WEBVTT - Racing Down a Secret Mountain 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 0:00:21.680 --> 0:00:23.240 at Away Days TV. 0:00:26.040 --> 0:00:27.160 This is part. 0:00:27.000 --> 0:00:33.880 Three Speed Tribe twenty five, Episode three. This podcast is 0:00:34.040 --> 0:00:37.280 a production of H eleven Studio and Call his Own Media. 0:00:45.280 --> 0:00:47.600 The team of massed up youth that approaches from the 0:00:47.640 --> 0:00:51.599 garage seem a little hesitant to say hi. They're not menacing, 0:00:51.800 --> 0:00:54.920 not at all. If anything, they seem a little bit shy. 0:00:55.800 --> 0:00:59.400 They're all either late teens or mid twenties. Behind them, 0:00:59.480 --> 0:01:02.160 in the garage with its now rayed shutter, there's a 0:01:02.200 --> 0:01:06.360 collection of brightly colored civics with roof to tire decales, 0:01:06.640 --> 0:01:09.880 painted bonnets and nets in the windows. These are to 0:01:09.920 --> 0:01:12.560 obscure the view to stop the police seeing who's driving. 0:01:13.520 --> 0:01:16.679 An older man who owns the garage approaches and explains 0:01:16.720 --> 0:01:19.600 to us that this is the base of Across Racing. 0:01:21.000 --> 0:01:23.520 As a look a bit closer, I notice all the 0:01:23.520 --> 0:01:27.560 civics have the Across logo emblazoned over their back windows. 0:01:28.800 --> 0:01:32.280 Across is a ragtag street racing crew that hits the 0:01:32.360 --> 0:01:36.080 Canjo loop with their distinctive carts. Many of them here 0:01:36.120 --> 0:01:41.039 have decorated their paintwork with Marlborough cigarette packet designs, not 0:01:41.120 --> 0:01:44.000 to promote smoking, but the design on a car is 0:01:44.200 --> 0:01:48.120 just very cool, I'll be honest. One of the civics 0:01:48.120 --> 0:01:50.880 that really stands out belongs to the only woman on 0:01:50.920 --> 0:01:54.560 the team. Her name is Menma and a civic is 0:01:54.640 --> 0:01:59.040 bright turquoise blue with white bordered decals and shiny stickers 0:01:59.320 --> 0:02:04.000 making out the word across on the back. Underground street 0:02:04.040 --> 0:02:08.200 racing in Japan is a male dominated world. I go 0:02:08.280 --> 0:02:10.959 as far to say that it's ninety nine percent men 0:02:11.000 --> 0:02:15.200 that are involved. Memo is an anomaly in this scene. 0:02:16.000 --> 0:02:19.440 She's small, with huge, bright eyes and dyed blonde hair 0:02:19.480 --> 0:02:23.040 poking out of about a claver. She wears high top 0:02:23.160 --> 0:02:26.240 night dunks in the same white and turquoise colors of 0:02:26.360 --> 0:02:31.480 her cat. It is a very cool look. She's shy, 0:02:31.520 --> 0:02:36.800 but she agrees to talk a little. It's usually there's 0:02:36.800 --> 0:02:39.640 not many women in the racing scene here. 0:02:39.960 --> 0:02:41.000 Are you one of the only ones? 0:02:44.400 --> 0:02:47.400 As I'm a woman, I need to race in a 0:02:47.480 --> 0:02:49.560 way so I don't get disrespected. 0:02:50.040 --> 0:02:52.000 What is it you like about street racing? 0:02:52.360 --> 0:02:59.640 A final street. I like this the most you do 0:02:59.760 --> 0:03:03.400 talk or a circuit as long as I can race. 0:03:04.400 --> 0:03:07.400 Obviously, this is very illegal here in Japan. What would 0:03:07.400 --> 0:03:10.120 happen if the police caught you? 0:03:10.560 --> 0:03:11.760 We run away? 0:03:12.480 --> 0:03:15.000 Does your family know you do this racing? 0:03:16.280 --> 0:03:16.960 Sometimes? 0:03:18.240 --> 0:03:21.800 Culture in Japan is quite conservative. A legal street racing 0:03:21.880 --> 0:03:24.600 is obviously something that a lot of people there wouldn't like. 0:03:25.120 --> 0:03:27.320 What do you think the reaction would be if people 0:03:27.400 --> 0:03:28.200 knew you were doing this? 0:03:31.480 --> 0:03:34.119 I think they would think it's a nuisance, but more 0:03:34.160 --> 0:03:37.320 fun which wins, so I keep racing. 