Should you’ve seen latest automotive information media from Japan, likelihood is it talked about police crackdowns or the decline of the nation’s automotive scene.
Whereas it could be true of Tokyo to some extent, Osaka tells a special story. In the course of the one latest night time I spent with some locals, I witnessed the colourful coronary heart of Kansai automotive tradition.
Let’s begin at CBC (Automobile Boys Membership), a neighborhood storage run by Ikegami-san. CBC is a pure interest enterprise, the place Ikegami-san and his buddies commit evenings and weekends to all issues Honda.
Parked outdoors the workshop was Ikegami-san’s B16A-powered and JACCS-liveried EF9 Civic SiR, which was certainly one of my favorite Hondas at this yr’s Assault Tsukuba occasion. Ikegami-san clocked a powerful 1’02.740 lap, a super-impressive time for a stock-bodied, naturally aspirated automotive.
Inside, the store mirrors many different Japanese garages we’ve explored: a treasure trove of components, trinkets, and equipment – some priceless, some not – however all creating the unmistakable vibe of a JDM automotive workspace.
This trio of Civics are Ikegami-san and his buddies’ initiatives. Whilst you would possibly count on them to be constructed for the notorious Kanjo Loop, Ikegami-san focuses most of his vitality on the racetrack. He’s an everyday at Central Circuit simply an hour from Osaka – a favorite amongst Honda fans and even host to a Honda ‘one-make’ race.
Leaving CBC, we cruised the Osaka low roads, Ikegami-san’s EF9 on the again of his truck, Honoka in her EK9 Civic Kind R, and one other buddy in a superbly easy EG Civic.
Filling up at a neighborhood gas station, the distant sounds of Hondas, Nissans, and bosozoku stuffed the air. This was a stark distinction to Tokyo’s late-night automotive tradition, the place crackdowns have pushed spirited driving to town outskirts. Even the long-lasting Shibuya weekend gatherings have change into fewer and farther between.
Kanto (Tokyo) and Kansai (Osaka) automotive types differ considerably. In Kansai, there’s an enthralling disregard for issues like exhaust silencers and entrance licence plates. It’s what makes the automotive tradition right here so vibrant. Osaka’s modified automotive homeowners take pleasure in making noise and testing driving legal guidelines (allegedly) with out a lot concern of retribution.
You can liken the variations to nightlife: Tokyo is a pleasant dinner out with buddies, whereas Osaka is avenue ingesting outdoors a combini, six beers deep and sharing laughs. Each have their place, however typically you crave that uncooked thrill.
After a short drive, we arrived at Higashi Osaka Parking Space, Osaka’s model of Daikoku PA. Pulling in, we had been greeted by police on-site, leaving little time for pictures. Nevertheless, these frames from some movies I shot ought to provide you with a good suggestion of how alive it was.
At a guess, over 250 vehicles had been in attendance – from Kanjo Loop Civics to drift-spec AE86s and VIP land barges – it was the perfect parking space present I’ve ever seen in Japan.
After watching the PA empty out in a spectacularly loud trend, we headed to Downtown Osaka. Amerikamura is a thriving hotspot for every type of avenue tradition. By day, it’s alive with skateboarding and artwork, however by night time, it transforms right into a haven for automotive and bike fans.
This night time was no exception. Many vehicles that had migrated from Higashi Osaka PA gathered right here, together with the founding father of the legendary Kanjo Loop crew ‘No Good Racing’ in his Porsche 992 GT3.
On most weekend evenings, you could find a mixture of automotive and bike tradition in Amerikamura. Mockingly, it sits proper by a Koban (native police station), but the road meets hardly ever get damaged up.
All through the night time, there was a gentle stream of distinctive and fascinating vehicles and bikes, together with this Kind R pairing of an NSX and a Civic.
In a panorama of accelerating police intervention, Osaka gives a automotive tradition expertise that Tokyo can not match. Whereas Japan’s capital boasts a number of the world’s finest tuning outlets and automotive occasions, its once-thriving avenue tradition is fading beneath tightening guidelines and rules. My night time in Osaka reignited a ardour for Japan’s automotive scene that Tokyo struggles to take care of; Kansai has really captured my coronary heart.
Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco
