent in Britain. It 0:05:03.880 --> 0:05:08.120 was a monthly car magazine. Launched in May nineteen ninety three, 0:05:08.160 --> 0:05:11.680 Max Power quickly became the go to publication for what 0:05:11.839 --> 0:05:14.880 was then a rapidly growing buoy at racer culture. In 0:05:14.960 --> 0:05:19.520 the UK, the peak circulation around two hundred and forty 0:05:19.640 --> 0:05:23.200 thousand copies of Max Power was sold every single month. 0:05:24.360 --> 0:05:28.200 In its early years, Max Power showcased modifications such as 0:05:28.240 --> 0:05:33.640 engine swaps, body kits and huge wheel conversions, not too 0:05:33.760 --> 0:05:36.080 far from what the Canjo race is here in Asaka 0:05:36.120 --> 0:05:39.760 Get up to Now, And like the model Civics themselves, 0:05:40.000 --> 0:05:42.960 the visual esthetic of Max Power was very much in 0:05:43.000 --> 0:05:47.160 your face. I wasn't remotely interested in cars back then 0:05:47.200 --> 0:05:49.520 when it was on sale in the UK, but the 0:05:49.520 --> 0:05:52.640 magazine's style would always catch my eye. I remember it. 0:05:52.800 --> 0:05:56.839 I think probably everybody else does. What made Max Power 0:05:56.920 --> 0:06:01.440 unique was its indulgence in car culture contra reversy. The 0:06:01.480 --> 0:06:04.919 magazine would often have coverage of illegal cruise events and 0:06:04.960 --> 0:06:10.880 public burnouts. This drew criticism from police and safety advocates, 0:06:10.920 --> 0:06:14.440 but it also sealed the magazine's notoriety in the underground. 0:06:15.080 --> 0:06:18.560 Despite the haters, Max Power played an outsized role in 0:06:18.600 --> 0:06:23.359 shape and a community and industry tuning shops, aftermarket suppliers, 0:06:23.400 --> 0:06:27.680 custom showers the lot. Reflecting on its cultural legacy, the 0:06:27.720 --> 0:06:31.599 former Max Power editor described this era as a uniquely 0:06:31.839 --> 0:06:36.240 vibrant British car subculture. It wasn't just about horsepower. It 0:06:36.320 --> 0:06:43.440 was about mass individuality, diy creativity and youthful defiance. Now 0:06:43.600 --> 0:06:47.400 surely that rings a bell. The Max Power aligned world 0:06:47.440 --> 0:06:52.000 of British car culture mirrored some aspects of Japan's Kanjo zoku. 0:06:52.560 --> 0:06:55.400 John tells me that racers would even import the magazine 0:06:55.520 --> 0:06:59.360 in English, even if they couldn't read the articles. So 0:07:00.279 --> 0:07:04.200 me to bring over a stack of old Max Power issues. 0:07:05.000 --> 0:07:07.479 I got a load off eBay for about thirty quid 0:07:07.520 --> 0:07:11.760 and stuffed them into my suitcase. Now Here I am 0:07:11.840 --> 0:07:15.040 in Osaka with them all sat in a plastic carrier 0:07:15.080 --> 0:07:17.640 bag as a gift for what is the boss of 0:07:17.720 --> 0:07:22.560 a notorious Kanjo crew in Japan. Suddenly it doesn't feel 0:07:22.640 --> 0:07:25.119 like the good idea it did when I was back home. 0:07:25.720 --> 0:07:28.320 Either way, Once we're all seated, I hand the stack 0:07:28.360 --> 0:07:32.119 of magazines over and we explain the gift. The boss 0:07:32.160 --> 0:07:34.400 band holds them in his hands, briefly looks at the 0:07:34.400 --> 0:07:36.800 first issue on the pile, and hands them off to 0:07:36.840 --> 0:07:41.000 his chainsmoking sidekick. He doesn't even look at them. Neither 0:07:41.040 --> 0:07:44.520 of them are remotely interested. I look at John like 0:07:44.920 --> 