0:03:38.360 --> 0:03:39.280 It makes it more fun. 0:03:39.640 --> 0:03:42.320 Okay, what do you think about the police here? 0:03:44.520 --> 0:03:46.640 I'm sure it's tough for them and they probably have 0:03:46.680 --> 0:03:49.520 a lot on but it'd be nice if they spent 0:03:49.640 --> 0:03:52.640 their time on things other than civics. 0:03:53.560 --> 0:03:56.880 Without revealing too much about yourself when you're not racing, 0:03:56.920 --> 0:03:59.320 what do you do like in normal life? 0:04:00.800 --> 0:04:07.960 If I'm not racing, working, fishing, an I ride my bike? 0:04:09.240 --> 0:04:11.560 Can you tell me what it feels like when you're racing? 0:04:11.560 --> 0:04:13.840 How does it feel to you? 0:04:13.960 --> 0:04:19.200 It's scary, but the feeling of wanting to win is stronger. 0:04:21.560 --> 0:04:24.200 How did you get into racing? How do you find 0:04:24.200 --> 0:04:24.800 out about it? 0:04:26.520 --> 0:04:28.120 A childhood friend introduced me. 0:04:29.960 --> 0:04:34.920 Are you fast drive fast? So? 0:04:36.240 --> 0:04:40.599 By so so she means yes, very fast across is 0:04:40.640 --> 0:04:43.920 generally seen as a kanjo crew. These are not exactly 0:04:44.160 --> 0:04:47.760 drift cars. They go very fast down the Handschin Expressway. 0:04:48.400 --> 0:04:50.920 So I wonder why we're here, ready to go up 0:04:50.960 --> 0:04:55.040 a mountain far away from Saka. Turns out the team 0:04:55.080 --> 0:04:58.640 are currently not racing the canjo right now. Their boss, 0:04:58.680 --> 0:05:01.320 the older guy who runs the gar bridge, has decided 0:05:01.400 --> 0:05:03.840 it's a bit too hot with the law enforcement and 0:05:03.960 --> 0:05:07.719 surveillance checks. I'm guessing this has something to do with 0:05:07.800 --> 0:05:10.520 the smashed up civic we saw on the way in. 0:05:12.839 --> 0:05:15.919 Young lad in a white Balaklava who uses the name Hero, 0:05:16.240 --> 0:05:19.440 explains to me that that is his car. He's just 0:05:19.560 --> 0:05:24.840 eighteen and he was in a police chase recently. Now, 0:05:25.000 --> 0:05:28.480 in Japan, a police chase isn't quite what you might think. 0:05:29.480 --> 0:05:33.279 Japan active pursuit is far more restricted than in most 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:37.560 Western countries. There's a much bigger emphasis on public safety 0:05:37.640 --> 0:05:42.960 over immediate apprehension. The National Police Agency guidelines state that 0:05:43.080 --> 0:05:49.560 officers must prioritize avoiding accidents, especially in densely populated areas. 0:05:50.440 --> 0:05:53.960 Perfect if you're a cando fugitive in hot pursuit, the 0:05:54.040 --> 0:05:59.320 getaway is strongly in your favor. Japanese police are trained 0:05:59.360 --> 0:06:02.520 to weigh the risk of a chase against the seriousness 0:06:02.560 --> 0:06:06.560 of the perceived offense. Pursuits are generally only allowed when 0:06:06.600 --> 0:06:10.240 the suspect is believed to have committed a serious crime, 0:06:10.760 --> 0:06:15.080 which dangerous driving comes under. In Japan, street racers are 0:06:15.120 --> 0:06:19.000 on their radar. The police are instructed to consider factors 0:06:19.279 --> 0:06:24.679 like traffic density, weather, road conditions, and pedestrian presence before 0:06:24.720 --> 0:06:29.479 engaging in the chase. If the pursuit is likely to 0:06:29.560 --> 0:06:33.400 endanger the public, officers are required to back down by law. 0:06:34.160 --> 0:06:38.240 Speed limits still technically apply to police vehicles, but they 0:06:38.279 --> 0:06:40.960 can be exceeded if lights and sirens are used, and 0:06:41.000 --> 0:06:45.000 the pursuit is officially justified. Just like any other country. 0:06:46.040 --> 0:06:51.560 That said, official justification is narrowly defined, and supervisors on 0:06:51.600 --> 0:06:54.560 the radio are often involved in the decision to continue 0:06:54.880 --> 0:06:58.960 or call off a chase. Legally, if a chase results 0:06:59.000 --> 0:07:02.479 in injury or to a third party, and the pursuit 0:07:02.560 --> 0:07:06.839 is deemed unnecessary or reckless, the officers and the department 0:07:06.880 --> 0:07:11.200 can face civil liability and in some cases, even criminal charges. 