August 11, 2025 • 28 mins
Today we discover the Across Racing team, who take us all the way up a secret mountain pass for a race. Usually they'd ride the Kanjo, but the police are after them...
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Causer Media. You're listening to the Away Days podcast on
the ground outside, reporting from the underbelly with me Jake Hanrahan.
To watch Awaydays documentaries, go to YouTube dot com slash
at Away Days TV.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
This is part.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Three Speed Tribe twenty five, Episode three. This podcast is
a production of H eleven Studio and Call his Own Media.
The team of massed up youth that approaches from the
(00:47):
garage seem a little hesitant to say hi. They're not menacing,
not at all. If anything, they seem a little bit shy.
They're all either late teens or mid twenties. Behind them,
in the garage with its now rayed shutter, there's a
collection of brightly colored civics with roof to tire decales,
painted bonnets and nets in the windows. These are to
(01:09):
obscure the view to stop the police seeing who's driving.
An older man who owns the garage approaches and explains
to us that this is the base of Across Racing.
As a look a bit closer, I notice all the
civics have the Across logo emblazoned over their back windows.
Across is a ragtag street racing crew that hits the
(01:32):
Canjo loop with their distinctive carts. Many of them here
have decorated their paintwork with Marlborough cigarette packet designs, not
to promote smoking, but the design on a car is
just very cool, I'll be honest. One of the civics
that really stands out belongs to the only woman on
the team. Her name is Menma and a civic is
(01:54):
bright turquoise blue with white bordered decals and shiny stickers
making out the word across on the back. Underground street
racing in Japan is a male dominated world. I go
as far to say that it's ninety nine percent men
that are involved. Memo is an anomaly in this scene.
(02:16):
She's small, with huge, bright eyes and dyed blonde hair
poking out of about a claver. She wears high top
night dunks in the same white and turquoise colors of
her cat. It is a very cool look. She's shy,
but she agrees to talk a little. It's usually there's
(02:36):
not many women in the racing scene here.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Are you one of the only ones?
Speaker 3 (02:44):
As I'm a woman, I need to race in a
way so I don't get disrespected.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
What is it you like about street racing?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
A final street. I like this the most you do
talk or a circuit as long as I can race.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Obviously, this is very illegal here in Japan. What would
happen if the police caught you?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
We run away?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Does your family know you do this racing?
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Sometimes?
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Culture in Japan is quite conservative. A legal street racing
is obviously something that a lot of people there wouldn't like.
What do you think the reaction would be if people
knew you were doing this?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
I think they would think it's a nuisance, but more
fun which wins, so I keep racing.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
It makes it more fun.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Okay, what do you think about the police here?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
I'm sure it's tough for them and they probably have
a lot on but it'd be nice if they spent
their time on things other than civics.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Without revealing too much about yourself when you're not racing,
what do you do like in normal life?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
If I'm not racing, working, fishing, an I ride my bike?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Can you tell me what it feels like when you're racing?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
How does it feel to you?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
It's scary, but the feeling of wanting to win is stronger.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
How did you get into racing? How do you find
out about it?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
A childhood friend introduced me.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Are you fast drive fast? So?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
By so so she means yes, very fast across is
generally seen as a kanjo crew. These are not exactly
drift cars. They go very fast down the Handschin Expressway.
So I wonder why we're here, ready to go up
a mountain far away from Saka. Turns out the team
are currently not racing the canjo right now. Their boss,
(04:58):
the older guy who runs the gar bridge, has decided
it's a bit too hot with the law enforcement and
surveillance checks. I'm guessing this has something to do with
the smashed up civic we saw on the way in.
Young lad in a white Balaklava who uses the name Hero,
explains to me that that is his car. He's just
(05:19):
eighteen and he was in a police chase recently. Now,
in Japan, a police chase isn't quite what you might think.
Japan active pursuit is far more restricted than in most
Western countries. There's a much bigger emphasis on public safety
over immediate apprehension. The National Police Agency guidelines state that
(05:43):
officers must prioritize avoiding accidents, especially in densely populated areas.
Perfect if you're a cando fugitive in hot pursuit, the
getaway is strongly in your favor. Japanese police are trained
to weigh the risk of a chase against the seriousness
of the perceived offense. Pursuits are generally only allowed when
(06:06):
the suspect is believed to have committed a serious crime,
which dangerous driving comes under. In Japan, street racers are
on their radar. The police are instructed to consider factors
like traffic density, weather, road conditions, and pedestrian presence before
engaging in the chase. If the pursuit is likely to
(06:29):
endanger the public, officers are required to back down by law.
Speed limits still technically apply to police vehicles, but they
can be exceeded if lights and sirens are used, and
the pursuit is officially justified. Just like any other country.
That said, official justification is narrowly defined, and supervisors on
(06:51):
the radio are often involved in the decision to continue
or call off a chase. Legally, if a chase results
in injury or to a third party, and the pursuit
is deemed unnecessary or reckless, the officers and the department
can face civil liability and in some cases, even criminal charges.
(07:12):
The cautious approach stems from Japan's broader policing philosophy crime
prevention and measured response over higher risk enforcement. As a result,
genuine Hollywood style high speed pursuits are very rare in Japan,
and when they do happen, they are usually in rural
areas with lighter traffic and clearer visibility. To avoid dangerous
(07:36):
high speed chases, Japan relies heavily on alternative methods. These
include setting up roadblocks using spike strips, or deploying unmarked
ghost cars to shadow suspects until a safer arrest is possible.
In urban areas, surveillance cameras and licensed plate recognition systems
often allowed police to track a suspect later without an
(08:00):
idiot confrontation. This is what happened to hero He was
racing around the loop when police pulled him behind him,
he took off. They put the foot on the gas,
but ultimately Heroes driving skills and the public traffic helped
him get away, not before the cops caught his license plate,
though for whatever reason, he didn't have the plate flipped
(08:21):
up on its hinges, and the police found out his.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Address through registration.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
A few weeks Later, a morning raid on Hero's house
found him arrested, charged and released on bail. He laughs
about it now and explains how he went back out
racing any way and totld his car, crashing into a
barrier on a stiff turn. No wonder their captain doesn't
want a cross on the Canjo right now. Kanjo races
(08:59):
in a Sacker are a course notorious for the defiance
of the law. One of their most brazen tactics is
called boxing in when you guessed it, they box in
police cars during late night runs. When police attempt to
intervene in a multi car race, the drivers sometimes coordinate
to trap the patrol car between the multiple vehicles. Two
(09:22):
or more cars will position themselves in front, beside, and
behind police, slowing or blocking its movement while the rest
of the crew scatters. This isn't just a getaway method.
It's also a deliberate act of mockery. There are several
videos out there showing this tactic on the Handchin Expressway
with goofy music and mocking captions. It's pretty funny, honestly.
(09:46):
Drivers will also sometimes weave aggressively in front of the
patrol car, break check it, or rev loudly forcing their
officers into a frustrating standoff. Police are constrained by the
aforementioned strict shoot rules. They're hamstrung. They can't really respond
with the same aggression without risking disciplinary action.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Too bad.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
The Kanjo crews exploit these limits, knowing the officers are
unlikely to engage in risky maneuvers in heavy traffic or
at extreme speeds beyond the immediate tactic. This behavior feeds
into the Kando subculture's anti authority image. It reinforces their
reputation for outsmarting and goading the police on their own turf.
(10:31):
In a society as strict and rule following as Japan,
this really defines them as serious outlaws. The crew explain
to us that they're going to take us for a
different kind of race. One lad is very excited about this.
He pops the bonnet of his car, which is painted
purple and white in the Marlborough design, and points laughing
(10:52):
at the paint on the inside. It's Japan's imperial flag
oh i say, commonly known as the Rising Sun flag.
It features a red sum with sixteen rays extending outwards.
It's obviously different from the national flag which is the
simple red circle on a white field rising sun design
(11:15):
has ancient roots in Japanese mythology and Shinto beliefs, where
the sun goddess amit Arasu is central. The flag was
officially adopted as the war flag of the Imperial Japanese
Army in eighteen seventy, and later used by the Imperial
Navy as well across East and Southeast Asia, especially in
(11:37):
Korea and China. It's viewed as a symbol of Japanese
militarism and imperial aggression during World War Two. Its resemblance
to a military insignia tied to occupation, war crimes and
colonialism makes it deeply controversial in those regions. So many
Japanese people though the flag is just a traditional symbol
(11:59):
of good fort, dune power and national pride. It's still
used today by the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, even
it continues to appear at sporting events, festivals, and by
nationalist groups. The flag's meaning is heavily context dependent, seen
by some as cultural heritage and by others as a
(12:21):
painful reminder of wartime atrocities. For these lot racing one
of them explains to me that It's just seen as
a good luck charm of sorts, nothing politically loaded about it.
So with the Kanjo loop off the cards, the crew
tells us that were taking the civics up to a
mountain road to grip round corners at extreme high speed.
(12:45):
I agreed to go with them, somewhat reluctantly, but at
the same time excited to see what they do. Because
line up in a convoy at the front of the
garage a row of souped up, multi colored Civics, all
with custom designs, lowered frames, and sparkly across iconography pasted
(13:06):
across the windows. The drivers get into their cars and
they all rev in unison. I can feel the vibration
of the engines raw in my chest. I hop into
one of the cars. Inside, every side panel has been
ripped off so you can see the full inner workings.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Of the car.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
They do this for weight. The interior car handle is
literally just a metal wire. The two back seats are
ripped out. All that's back there is metal pipes, molded
tire trim, and a DII rollcage bolted into the exposed chassis.
It's like a cockpit built by H. R. Geigert even
the interior roof panel is removed. We're about to zoom
(13:47):
down the road in a metal can with precision brake
power and a custom paint job. Not a single piece
of this civic has been left as is.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Once everyone is in position, the order in which across
the sides is the hierarchy. Today we all pull off.
There's no casual drive to the mountain. These lot are
racing the whole way there. It's midnight now. We fly
through the streets, and each civic lights up the road
as the cars weave in and out of each other.
(14:21):
At one point we pass a police car going the
other way on the side of the road. We're traveling
at least forty miles per hour above speed limit, all
in a convoy of half a dozen very distinctive cars.
There is no denying that these are for street racing.
My driver is wearing a ski mask and half of
his window is obscured with netting. Look, he laughs in
(14:42):
English Japanese police. He puts his foot on the pedal
and we peel off so fast. I don't even know
if the cops switched on the lights and sirens. They're
fast gone.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
In the mirror.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I'd be lying if I said I don't feel the
same adrenaline rush as the street racers right now. It's dangerous,
unfair and anti social, but it is still true that
it's exhilarating. After around an hour on the road, we
end up at the bottom of a valley. It's pitch
(15:14):
black and only random highway lights and the civics expose
the scene in front of us. I see rock faces
and lush trees here and there leading up the mountain,
or at least I think it's a mountain. It looks
a bit like one to me, and that's what everyone's
calling it for shorthand, so we'll go with the mountain.
We're all parked at a yellow gate with the engines
(15:35):
ticking over right now. This mountain road is closed for
the night. No one can drive through. It's restricted somehow,
though one of the cross members manages to get the
gate open. It swings out the way and we all
roar up the mountain. The roads I notice are perfect.
(15:55):
It strikes me that to try this back home in
England would be even more deadly, seen as our roads
look like they've been hit with several meteor showers. Now
allow me to tell you about British roads. British roads,
especially in recent years, are a fucking disaster. Mostly to
blame is, of course, the government, especially local governments, who
(16:18):
spend their budgets on just about anything else but the tarmac.
Potholes are absolutely everywhere. It's so common they've basically become
a running joke. Repair work is slow, patchy, and often
poorly executed. Councils claim they lack funding, but central government
investment in road maintenance has consistently lagged behind what's needed.
(16:42):
Instead of tackling long term resurfacing, authorities often opt for cheap,
temporary fixes that crumble after a few months, leading to
the same stretch being repaired over and over again. I've
genuinely seen similarly damaged roads in the combas in East Ukraine,
and they're at war. Britain is not. Our road network
(17:06):
is crumbling under the strain of heavy use, bad weather,
and minimal upkeep. With that, serious, well funded intervention is
only going to get much worse. Japan, however, is of
course the total opposite. They are exceptionally good at building roads,
especially through mountainous terrain like where we're at right now.
(17:29):
This skill has been built out of necessity. As around
seventy percent of the country is mountainous, engineers have had
to master creating safe, durable routes in places where the
landscape is anything but forgiving. Japanese mountain pass roads like
these are often feats of precision, blending advanced civil engineering
(17:49):
with a careful sense of safety and efficiency. You'll find
winding togay routes with perfect cambers for corners, cautiously designed
drainage systems to handle heads, and retaining walls built to
withstand both landslides and earthquakes. Many roads use tunnels and
elevated sections to reduce sharp gradients, making them easier to
(18:12):
drive and less prone to weather closures. In winter heavy regions,
road heating systems and snow shelters keep mountain passes open
when they'd be impassable elsewhere. It's incredible. The asphalt quality
is also usually top notch, with smooth surfaces and clearly
marked lanes, even in remote areas. Barriers and signs are
(18:37):
well maintained, and reflective paint is common for night driving.
While of the countries might treat mountain roads as secondary,
Japan treats them as lifelines. Essential for connecting rural communities.
We could do with some of that in England. The
result here is some of the most reliable and well
crafted mountain pass roads in the world and seeing utility
(19:01):
with a scenic driving pleasure. As you can imagine, this
also makes them absolutely perfect for a legal nighttime a
toge racing. After about five minutes driving up the mountain,
(19:31):
we pull up to a scene of bright haired lights,
full dark tints and incredible livery on each and every car.
There's about a dozen here right now. It's a well
known road for the underground racing, and tonight we've got
lucky racers from all different generations have come to put
the tire to the tarmac. We get out the cars
(19:53):
and the across team explains to the are the races
what we're here for? They laugh and ask if we
really plan to go down the road with them with
the passenger. All right, nods, feeling like I don't quite
know what I'm in for. Whilst my work is quite
hectic and often dangerous, I am most definitely not an
adrenaline junkie. I think my favorite hobby outside of the
(20:15):
boxing gym, is chilling out and doing fuck all it
is not a life goal of mine to risk death
going god knows how fast down a mountain pass in
a Honda Civic.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
But here we are.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
One of the across guys points out one of the
older heads. He's a tall fellow dressed in all black
designer clothes with his hair dyed dark blonde. His car
is deep navy all over with a red trim on
his back window. He has the sticker of Temple Racing.
He is a true oji of the underground scene here
in Japan. Now, Temple Racing is one of the most
(20:51):
legendary crews in a SACA and beyond. Their roots go
back to nineteen seventy eight in Higashi Sumayoshi, a saka.
Their team name came from Simon Temple, the character in
the British TV series The Saint, chosen by the team's
early leader. You really like that show. Like all Kanjo crews,
(21:12):
Temple Racing operated within a system of unwritten rules. Every
team had its own turf on the Kanjo loop, and
stepping onto another cruise territory without respect could cause conflict.
Temple Racing was one of those crews you did not
want to mess around with. Their cars were synonymous with
the stripped out Honda Civic hatchbacks, the EF nine's, the
(21:34):
EG six's, and the e K fours. Temple decorated their
cars with racing inspired liveries modeled after Group A touring cars.
Temple's cars were built for performance and anonymity, gutted interiors,
functional arrow mismatched wheels, rough paint jobs, and distinctive camouflage
patterns to make them harder to identify at speed. Drivers
(21:58):
often wore masks or covered their faces to protect their identities,
and cars would sometimes carry false number plates. Despite the
police crackdown and the withering of the Kanjo scene, clearly
Temple Racing is still around. To some degree, Temple Racing
is more than just a name. The guys tell me
that this fella here is the best downhill grip racer around.