0:07:47.920 what the fuck? John shrugs at me and orders a 0:07:47.960 --> 0:07:50.920 round of pints for the table. I can't go into 0:07:51.080 --> 0:07:54.320 exactly what was said at this meeting, but we all 0:07:54.360 --> 0:07:58.119 eventually get chatting about Kanjo. I explain what we're trying 0:07:58.160 --> 0:08:00.720 to do with the award As project, and the boss 0:08:00.720 --> 0:08:03.720 Man likes it a lot. After he gets a little 0:08:03.720 --> 0:08:07.520 more comfortable, he makes a comment about some visible tattoos 0:08:07.760 --> 0:08:10.120 me and one of my guys have on our arms. 0:08:10.920 --> 0:08:14.400 He says he likes them. He grins. This is a 0:08:14.400 --> 0:08:18.040 bit unusual, as tattoos in Japan are seen very differently 0:08:18.440 --> 0:08:21.280 to how they are in the West. Here in Japan, 0:08:21.480 --> 0:08:27.440 there's a complicated and often negative stigma attached to them. Historically, 0:08:27.520 --> 0:08:33.200 they've been associated with criminality, particularly the Yakuza, Japan's most 0:08:33.240 --> 0:08:38.959 notorious organized crime syndicate. Full body tattoos called irazumi, were 0:08:39.080 --> 0:08:41.840 used by Yakuza gang members as a sign of loyalty 0:08:42.160 --> 0:08:47.200 and defiance, making them a visual marker of the underworld. 0:08:47.360 --> 0:08:51.439 Because of this, many public places like bath houses, swimming pools, 0:08:51.480 --> 0:08:55.360 and even weights gyms still ban visible tattoos to this day. 0:08:56.720 --> 0:09:00.440 The perception is gradually shifting, but there is still very 0:09:00.520 --> 0:09:06.280 much an uneasiness about people with tattoos in Japanese culture. So, 0:09:06.480 --> 0:09:10.120 considering the boss Man's comment about our tattoos, I ask 0:09:10.240 --> 0:09:13.440 him if he has any. Honestly, I might half joking 0:09:13.480 --> 0:09:16.600 when I say this, but he nods, looks me right 0:09:16.640 --> 0:09:19.760 in the eye, and rolls up both of his sleeves. 0:09:20.520 --> 0:09:27.520 Traditional irizumi tattoos completely cover his ants your cusa. Suddenly, 0:09:27.600 --> 0:09:30.000 the secrecy of some of this scene begins to take 0:09:30.080 --> 0:09:34.760 on another purpose. I get it some level of organized 0:09:34.800 --> 0:09:37.839 crime is involved with some of these teams, not all 0:09:37.880 --> 0:09:41.600 of them, not the majority, but it's there. The boss 0:09:41.640 --> 0:09:44.679 Man's friends suddenly feel like a bit of an entourage. 0:09:45.000 --> 0:09:47.240 None of them even blink when he pulls out the tats. 0:09:47.559 --> 0:09:51.640 I guess is they all have something similar? Wow? Nice, 0:09:51.760 --> 0:09:55.320 I say. The boss Man grins again, pulls down his sleeves, 0:09:55.600 --> 0:09:59.840 and orders Korean barbecue for all of us. He loosens, 0:10:00.240 --> 0:10:03.280 and after we eat, for some reason, he pulls out 0:10:03.320 --> 0:10:05.240 a little tool he has attached to a set of 0:10:05.280 --> 0:10:09.240 his keys and fiddles with it for ages. It's a small, 0:10:09.360 --> 0:10:13.079 but sharp, spring loaded metal spike, like a flick knife, 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:16.040 but it's a spike, not a blade. It's hardly a 0:10:16.080 --> 0:10:19.080 massively serious weapon, but if you stuck it in your neck, 0:10:19.160 --> 0:10:22.480 I dare say you'd know about it. Seems an unusual 0:10:22.520 --> 0:10:24.679 thing just to whip out at the table, but what 