I visited Tokyo in 2017 and it was an incredible experience. I soaked up as much as I could about the local car culture. Japan is home to Subaru, one of my top favorite car brands. I was able to squeeze in a trip to the Mitaka STI Museum & Dealership while in Tokyo. (I have a post coming on the visit soon)
My fascination with Japan’s car culture has only grown since my visit. I would very much like to go back, both to experience more of Tokyo’s car culture (but also to snowboard at the northern island of Hokkaido).
I stumbled upon this video by Drift Hunters on Youtube and it is a great sneak peek into what the car culture of Japan and specifically Tokyo is like. It is interesting to see how the City’s Loop Racers keep the traditions of the older auto enthusiast alive.
Inside The High Stakes World Of Tokyo’s Loop Racers – The Roulettezoku 「ルーレット族の世界」
From DriftHunterAlbo ‘s YouTube Channel:
Roulettezoku 「ルーレット族」literally translates to “Roulette Tribe”. It’s a term that not many in the west know, because it is mainly used by the Japanese police to specifically refer to the hashiriya 「走り屋」or street racers who run the inner city highways of Tokyo; mainly the C1 Loop and Wangan line.
This video is an inside look at the high stakes world of the Roulettezoku. It follows my friends and I as we spend one night out in Tokyo exploring the scene and experiencing everything first hand.
This video is also basically a series pilot/a pitch video for a series. Please read on.
Recently I had a dinner with the head of The Discovery Channel in Japan where I had a very real chance to talk all about my story and the car culture niche and the what and why of my mission with Drift Hunter. For you guys who have been following me for awhile, you know that this is basically the culmination of the past 5 years of effort. For 2 hours, I made the case that there exists a super massive, worldwide fan base; a passionate and diverse group of enthusiasts, just like you and I, who are hungry for real, authentic content and stories about the multiple aspects of Japanese car culture. And that there are very, very few people who have the ability to tell these stories.
So, There is a very good chance that execs from The Discovery Channel and possibly other platforms will be watching this video. And, they’ll be going through your guys comments. If my content has ever brought you any value and you resonate with my mission and want to see me take this to the next level, speak up – this is your time to be heard. Drop a comment below of: 1. Name, age, location 2. Why you feel content about real JDM culture is important 3. Why you trust me to tell these stories and continue to follow me And if you enjoyed this video, please consider sharing it on Facebook and Reddit, or screen capping the video and making an Instagram story. I’ll do my best to promote it myself, but I need your help to get this video to a million views❤️ Once again thank you everyone so much for your support. I wouldn’t have made it this far without every 61,000 of you at the time I’m posting this!
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Car Culture In Japan
I was super trigger happy with my camera when I traveled across Japan in the spring of 2017. I think I took some of my best automotive photos on the trip.
One car I was able to photograph, was a McLaren MP4-12C Spider, Terso edition by FAB Design. I spotted the orange McLaren on the streets of Tokyo and got super lucky with my timing and lighting. The supercar is 1 of 10 McLaren MP4-12C Spiders dubbed the Terso edition by FAB Design. It has upgraded engine components that result in 671hp and also features a custom body kit.
I also love how art is blended in with the car culture in Japan. The wraps and art graphics on the cars in Tokyo were ultra cool.
I have much more to tell about my travels and thoughts on car culture Japan! Stay Tuned!
Founder and Executive Editor for Motor Speed News.
Current Garage:
2002 Subaru Impreza WRX Wagon (302 whp)
2005 Toyota Tundra Limited
1986 Yamaha Virago XV1100