0:07:12.320 --> 0:07:17.120 The cautious approach stems from Japan's broader policing philosophy crime 0:07:17.160 --> 0:07:23.480 prevention and measured response over higher risk enforcement. As a result, 0:07:23.760 --> 0:07:28.040 genuine Hollywood style high speed pursuits are very rare in Japan, 0:07:28.480 --> 0:07:31.200 and when they do happen, they are usually in rural 0:07:31.240 --> 0:07:36.640 areas with lighter traffic and clearer visibility. To avoid dangerous 0:07:36.680 --> 0:07:41.880 high speed chases, Japan relies heavily on alternative methods. These 0:07:41.920 --> 0:07:46.440 include setting up roadblocks using spike strips, or deploying unmarked 0:07:46.640 --> 0:07:50.880 ghost cars to shadow suspects until a safer arrest is possible. 0:07:51.920 --> 0:07:56.160 In urban areas, surveillance cameras and licensed plate recognition systems 0:07:56.520 --> 0:07:59.880 often allowed police to track a suspect later without an 0:08:00.040 --> 0:08:04.800 idiot confrontation. This is what happened to hero He was 0:08:04.880 --> 0:08:07.400 racing around the loop when police pulled him behind him, 0:08:07.840 --> 0:08:09.880 he took off. They put the foot on the gas, 0:08:10.240 --> 0:08:13.560 but ultimately Heroes driving skills and the public traffic helped 0:08:13.600 --> 0:08:17.440 him get away, not before the cops caught his license plate, 0:08:17.480 --> 0:08:21.240 though for whatever reason, he didn't have the plate flipped 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:23.720 up on its hinges, and the police found out his. 0:08:23.720 --> 0:08:24.920 Address through registration. 0:08:25.720 --> 0:08:28.720 A few weeks Later, a morning raid on Hero's house 0:08:28.760 --> 0:08:34.959 found him arrested, charged and released on bail. He laughs 0:08:35.000 --> 0:08:37.280 about it now and explains how he went back out 0:08:37.360 --> 0:08:40.560 racing any way and totld his car, crashing into a 0:08:40.600 --> 0:08:44.199 barrier on a stiff turn. No wonder their captain doesn't 0:08:44.240 --> 0:08:59.000 want a cross on the Canjo right now. Kanjo races 0:08:59.000 --> 0:09:01.880 in a Sacker are a course notorious for the defiance 0:09:01.920 --> 0:09:05.280 of the law. One of their most brazen tactics is 0:09:05.320 --> 0:09:09.160 called boxing in when you guessed it, they box in 0:09:09.200 --> 0:09:14.160 police cars during late night runs. When police attempt to 0:09:14.160 --> 0:09:17.839 intervene in a multi car race, the drivers sometimes coordinate 0:09:17.920 --> 0:09:22.240 to trap the patrol car between the multiple vehicles. Two 0:09:22.360 --> 0:09:25.679 or more cars will position themselves in front, beside, and 0:09:25.800 --> 0:09:29.440 behind police, slowing or blocking its movement while the rest 0:09:29.480 --> 0:09:33.080 of the crew scatters. This isn't just a getaway method. 0:09:33.160 --> 0:09:37.040 It's also a deliberate act of mockery. There are several 0:09:37.160 --> 0:09:40.680 videos out there showing this tactic on the Handchin Expressway 0:09:41.040 --> 0:09:45.160 with goofy music and mocking captions. It's pretty funny, honestly. 0:09:46.120 --> 0:09:49.360 Drivers will also sometimes weave aggressively in front of the 0:09:49.400 --> 0:09:53.120 patrol car, break check it, or rev loudly forcing their 0:09:53.200 --> 0:09:58.480 officers into a frustrating standoff. Police are constrained by the 0:09:58.559 --> 0:10:03.200 aforementioned strict shoot rules. They're hamstrung. They can't really respond 0:10:03.240 --> 0:10:06.000 with the same aggression without risking disciplinary action. 