0:10:24.720 --> 0:10:27.480 do I not. At the end of the night, we're 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:29.440 all getting on great and the boss Man takes us 0:10:29.480 --> 0:10:31.640 to see his cat. I can't even tell you what 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:35.400 it is, specifically to protect his identity, but it is 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:39.720 a very very nice and very unique Conde civic. Let's 0:10:39.760 --> 0:10:42.480 just say that he agrees that we'll join him and 0:10:42.480 --> 0:10:45.160 his crew on the Candor Loop late one night this week. 0:10:45.600 --> 0:10:48.800 Perfect he even gives us a gift. He takes his 0:10:48.840 --> 0:10:51.400 little stabber off his keys and hands it to one 0:10:51.480 --> 0:10:55.240 of our team Max Power magazines for a little keyring 0:10:55.280 --> 0:11:13.160 stabber Yakuza weapon. Not a bad exchange at all. A 0:11:13.200 --> 0:11:16.520 few days past and we've heard absolutely nothing from the 0:11:16.559 --> 0:11:20.720 boss Man. Honestly, I'm regutted. He seemed completely genuine about 0:11:20.760 --> 0:11:23.760 the access and rapport we'd built with them. None of 0:11:23.800 --> 0:11:26.360 us really give a shit that he's Yakuza. The whole 0:11:26.360 --> 0:11:29.040 world runs on crime, after all. Some of it's just 0:11:29.120 --> 0:11:32.200 legal because governments do it. It seems unlikely that he 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:35.080 suddenly got cold feet, as if we'd inform on him 0:11:35.160 --> 0:11:38.240 or something. But here we are, and so we take 0:11:38.320 --> 0:11:43.320 up the famous journalists past time. Of waiting around, we 0:11:43.400 --> 0:11:47.080 spend the day enjoying a Saka. We rented a tiny 0:11:47.080 --> 0:11:50.720 house in an area we're told is quote unquote kind 0:11:50.760 --> 0:11:53.320 of the hood. It doesn't feel like that. Though the 0:11:53.320 --> 0:11:56.920 streets are clean, everyone is nice, and crime is largely 0:11:57.000 --> 0:12:00.240 non existent. People don't even change their push bikes up here. 0:12:01.240 --> 0:12:03.720 Each day we go to this little family run cafe 0:12:03.720 --> 0:12:05.959 near the house and we order eggs on toast and 0:12:06.000 --> 0:12:09.080 black coffee. The family there get used to us, and 0:12:09.120 --> 0:12:13.240 we communicate through Google Translate. Tinny Midi style music plays 0:12:13.280 --> 0:12:15.960 in the background from a tape. Every space on the 0:12:15.960 --> 0:12:19.240 wall is covered with something unique and homely. It's one 0:12:19.280 --> 0:12:21.680 of the calmest places I think I've ever been to 0:12:21.880 --> 0:12:25.480 in my entire life. I love it here in the cafe, 0:12:25.880 --> 0:12:29.760 in the Nishinari ward. It is the total opposite of 0:12:29.800 --> 0:12:34.480 the high octane madness of the Osaka street racers. The 0:12:34.520 --> 0:12:38.000 next day there's news there's a reason the boss man 0:12:38.040 --> 0:12:42.040 we met with recently has ghosted us. He's been arrested. 0:12:42.920 --> 0:12:45.800 Nothing to do with racing, not from what we're told, 0:12:45.840 --> 0:12:49.880 at least he was taken in on weapons charges, not 0:12:49.960 --> 0:12:55.840 because of his spring loaded spike, but apparently firearms in 0:12:55.920 --> 0:13:00.319 Japan that is a very big deal. A legal guns 0:13:00.320 --> 0:13:03.680 in Japan are exceptionally rare. The country has some of 0:13:03.720 --> 0:13:07.240 the strictest firearm laws in the world, and as a result, 0:13:07.400 --> 0:13:11.600 gun crime is almost non existent. In an average year, 0:13:11.760 --> 0:13:15.360 the number of shootings across the entire country can usually 0:13:15.360 --> 0:13:19.760 be counted on one hand. Most Japanese citizens will go 0:13:19.880 --> 0:13:23.319 their entire lives without ever even seeing a real firearm 0:13:23.600 --> 0:13:27.880 or even hearing gunshots. Even the yakuza tend to avoid 0:13:28.000 --> 0:13:32.080 using guns because the legal consequences are extremely harsh and 0:13:32.160 --> 0:13:37.960 police raids into their businesses become extremely relentless. Japan's firearm 0:13:38.040 --> 0:13:41.480 and sword possession control laws strictly limits gun ownership to 0:13:41.520 --> 0:13:46.840 shotguns and air rifles under tight regulation. Even those require 0:13:46.880 --> 0:13:52.480 a lengthy licensing process, including written tests, mental health evaluations, 0:13:52.640 --> 0:13:57.960 background checks, and regular police inspections. Handguns are completely banned 0:13:58.000 --> 0:14:01.839 for civilians forget about it. The general public is culturally 0:14:01.880 --> 0:14:05.720 and legally distanced from firearms at all times, and gun 0:14:05.760 --> 0:14:09.960 ownership carries a significant social stigma. If you're call in 0:14:10.000 --> 0:14:13.760 possession of an illegal firearm in Japan. To put it bluntly, 0:14:14.200 --> 0:14:19.080 you are fucked deep trouble. You're potentially looking at ten 0:14:19.240 --> 0:14:22.560 years in prison. Sentencing gets harshit if the gun was 0:14:22.640 --> 0:14:25.120 used in the commission of a crime or is linked 0:14:25.120 --> 0:14:29.040 to organized crime. I hope, for the boss Man's sake, 0:14:29.080 --> 0:14:33.440 he was just collecting somehow, though I doubt it either way. 0:14:33.640 --> 0:14:36.040 Needless to say, we will not be seeing him for 0:14:36.120 --> 0:14:39.160 a while. Even just owning bullets without a gun can 0:14:39.240 --> 0:14:42.480 lead to prison time in Japan, and the judges rarely 0:14:42.520 --> 0:14:47.280 show leniency to anything. Japanese police also have the power 0:14:47.320 --> 0:14:51.360 to investigate aggressively when it comes to gun related offenses. 0:14:51.960 --> 0:14:55.840 As I said, it's raids, surveillance and forensic checks. All 0:14:55.880 --> 0:14:59.800 this is common. People generally do not mess around with guns. 0:15:01.240 --> 0:15:05.000 The system is so airtight that even Japan's underworld mostly 0:15:05.040 --> 0:15:07.880 steer clear of them. So what has happened with the 0:15:07.880 --> 0:15:11.720 boss Man is completely beyond me. If I had to guess, 0:15:11.840 --> 0:15:14.600 seen as he was pretty young and trendy but also 0:15:14.720 --> 0:15:18.080 involved in organized crime. Maybe he wanted a gone just 0:15:18.120 --> 0:15:20.920 for status. I don't know, though. The whole thing is 0:15:20.960 --> 0:15:25.440 a bit mad, so as you can imagine, our contacts 0:15:25.440 --> 0:15:30.800 in this race, crew went cold for now anyway. Luckily 0:15:30.840 --> 0:15:34.320 for us, Kanjo Zoku is not the only street racing 0:15:34.400 --> 0:15:38.520 counterculture here in Japan. Far from it, John happens to 0:15:38.560 --> 0:15:42.400 have contacts with a very different style of underground racing. 0:15:42.960 --> 0:15:45.360 One night, he randomly calls ahead and tells us we're 0:15:45.400 --> 0:15:48.080 going to the outskirts of a Saka. It's about an 0:15:48.080 --> 0:15:50.920 hour's drive away to a smaller town where the mountains 0:15:50.960 --> 0:15:53.480 and nearby. He comes to pick us up in his 0:15:53.760 --> 0:15:56.960 honestly immaculate civic and tells us we're going on a 0:15:57.080 --> 0:16:02.920 drive potentially into the world of toga. To understand the 0:16:03.000 --> 0:16:07.000 Japanese togay scene, you've got to picture the country's spine. 0:16:07.480 --> 0:16:12.160 The winding mountain passes, cutting through dense forests, blurry ridgelines, 0:16:12.200 --> 0:16:17.760 and treacherous switchbacks where visibility often drops to zero. These 0:16:17.800 --> 0:16:22.360 are the backbones of rural Japan. Originally the land of farmers, villagers, 0:16:22.480 --> 0:16:26.160 and monks, but by the late eighties and nineties they 0:16:26.160 --> 0:16:30.200 became the battleground for a specific breed of underground petrol head, 0:16:30.800 --> 0:16:38.480 the Togay races. This is not a fast and furious 0:16:38.480 --> 0:16:43.120 style drag racing scene. This is something much quieter hidden. 0:16:43.360 --> 0:16:47.000 The Togay is onder wraps and is incredibly risky, a 0:16:47.120 --> 0:16:52.600 dance between man, machine and nature. These drivers drift or 0:16:52.640 --> 0:16:55.800 grip their cars down narrow mountain roads at full speed, 0:16:56.320 --> 0:17:00.480 with drops of certain death just feet over the fence line. 0:17:00.640 --> 0:17:03.400 One wrong move and the Togay cars are flying into 0:17:03.440 --> 0:17:08.280 a jagged rock ravine. There is almost no chance of survival. 0:17:09.640 --> 0:17:12.440 This all started when the big city boys of Tokyo 0:17:12.600 --> 0:17:16.680 raised on the Wangang expressways and toll roads around Tokyo Bay. 0:17:17.960 --> 0:17:20.480 The rural and suburban kids had to get their own 0:17:20.520 --> 0:17:23.520 thing going. With no money for track days or toll roads, 0:17:23.840 --> 0:17:27.640 they looked to the mountain passes nearby. These winding roads 0:17:27.680 --> 0:17:33.120 were free, isolated and perfect for testing cornering skills, and 0:17:33.160 --> 0:17:37.120 so togo racing was born. Not necessarily to see who 0:17:37.240 --> 0:17:39.760 was faster in a straight line, but who had the 0:17:39.800 --> 0:17:42.720 precision and the guts to thread the needle through tight 0:17:42.800 --> 0:17:48.160 mountain bends at terrifying speeds. Also, the philosophy was different. 0:17:48.800 --> 0:17:51.959 This was not about octane and speed. This was about rhythm, 0:17:52.400 --> 0:17:57.600 flow and keeping your composure. There is no central Togay organization, 0:17:58.200 --> 0:18:02.000 no league, no official hierarchy. It's different to canjo in 0:18:02.040 --> 0:18:06.560 that respect. Small circles of trust among drivers keep the 0:18:06.600 --> 0:18:10.679 scene active in the underground. In toga, you have to 0:18:10.720 --> 0:18:13.560 prove yourself before you're even allowed to race on the 0:18:13.600 --> 0:18:17.320 mountain pass. Not with money or care or gear, but 0:18:17.400 --> 0:18:23.359 with consistency and commitment. Everyone knows the risks. A crash 0:18:23.400 --> 0:18:26.879 in Togai is worse than a bent bumper or smashed windows. 