In case you’ve seen current automotive information media from Japan, chances are high it talked about police crackdowns or the decline of the nation’s automobile scene.
Whereas it may be true of Tokyo to some extent, Osaka tells a distinct story. Throughout the one current night time I spent with some locals, I witnessed the colourful coronary heart of Kansai automobile tradition.
Let’s begin at CBC (Automotive Boys Membership), an area storage run by Ikegami-san. CBC is a pure passion 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 considered one of my favorite Hondas at this 12 months’s Assault Tsukuba occasion. Ikegami-san clocked a formidable 1’02.740 lap, a super-impressive time for a stock-bodied, naturally aspirated automobile.
Inside, the store mirrors many different Japanese garages we’ve explored: a treasure trove of elements, trinkets, and equipment – some invaluable, some not – however all creating the unmistakable vibe of a JDM automotive workspace.
This trio of Civics are Ikegami-san and his buddies’ tasks. 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 fanatics 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 Sort R, and one other good friend in a superbly easy EG Civic.
Filling up at an area gas station, the distant sounds of Hondas, Nissans, and bosozoku crammed the air. This was a stark distinction to Tokyo’s late-night automobile tradition, the place crackdowns have pushed spirited driving to the town outskirts. Even the enduring Shibuya weekend gatherings have develop into fewer and farther between.
Kanto (Tokyo) and Kansai (Osaka) automobile types differ considerably. In Kansai, there’s an enthralling disregard for issues like exhaust silencers and entrance licence plates. It’s what makes the automobile tradition right here so vibrant. Osaka’s modified automobile house owners take pleasure in making noise and testing driving legal guidelines (allegedly) with out a lot worry of retribution.
You possibly 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 generally 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 have been greeted by police on-site, leaving little time for pictures. Nonetheless, 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 have been in attendance – from Kanjo Loop Civics to drift-spec AE86s and VIP land barges – it was one of the best parking space present I’ve ever seen in Japan.
After watching the PA empty out in a spectacularly loud style, 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 automobile and bike fanatics.
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 will discover a mixture of automobile and bike tradition in Amerikamura. Satirically, 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 attention-grabbing vehicles and bikes, together with this Sort R pairing of an NSX and a Civic.
In a panorama of accelerating police intervention, Osaka provides a automobile tradition expertise that Tokyo can not match. Whereas Japan’s capital boasts among the world’s finest tuning retailers and automotive occasions, its once-thriving avenue tradition is fading below 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 actually captured my coronary heart.
Alec Pender
Instagram: noplansco