0:10:06.640 --> 0:10:07.600 Too bad. 0:10:08.200 --> 0:10:11.679 The Kanjo crews exploit these limits, knowing the officers are 0:10:11.840 --> 0:10:15.840 unlikely to engage in risky maneuvers in heavy traffic or 0:10:15.880 --> 0:10:20.400 at extreme speeds beyond the immediate tactic. This behavior feeds 0:10:20.440 --> 0:10:25.480 into the Kando subculture's anti authority image. It reinforces their 0:10:25.520 --> 0:10:29.920 reputation for outsmarting and goading the police on their own turf. 0:10:31.000 --> 0:10:34.720 In a society as strict and rule following as Japan, 0:10:35.320 --> 0:10:39.840 this really defines them as serious outlaws. The crew explain 0:10:39.920 --> 0:10:41.560 to us that they're going to take us for a 0:10:41.600 --> 0:10:45.720 different kind of race. One lad is very excited about this. 0:10:46.160 --> 0:10:48.640 He pops the bonnet of his car, which is painted 0:10:48.800 --> 0:10:52.520 purple and white in the Marlborough design, and points laughing 0:10:52.640 --> 0:10:56.320 at the paint on the inside. It's Japan's imperial flag 0:10:57.000 --> 0:11:03.160 oh i say, commonly known as the Rising Sun flag. 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:07.199 It features a red sum with sixteen rays extending outwards. 0:11:07.520 --> 0:11:10.760 It's obviously different from the national flag which is the 0:11:10.800 --> 0:11:15.160 simple red circle on a white field rising sun design 0:11:15.240 --> 0:11:19.760 has ancient roots in Japanese mythology and Shinto beliefs, where 0:11:19.760 --> 0:11:24.200 the sun goddess amit Arasu is central. The flag was 0:11:24.240 --> 0:11:28.160 officially adopted as the war flag of the Imperial Japanese 0:11:28.280 --> 0:11:32.280 Army in eighteen seventy, and later used by the Imperial 0:11:32.400 --> 0:11:37.800 Navy as well across East and Southeast Asia, especially in 0:11:37.880 --> 0:11:41.240 Korea and China. It's viewed as a symbol of Japanese 0:11:41.320 --> 0:11:46.360 militarism and imperial aggression during World War Two. Its resemblance 0:11:46.440 --> 0:11:50.320 to a military insignia tied to occupation, war crimes and 0:11:50.360 --> 0:11:56.240 colonialism makes it deeply controversial in those regions. So many 0:11:56.320 --> 0:11:59.319 Japanese people though the flag is just a traditional symbol 0:11:59.360 --> 0:12:03.520 of good fort, dune power and national pride. It's still 0:12:03.600 --> 0:12:07.240 used today by the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, even 0:12:08.400 --> 0:12:12.200 it continues to appear at sporting events, festivals, and by 0:12:12.320 --> 0:12:17.959 nationalist groups. The flag's meaning is heavily context dependent, seen 0:12:18.000 --> 0:12:21.480 by some as cultural heritage and by others as a 0:12:21.480 --> 0:12:27.199 painful reminder of wartime atrocities. For these lot racing one 0:12:27.240 --> 0:12:29.679 of them explains to me that It's just seen as 0:12:29.679 --> 0:12:33.760 a good luck charm of sorts, nothing politically loaded about it. 0:12:36.640 --> 0:12:39.080 So with the Kanjo loop off the cards, the crew 0:12:39.120 --> 0:12:41.160 tells us that were taking the civics up to a 0:12:41.240 --> 0:12:45.240 mountain road to grip round corners at extreme high speed. 0:12:45.920 --> 0:12:48.960 I agreed to go with them, somewhat reluctantly, but at 0:12:49.000 --> 0:12:53.720 the same time excited to see what they do. Because 0:12:53.960 --> 0:12:55.960 line up in a convoy at the front of the 0:12:56.000 --> 0:13:00.720 garage a row of souped up, multi colored Civics, all 0:13:00.760 --> 0:13:06.600 with custom designs, lowered frames, and sparkly across iconography pasted 0:13:06.720 --> 0:13:10.520 across the windows. The drivers get into their cars and 0:13:10.559 --> 0:13:15.240 they all rev in unison. I can feel the vibration 0:13:15.360 --> 0:13:18.280 of the engines raw in my chest. I hop into 0:13:18.280 --> 0:13:21.880 one of the cars. Inside, every side panel has been 0:13:22.000 --> 0:13:25.640 ripped off so you can see the full inner workings. 0:13:25.080 --> 0:13:25.600 Of the car. 0:13:26.240 --> 0:13:29.320 They do this for weight. The interior car handle is 0:13:29.559 --> 0:13:33.320 literally just a metal wire. The two back seats are 0:13:33.360 --> 0:13:36.959 ripped out. All that's back there is metal pipes, molded 0:13:37.000 --> 0:13:41.400 tire trim, and a DII rollcage bolted into the exposed chassis. 