(22:20):
Temple embodies the scene's loyalty to one's crew, respect for
the roads, and the refusal to let the culture fade
into history. If Kando Zoku is a living history of
Japan's outlaw street racers, Temple Racing is one of its
most important chapters. They live through the Golden era and
are still racing around. These guys believe still that the
(22:41):
roads belong to the brave, and it turns out this
guy will be racing alongside us. After about thirty minutes
of discussion, sending off younger lookouts to check the roads
and examining each other's cars, is decided that the race
is on. Eight cars all line up in order. The
roads are far too narrow to overtake at high speed,
(23:02):
so I'm not too sure how one wins the race.
Each person I ask is a different explanation, but I
think it works like this. The cars zoom down the
steep mountain road in single file, high speed controlled turning.
Then when they get to the bottom, where there's a
wider area to maneuver, they all quickly swerve back around,
(23:24):
trying to get their car up the hill in a
better position than when they came down it. I think
that's how it works anyway. Honestly, the thrill of the
chase is more what they're after right now, rather than
a coherent race system. With street racing clamped down on
so hard by the cops, they all have to just
take what they can. I'm feeling nervous if one of
(23:46):
these drivers makes a mistake. We're looking at certain death
if the car mounts the small fence at the side
of the road. It's not great either way. I hop
into one of the curs of the across lads and
await patiently as the engine's rev in anticipation for the
go signal. I strap myself in with the X shaped
four point seat belt.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
I say a small prayer.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
A few minutes past the spot at the front of
the queue puts his hand up. It's time to go.
The cars in front pull off at warp speed. My
driver slams the gearstick and stamps the pedals. The Civic
burst forward, and before I can even catch my breath,
we're taking The first corner breaks a pumped the wheel stick,
(24:31):
and we grip around the bend with total precision. To
my left is a blurred, jagged rock face. To the
right a darkness below over the fence line that the
speed we're going, we tear right through it. In front
and behind us, the headlights of the other cars shake
and sliders. We speed down the course. Driver man handles
the steering wheel as if he's fighting for his life.
The car jolts from side to side as we pick
(24:53):
up speed, tear through sharp.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Corners, like nothing.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
My hands are so tightly gripped around my seat belt
that they The driver looks at me quick and bursts
out laughing.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I laugh too, This is crazy. The car is a
roller coaster.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
With tinted windows and scorched tires. The engine screams at
a steady pitch. Piston's working overtime. As the crank shaft
spins fast enough to shake the striped chassis, heat builds
up under the bonnet. Cooling fans were keeping it in check.
Each gear chain jolts through the transmission, sharp and carrying
weight at high speed. We finish the Trosen course, then
(25:28):
spin around and fly straight back up it. I can't
even tell it. We're in a better position than before,
but I can see the Temple racing car spin off
even faster than we are. My driver eases off the
throttle for a heartbeat. As we take another corner, the
car slides, he stamps back on it. The rear tires
lose grip for a moment, sliding across the tarmac in
a controlled sweep. The limited slip differential keeps both wheels
(25:51):
spinning together, feeding talk evenly. As the car takes the strain,
The suspension dips under the sudden weight shift, then rises
as the car set into the grip. Tires hissed and squeal,
faint smoke trailing out the exhaust in front. The steering
wheel moves violently in the driver's hands. The steering wheel
moves violently in the driver's hands, with heavy but precise
(26:12):
adjustments to keep the nose aimed just ahead of the slide.
Every system is working near its limit. Engine, gearbox, suspension, tires.
In the midst of the high speed chaos, the civic
moves in a careful balance. There's a constant connection between
driver and machine. The corner unwinds, grip returns, and the
car straightens. The engine's still holding its own. As we
(26:38):
pull up to the top of the hill. I tell
the driver I'm getting the fuck out. I survived the run.
He can do the rest on his own. He laughs,
(26:59):
pats my back, and then stop so I can get out.
Him and the rest of the cars quickly screech off
back down the track. They'll run this road a dozen
times before the end of the night. There and back
was enough for me. My heart's racing is ringing, palm sweaty.