0:18:27.560 --> 0:18:30.040 If you fuck up here, you're rolling down a mountain 0:18:30.280 --> 0:18:33.840 or slamming into a wall with no ambulances or hospitals 0:18:34.119 --> 0:18:37.960 for miles around. Most Togay races happen in the dead 0:18:38.000 --> 0:18:43.680 of night, no traffic, no witnesses, fewer cops. Walkie talkies, 0:18:43.760 --> 0:18:47.720 burner phones, and encrypted apps are used to coordinate. A 0:18:47.840 --> 0:18:49.840 century is placed at the top and bottom of the 0:18:49.920 --> 0:18:52.920 course to warn if police or other vehicles are coming. 0:18:54.080 --> 0:18:56.760 Some teams even use spotters half way along the route 0:18:56.760 --> 0:19:01.440 with torches or laser pens to signal potential has The 0:19:02.320 --> 0:19:05.480 roads are never really uniform. You can't exactly get used 0:19:05.520 --> 0:19:07.479 to the feel of the road like you can with kanjo. 0:19:08.520 --> 0:19:11.919 Some Togay runs are type technical, full of hairpins and 0:19:11.920 --> 0:19:16.440 steep descents. Others, like the gun passes have more flow 0:19:16.520 --> 0:19:20.960 and open corners, but all are narrow, blind and very dangerous. 0:19:22.400 --> 0:19:25.479 Within the togay scene that there's a clear ideological split 0:19:26.000 --> 0:19:29.879 the grip drivers versus the drifters. Generally, it's seen that 0:19:29.920 --> 0:19:33.840 both come under the same umbrella of togai. Grip racers 0:19:33.880 --> 0:19:39.320 believe in maximum traction, perfect apexes, and precision driving. Always 0:19:40.520 --> 0:19:43.679 their goal is to maintain speed through corners using racing lines, 0:19:43.880 --> 0:19:48.800 breaking points, and tire grip. These guys are usually quiet, disciplined, 0:19:48.920 --> 0:19:53.240 methodical drifters, on the other hand, are all about style 0:19:53.400 --> 0:19:56.920 and control in chaos. They throw the rear end out 0:19:56.920 --> 0:20:01.400 into corners, intentionally breaking traction but keeping control through throttle 0:20:01.760 --> 0:20:07.480 steering and counter steering techniques. It's actually not always the 0:20:07.520 --> 0:20:09.960 fastest way through a corner, but it is definitely the 0:20:10.000 --> 0:20:13.480 coolest way to do it, and to the drifting contingent 0:20:13.560 --> 0:20:18.200 of togai, they feel it's the purest the truth. Many 0:20:18.240 --> 0:20:21.360 togay racers do both. They can grip when they need 0:20:21.400 --> 0:20:23.400 to win and drift when they want to show off 0:20:23.920 --> 0:20:27.879 the best affluent in both dialects of speed. It can 0:20:27.960 --> 0:20:30.199 even be argued that toga is just the place and 0:20:30.400 --> 0:20:46.240 the whole scene, but both are interchangeable. Now, togay cars 0:20:46.280 --> 0:20:49.000 are nothing like the quarter mile drag racing machines you 0:20:49.080 --> 0:20:54.120 might see in places like America. The Japanese counterparts are light, 0:20:54.600 --> 0:20:58.560 nimble and built for twisting roads. Weight reduction is key. 0:20:59.440 --> 0:21:03.960 Like they can racing drivers got the interior, remove rear seats, 0:21:04.160 --> 0:21:07.920 spare tires, and sometimes even replace the doors and bonnets 0:21:07.920 --> 0:21:12.919 with fiberglass or carbon fiber. Popular choices of cars for 0:21:13.040 --> 0:21:17.240 racing on Toge include Toyota A E eighty six, the 0:21:17.359 --> 0:21:21.240 Mazda RX seven, the Nissan Silvia, the Honda Civic and 0:21:21.320 --> 0:21:26.560 Integra type, and the Subaru Impretso Amtsubishi Evil. Engine swaps, 0:21:26.640 --> 0:21:31.160 coil overs, strup bars, roll cages, LSD's, and grippy tires 0:21:31.160 --> 0:21:34.240 are the norm when it can be afforded. No nos, 0:21:34.359 --> 0:21:38.199 nothing flashy, just purpose built machines made to survive the 0:21:38.240 --> 0:21:43.640 mountain's pass. Now, despite togate being highly illegal, the racers 0:21:43.680 --> 0:21:47.560 live by a strict code of conduct. There are unspoken rules. 