0:13:41.800 --> 0:13:45.040 It's like a cockpit built by H. R. Geigert even 0:13:45.080 --> 0:13:47.920 the interior roof panel is removed. We're about to zoom 0:13:47.960 --> 0:13:50.840 down the road in a metal can with precision brake 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:54.439 power and a custom paint job. Not a single piece 0:13:54.480 --> 0:13:56.400 of this civic has been left as is. 0:13:57.120 --> 0:13:57.760 I love it. 0:14:01.040 --> 0:14:04.160 Once everyone is in position, the order in which across 0:14:04.200 --> 0:14:08.040 the sides is the hierarchy. Today we all pull off. 0:14:09.040 --> 0:14:11.720 There's no casual drive to the mountain. These lot are 0:14:11.800 --> 0:14:15.800 racing the whole way there. It's midnight now. We fly 0:14:15.920 --> 0:14:18.360 through the streets, and each civic lights up the road 0:14:18.400 --> 0:14:20.200 as the cars weave in and out of each other. 0:14:21.400 --> 0:14:23.800 At one point we pass a police car going the 0:14:23.840 --> 0:14:26.800 other way on the side of the road. We're traveling 0:14:26.840 --> 0:14:29.960 at least forty miles per hour above speed limit, all 0:14:30.000 --> 0:14:32.960 in a convoy of half a dozen very distinctive cars. 0:14:33.480 --> 0:14:35.920 There is no denying that these are for street racing. 0:14:36.520 --> 0:14:39.040 My driver is wearing a ski mask and half of 0:14:39.080 --> 0:14:42.280 his window is obscured with netting. Look, he laughs in 0:14:42.320 --> 0:14:45.960 English Japanese police. He puts his foot on the pedal 0:14:46.000 --> 0:14:48.280 and we peel off so fast. I don't even know 0:14:48.320 --> 0:14:51.280 if the cops switched on the lights and sirens. They're 0:14:51.360 --> 0:14:51.880 fast gone. 0:14:51.920 --> 0:14:52.440 In the mirror. 0:14:52.960 --> 0:14:54.600 I'd be lying if I said I don't feel the 0:14:54.640 --> 0:14:58.480 same adrenaline rush as the street racers right now. It's dangerous, 0:14:58.920 --> 0:15:02.520 unfair and anti social, but it is still true that 0:15:02.640 --> 0:15:11.680 it's exhilarating. After around an hour on the road, we 0:15:11.880 --> 0:15:14.480 end up at the bottom of a valley. It's pitch 0:15:14.560 --> 0:15:17.720 black and only random highway lights and the civics expose 0:15:17.800 --> 0:15:21.840 the scene in front of us. I see rock faces 0:15:21.880 --> 0:15:24.280 and lush trees here and there leading up the mountain, 0:15:24.880 --> 0:15:27.160 or at least I think it's a mountain. It looks 0:15:27.160 --> 0:15:29.000 a bit like one to me, and that's what everyone's 0:15:29.000 --> 0:15:31.680 calling it for shorthand, so we'll go with the mountain. 0:15:33.160 --> 0:15:35.400 We're all parked at a yellow gate with the engines 0:15:35.480 --> 0:15:38.800 ticking over right now. This mountain road is closed for 0:15:38.840 --> 0:15:43.680 the night. No one can drive through. It's restricted somehow, 0:15:43.680 --> 0:15:46.360 though one of the cross members manages to get the 0:15:46.400 --> 0:15:49.800 gate open. It swings out the way and we all 0:15:49.920 --> 0:15:54.000 roar up the mountain. The roads I notice are perfect. 0:15:55.560 --> 0:15:57.720 It strikes me that to try this back home in 0:15:57.840 --> 0:16:01.800 England would be even more deadly, seen as our roads 0:16:01.800 --> 0:16:05.960 look like they've been hit with several meteor showers. Now 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:09.720 allow me to tell you about British roads. British roads, 0:16:09.840 --> 0:16:14.960 especially in recent years, are a fucking disaster. Mostly to 0:16:15.000 --> 0:16:18.360 blame is, of course, the government, especially local governments, who 0:16:18.360 --> 0:16:22.000 spend their budgets on just about anything else but the tarmac. 0:16:22.680 --> 0:16:26.920 Potholes are absolutely everywhere. It's so common they've basically become 0:16:27.000 --> 0:16:31.520 a running joke. Repair work is slow, patchy, and often 0:16:31.640 --> 0:16:36.640 poorly executed. Councils claim they lack funding, but central government 0:16:36.720 --> 0:16:41.520 investment in road maintenance has consistently lagged behind what's needed. 