0:21:48.240 --> 0:21:51.040 Never race in the rain unless you're preparing to die. 0:21:51.440 --> 0:21:54.840 Never endanger civilians if a car is coming, stop the race. 0:21:55.320 --> 0:21:58.160 If you crash, you fix your own mess. No trash 0:21:58.200 --> 0:22:01.240 talking without skill to back it up, and respect the 0:22:01.320 --> 0:22:05.720 mountain always. Togai is not a free for all like 0:22:05.840 --> 0:22:10.680 other underground racing scenes. Here the mountain is sacred not 0:22:10.800 --> 0:22:13.480 just as approving ground, but as a place of honor 0:22:13.560 --> 0:22:18.200 for the racers. Whilst the togai scene is definitely still active, 0:22:18.400 --> 0:22:20.720 as we'll see, it's nothing like it was in the 0:22:20.760 --> 0:22:25.919 mid nineties. Back then toga racing had exploded. There was 0:22:25.960 --> 0:22:28.840 even a whole manga series about it called initial D. 0:22:40.640 --> 0:22:42.800 It's very cool. You might have heard of it. If not, 0:22:42.880 --> 0:22:47.119 check it out. Initial D. Generally, message boards and forums 0:22:47.160 --> 0:22:50.919 on the Internet helped u spread the culture internationally. But 0:22:51.000 --> 0:22:55.160 with more eyes came more heat from the cops. As 0:22:55.200 --> 0:22:59.560 with Kanjo, the Japanese police began cracking down hard night 0:22:59.600 --> 0:23:04.840 patrols in togay areas. Increased penalties for illegal modifications got harsher, 0:23:05.200 --> 0:23:08.000 and if you got court racing or even being associated 0:23:08.040 --> 0:23:11.480 with it, you risk losing your license immediately, having your 0:23:11.480 --> 0:23:15.800 car impounded, or getting a hefty fine. It got serious. 0:23:16.400 --> 0:23:20.119 In some prefectures. A street racing conviction could even tank 0:23:20.160 --> 0:23:23.040 your job prospects or get you kicked out of school. 0:23:24.160 --> 0:23:27.720 Some local governments started installing speed bumps or roadblocks in 0:23:27.800 --> 0:23:33.240 notorious Togay areas. Others set up permanent surveillance. As a result, 0:23:33.440 --> 0:23:38.720 many Togay drivers faded into obscurity. Some moved to sanctioned motorsports. 0:23:39.080 --> 0:23:42.240 Others just got older and stopped. But a few the 0:23:42.320 --> 0:23:47.200 hard core They kept the torch burning. This hard core 0:23:47.240 --> 0:23:50.480 element has endured till today, and there are still Togay 0:23:50.480 --> 0:23:54.280 crews popping up around the country. John tells us we're 0:23:54.320 --> 0:23:57.119 headed to meet a load of them right now, hard 0:23:57.119 --> 0:24:02.480 core underground races adapted to Togay. Apparently they're interested in 0:24:02.560 --> 0:24:06.280 speaking to us. First home, we have to go and 0:24:06.320 --> 0:24:13.680 meet them at a garage on the outskirts. We drive 0:24:13.680 --> 0:24:16.560 out of a saka at night. The more space we 0:24:16.600 --> 0:24:19.399 put between us and the city, the less neon and 0:24:19.440 --> 0:24:23.719 color days. Here, the roads are longer, flatter, and the 0:24:23.720 --> 0:24:26.399 only thing keeping them lit top are led street lights. 