0:16:42.440 --> 0:16:47.520 Instead of tackling long term resurfacing, authorities often opt for cheap, 0:16:47.720 --> 0:16:51.680 temporary fixes that crumble after a few months, leading to 0:16:51.720 --> 0:16:56.960 the same stretch being repaired over and over again. I've 0:16:57.040 --> 0:17:01.480 genuinely seen similarly damaged roads in the combas in East Ukraine, 0:17:02.000 --> 0:17:06.200 and they're at war. Britain is not. Our road network 0:17:06.280 --> 0:17:09.080 is crumbling under the strain of heavy use, bad weather, 0:17:09.280 --> 0:17:14.280 and minimal upkeep. With that, serious, well funded intervention is 0:17:14.480 --> 0:17:19.439 only going to get much worse. Japan, however, is of 0:17:19.480 --> 0:17:24.680 course the total opposite. They are exceptionally good at building roads, 0:17:25.040 --> 0:17:28.480 especially through mountainous terrain like where we're at right now. 0:17:29.160 --> 0:17:32.159 This skill has been built out of necessity. As around 0:17:32.200 --> 0:17:36.240 seventy percent of the country is mountainous, engineers have had 0:17:36.240 --> 0:17:40.000 to master creating safe, durable routes in places where the 0:17:40.080 --> 0:17:44.840 landscape is anything but forgiving. Japanese mountain pass roads like 0:17:44.920 --> 0:17:49.280 these are often feats of precision, blending advanced civil engineering 0:17:49.600 --> 0:17:54.080 with a careful sense of safety and efficiency. You'll find 0:17:54.240 --> 0:17:58.520 winding togay routes with perfect cambers for corners, cautiously designed 0:17:58.600 --> 0:18:02.320 drainage systems to handle heads, and retaining walls built to 0:18:02.320 --> 0:18:08.199 withstand both landslides and earthquakes. Many roads use tunnels and 0:18:08.440 --> 0:18:12.760 elevated sections to reduce sharp gradients, making them easier to 0:18:12.840 --> 0:18:17.600 drive and less prone to weather closures. In winter heavy regions, 0:18:17.880 --> 0:18:22.280 road heating systems and snow shelters keep mountain passes open 0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:27.680 when they'd be impassable elsewhere. It's incredible. The asphalt quality 0:18:27.840 --> 0:18:32.040 is also usually top notch, with smooth surfaces and clearly 0:18:32.080 --> 0:18:37.119 marked lanes, even in remote areas. Barriers and signs are 0:18:37.119 --> 0:18:40.719 well maintained, and reflective paint is common for night driving. 0:18:41.800 --> 0:18:44.760 While of the countries might treat mountain roads as secondary, 0:18:45.320 --> 0:18:49.960 Japan treats them as lifelines. Essential for connecting rural communities. 0:18:50.720 --> 0:18:53.639 We could do with some of that in England. The 0:18:53.680 --> 0:18:56.840 result here is some of the most reliable and well 0:18:56.880 --> 0:19:00.960 crafted mountain pass roads in the world and seeing utility 0:19:01.200 --> 0:19:05.040 with a scenic driving pleasure. As you can imagine, this 0:19:05.200 --> 0:19:09.879 also makes them absolutely perfect for a legal nighttime a 0:19:10.040 --> 0:19:31.080 toge racing. After about five minutes driving up the mountain, 0:19:31.440 --> 0:19:33.840 we pull up to a scene of bright haired lights, 0:19:34.240 --> 0:19:38.320 full dark tints and incredible livery on each and every car. 0:19:39.440 --> 0:19:42.560 There's about a dozen here right now. It's a well 0:19:42.600 --> 0:19:45.720 known road for the underground racing, and tonight we've got 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:50.000 lucky racers from all different generations have come to put 0:19:50.000 --> 0:19:53.359 the tire to the tarmac. We get out the cars 0:19:53.359 --> 0:19:55.600 and the across team explains to the are the races 0:19:55.600 --> 0:19:58.119 what we're here for? They laugh and ask if we 0:19:58.240 --> 0:19:59.920 really plan to go down the road with them with 0:20:00.080 --> 0:20:03.960 the passenger. All right, nods, feeling like I don't quite 0:20:04.040 --> 0:20:07.080 know what I'm in for. Whilst my work is quite 0:20:07.119 --> 0:20:11.239 hectic and often dangerous, I am most definitely not an 0:20:11.280 --> 0:20:15.080 adrenaline junkie. I think my favorite hobby outside of the 0:20:15.119 --> 0:20:18.800 boxing gym, is chilling out and doing fuck all it 0:20:18.920 --> 0:20:21.200 is not a life goal of mine to risk death 0:20:21.320 --> 0:20:24.440 going god knows how fast down a mountain pass in 0:20:24.480 --> 0:20:25.280 a Honda Civic. 