0:24:27.640 --> 0:24:30.639 A hazy orange glow every fifty feet points us in 0:24:30.680 --> 0:24:34.639 the right direction. John says he knows these guys well. 0:24:35.040 --> 0:24:37.600 Back in the day, John road around with them, back 0:24:37.600 --> 0:24:40.959 when the car counterculture was widespread, violent, and a lot 0:24:41.040 --> 0:24:45.959 less hidden. We move through the streets and eventually end 0:24:46.040 --> 0:24:49.600 up at the garage. This area is kind of green. 0:24:49.960 --> 0:24:53.480 I like it. There's an extremely loud main road running 0:24:53.520 --> 0:24:56.880 through the town with angry traffic. Even at this time. 0:24:57.840 --> 0:25:00.960 There's rubbish and car deburry gathered in the gutters, and 0:25:01.000 --> 0:25:03.040 you can just feel that this is not the city. 0:25:04.280 --> 0:25:06.720 I grew up in a place not too different from this, 0:25:07.359 --> 0:25:10.080 a backwater that's not so far from the city but 0:25:10.240 --> 0:25:14.200 has none of its poncey airs and graces. Halogen lights 0:25:14.200 --> 0:25:16.840 from inside the garage beam out to the front. There 0:25:16.840 --> 0:25:19.440 were probably one hundred cars here, all lined up next 0:25:19.480 --> 0:25:23.280 to each other in the courtyard. Almost all of them 0:25:23.320 --> 0:25:27.320 are Honda Civics or similarly adjacent Japanese street racing carts. 0:25:28.560 --> 0:25:31.719 The air is thick with the smell of petrol and cigarettes, 0:25:32.440 --> 0:25:36.720 not the best combination. A heavily deckaled civic is pulled 0:25:36.800 --> 0:25:40.439 up out the front. It's been in a crash. The 0:25:40.480 --> 0:25:43.600 marine blue of the chassis is torn through. It looks 0:25:43.600 --> 0:25:45.680 as if a giant claw has attacked it and peeled 0:25:45.720 --> 0:25:49.480 back its skin to the metal nerve endings. The passenger 0:25:49.520 --> 0:25:53.600 door is folded inward, crushed like a cokecan. The windscreen 0:25:53.720 --> 0:25:56.439 is a cobweb of broken glass and the front wheels 0:25:56.440 --> 0:25:59.800 are bent sideways. Whoever drove this didn't die in the 0:26:00.640 --> 0:26:02.560 but they most likely thought they would at the time. 0:26:03.359 --> 0:26:05.919 As I examined the rest of the trash civic, we 0:26:06.000 --> 0:26:10.240 hear voices approaching. Half a dozen young lads and one 0:26:10.280 --> 0:26:14.160 young woman exit the garage. They've all got their faces 0:26:14.200 --> 0:26:18.919 masked in nylon bandanas or straight top balaclavas. This is 0:26:18.960 --> 0:26:21.920 the team we've come to meet. They'll be taking us 0:26:22.080 --> 0:26:37.440 to the mountains next week. You'll hear how we drove 0:26:37.600 --> 0:26:42.040 up a small ravine and drove down it very very fast. 0:26:44.000 --> 0:26:47.160 You've been listening to the Away Days podcast. To watch 0:26:47.200 --> 0:26:51.720 independent Away Days documentaries, subscribe to our channel at YouTube 0:26:51.800 --> 0:26:56.840 dot com slash at away Days TV. Your Wait Days 0:26:56.920 --> 0:27:00.440 podcast is a production of H eleven Studio for Cool 0:27:00.560 --> 0:27:06.760 Zone Media. Reporting, producing, writing, editing and research by me 0:27:07.280 --> 0:27:13.359 Jake Hanrahan, co producing by Sophie Lichterman. Music by Sam Black, 0:27:13.680 --> 0:27:17.680 sound mixed by Splicing Block. Photography by Johnny Pickup and 0:27:17.800 --> 0:27:22.600 Louis Hollis. Graphic design by Laura Adamson and Casey Highfield.