0:20:26.160 --> 0:20:26.920 But here we are. 0:20:28.880 --> 0:20:30.840 One of the across guys points out one of the 0:20:30.880 --> 0:20:33.840 older heads. He's a tall fellow dressed in all black 0:20:33.880 --> 0:20:38.040 designer clothes with his hair dyed dark blonde. His car 0:20:38.119 --> 0:20:40.960 is deep navy all over with a red trim on 0:20:41.040 --> 0:20:43.920 his back window. He has the sticker of Temple Racing. 0:20:44.560 --> 0:20:47.320 He is a true oji of the underground scene here 0:20:47.359 --> 0:20:51.359 in Japan. Now, Temple Racing is one of the most 0:20:51.560 --> 0:20:55.919 legendary crews in a SACA and beyond. Their roots go 0:20:56.000 --> 0:20:59.920 back to nineteen seventy eight in Higashi Sumayoshi, a saka. 0:21:00.720 --> 0:21:04.399 Their team name came from Simon Temple, the character in 0:21:04.440 --> 0:21:08.040 the British TV series The Saint, chosen by the team's 0:21:08.080 --> 0:21:12.399 early leader. You really like that show. Like all Kanjo crews, 0:21:12.560 --> 0:21:16.760 Temple Racing operated within a system of unwritten rules. Every 0:21:16.760 --> 0:21:19.239 team had its own turf on the Kanjo loop, and 0:21:19.320 --> 0:21:23.720 stepping onto another cruise territory without respect could cause conflict. 0:21:24.720 --> 0:21:27.520 Temple Racing was one of those crews you did not 0:21:27.560 --> 0:21:30.879 want to mess around with. Their cars were synonymous with 0:21:30.920 --> 0:21:34.560 the stripped out Honda Civic hatchbacks, the EF nine's, the 0:21:34.600 --> 0:21:38.800 EG six's, and the e K fours. Temple decorated their 0:21:38.840 --> 0:21:43.439 cars with racing inspired liveries modeled after Group A touring cars. 0:21:44.160 --> 0:21:48.960 Temple's cars were built for performance and anonymity, gutted interiors, 0:21:49.119 --> 0:21:54.080 functional arrow mismatched wheels, rough paint jobs, and distinctive camouflage 0:21:54.119 --> 0:21:58.560 patterns to make them harder to identify at speed. Drivers 0:21:58.600 --> 0:22:02.000 often wore masks or covered their faces to protect their identities, 0:22:02.280 --> 0:22:06.480 and cars would sometimes carry false number plates. Despite the 0:22:06.480 --> 0:22:09.959 police crackdown and the withering of the Kanjo scene, clearly 0:22:10.000 --> 0:22:13.600 Temple Racing is still around. To some degree, Temple Racing 0:22:13.720 --> 0:22:16.040 is more than just a name. The guys tell me 0:22:16.080 --> 0:22:19.840 that this fella here is the best downhill grip racer around. 0:22:20.320 --> 0:22:23.800 Temple embodies the scene's loyalty to one's crew, respect for 0:22:23.840 --> 0:22:26.520 the roads, and the refusal to let the culture fade 0:22:26.560 --> 0:22:30.199 into history. If Kando Zoku is a living history of 0:22:30.240 --> 0:22:34.160 Japan's outlaw street racers, Temple Racing is one of its 0:22:34.200 --> 0:22:37.639 most important chapters. They live through the Golden era and 0:22:37.680 --> 0:22:41.159 are still racing around. These guys believe still that the 0:22:41.280 --> 0:22:44.160 roads belong to the brave, and it turns out this 0:22:44.200 --> 0:22:48.439 guy will be racing alongside us. After about thirty minutes 0:22:48.480 --> 0:22:51.879 of discussion, sending off younger lookouts to check the roads 0:22:51.880 --> 0:22:55.280 and examining each other's cars, is decided that the race 0:22:55.440 --> 0:22:59.199 is on. Eight cars all line up in order. The 0:22:59.320 --> 0:23:02.040 roads are far too narrow to overtake at high speed, 0:23:02.400 --> 0:23:04.760 so I'm not too sure how one wins the race. 0:23:05.320 --> 0:23:08.320 Each person I ask is a different explanation, but I 0:23:08.359 --> 0:23:12.199 think it works like this. The cars zoom down the 0:23:12.240 --> 0:23:16.840 steep mountain road in single file, high speed controlled turning. 0:23:17.600 --> 0:23:19.639 Then when they get to the bottom, where there's a 0:23:19.720 --> 0:23:24.040 wider area to maneuver, they all quickly swerve back around, 0:23:24.440 --> 0:23:26.639 trying to get their car up the hill in a 0:23:26.640 --> 0:23:30.480 better position than when they came down it. I think 0:23:30.520 --> 0:23:33.320 that's how it works anyway. Honestly, the thrill of the 0:23:33.400 --> 0:23:36.400 chase is more what they're after right now, rather than 0:23:36.480 --> 0:23:40.159 a coherent race system. With street racing clamped down on 0:23:40.400 --> 0:23:42.800 so hard by the cops, they all have to just 0:23:42.840 --> 0:23:46.480 take what they can. I'm feeling nervous if one of 0:23:46.520 --> 0:23:49.720 these drivers makes a mistake. We're looking at certain death 0:23:49.760 --> 0:23:51.960 if the car mounts the small fence at the side 0:23:52.000 --> 0:23:55.359 of the road. It's not great either way. I hop 0:23:55.359 --> 0:23:57.840 into one of the curs of the across lads and 0:23:57.880 --> 0:24:01.720 await patiently as the engine's rev in anticipation for the 0:24:01.720 --> 0:24:06.080 go signal. I strap myself in with the X shaped 0:24:06.240 --> 0:24:07.359 four point seat belt. 0:24:07.680 --> 0:24:08.760 I say a small prayer. 0:24:09.080 --> 0:24:11.760 A few minutes past the spot at the front of 0:24:11.800 --> 0:24:14.760 the queue puts his hand up. It's time to go. 0:24:18.359 --> 0:24:21.439 The cars in front pull off at warp speed. My 0:24:21.600 --> 0:24:25.040 driver slams the gearstick and stamps the pedals. The Civic 0:24:25.119 --> 0:24:27.800 burst forward, and before I can even catch my breath, 0:24:28.080 --> 0:24:31.560 we're taking The first corner breaks a pumped the wheel stick, 0:24:31.600 --> 0:24:34.520 and we grip around the bend with total precision. To 0:24:34.640 --> 0:24:37.359 my left is a blurred, jagged rock face. To the 0:24:37.480 --> 0:24:40.119 right a darkness below over the fence line that the 0:24:40.200 --> 0:24:42.960 speed we're going, we tear right through it. In front 0:24:42.960 --> 0:24:45.359 and behind us, the headlights of the other cars shake 0:24:45.560 --> 0:24:49.000 and sliders. We speed down the course. Driver man handles 0:24:49.000 --> 0:24:51.280 the steering wheel as if he's fighting for his life. 0:24:51.600 --> 0:24:53.760 The car jolts from side to side as we pick 0:24:53.840 --> 0:24:55.720 up speed, tear through sharp. 0:24:55.440 --> 0:24:56.359 Corners, like nothing. 0:24:56.880 --> 0:24:59.480 My hands are so tightly gripped around my seat belt 0:24:59.600 --> 0:25:02.359 that they The driver looks at me quick and bursts 0:25:02.400 --> 0:25:03.000 out laughing. 0:25:03.440 --> 0:25:06.520 I laugh too, This is crazy. The car is a 0:25:06.600 --> 0:25:07.600 roller coaster. 0:25:07.400 --> 0:25:11.359 With tinted windows and scorched tires. The engine screams at 0:25:11.400 --> 0:25:15.040 a steady pitch. Piston's working overtime. As the crank shaft 0:25:15.119 --> 0:25:18.679 spins fast enough to shake the striped chassis, heat builds 0:25:18.760 --> 0:25:22.040 up under the bonnet. Cooling fans were keeping it in check. 0:25:22.160 --> 0:25:25.800 Each gear chain jolts through the transmission, sharp and carrying 0:25:25.840 --> 0:25:28.760 weight at high speed. We finish the Trosen course, then 0:25:28.760 --> 0:25:31.680 spin around and fly straight back up it. I can't 0:25:31.680 --> 0:25:33.600 even tell it. We're in a better position than before, 0:25:33.880 --> 0:25:36.040 but I can see the Temple racing car spin off 0:25:36.080 --> 0:25:38.840 even faster than we are. My driver eases off the 0:25:38.840 --> 0:25:41.840 throttle for a heartbeat. As we take another corner, the 0:25:41.880 --> 0:25:44.800 car slides, he stamps back on it. The rear tires 0:25:44.840 --> 0:25:47.639 lose grip for a moment, sliding across the tarmac in 0:25:47.680 --> 0:25:51.480