The racing k is not for me, but I can
now completely feel the appeal of it. Next week is
(27:24):
the final part of the Away Days podcast. You've been
listening to the Away Days podcast. To watch independent Away
Days documentaries, subscribe to our channel at YouTube dot com
slash at away Days TV. The a Wait Days Podcast
is a production of H eleven Studio for Cool Zone Media. Reporting, producing, writing,
(27:50):
editing and research by me Jake Hanrahan, co producing by
Sophie Lichtman, Music by Sam Black, sound mixed by Splicing Block.
Photography by Johnny Pickock and Louis Hollis. Graphic design by
Laura Adamson and Casey Highfield.
Causer Media. You're listening to the Away Days podcast on
the ground outside, reporting from the underbelly with me Jake Hanrahan.
To watch Awaydays documentaries, go to YouTube dot com slash
at Away Days TV.
Speaker 2 (00:26):
This is part.
Speaker 1 (00:27):
Three Speed Tribe twenty five, Episode three. This podcast is
a production of H eleven Studio and Call his Own Media.
The team of massed up youth that approaches from the
(00:47):
garage seem a little hesitant to say hi. They're not menacing,
not at all. If anything, they seem a little bit shy.
They're all either late teens or mid twenties. Behind them,
in the garage with its now rayed shutter, there's a
collection of brightly colored civics with roof to tire decales,
painted bonnets and nets in the windows. These are to
(01:09):
obscure the view to stop the police seeing who's driving.
An older man who owns the garage approaches and explains
to us that this is the base of Across Racing.
As a look a bit closer, I notice all the
civics have the Across logo emblazoned over their back windows.
Across is a ragtag street racing crew that hits the
(01:32):
Canjo loop with their distinctive carts. Many of them here
have decorated their paintwork with Marlborough cigarette packet designs, not
to promote smoking, but the design on a car is
just very cool, I'll be honest. One of the civics
that really stands out belongs to the only woman on
the team. Her name is Menma and a civic is
(01:54):
bright turquoise blue with white bordered decals and shiny stickers
making out the word across on the back. Underground street
racing in Japan is a male dominated world. I go
as far to say that it's ninety nine percent men
that are involved. Memo is an anomaly in this scene.
(02:16):
She's small, with huge, bright eyes and dyed blonde hair
poking out of about a claver. She wears high top
night dunks in the same white and turquoise colors of
her cat. It is a very cool look. She's shy,
but she agrees to talk a little. It's usually there's
(02:36):
not many women in the racing scene here.
Speaker 2 (02:39):
Are you one of the only ones?
Speaker 3 (02:44):
As I'm a woman, I need to race in a
way so I don't get disrespected.
Speaker 2 (02:50):
What is it you like about street racing?
Speaker 3 (02:52):
A final street. I like this the most you do
talk or a circuit as long as I can race.
Speaker 1 (03:04):
Obviously, this is very illegal here in Japan. What would
happen if the police caught you?
Speaker 3 (03:10):
We run away?
Speaker 2 (03:12):
Does your family know you do this racing?
Speaker 3 (03:16):
Sometimes?
Speaker 1 (03:18):
Culture in Japan is quite conservative. A legal street racing
is obviously something that a lot of people there wouldn't like.
What do you think the reaction would be if people
knew you were doing this?
Speaker 3 (03:31):
I think they would think it's a nuisance, but more
fun which wins, so I keep racing.
Speaker 2 (03:38):
It makes it more fun.
Speaker 1 (03:39):
Okay, what do you think about the police here?
Speaker 3 (03:44):
I'm sure it's tough for them and they probably have
a lot on but it'd be nice if they spent
their time on things other than civics.
Speaker 1 (03:53):
Without revealing too much about yourself when you're not racing,
what do you do like in normal life?
Speaker 3 (04:00):
If I'm not racing, working, fishing, an I ride my bike?
Speaker 2 (04:09):
Can you tell me what it feels like when you're racing?
Speaker 1 (04:11):
How does it feel to you?
Speaker 3 (04:13):
It's scary, but the feeling of wanting to win is stronger.
Speaker 1 (04:21):
How did you get into racing? How do you find
out about it?
Speaker 3 (04:26):
A childhood friend introduced me.
Speaker 2 (04:29):
Are you fast drive fast? So?
Speaker 1 (04:36):
By so so she means yes, very fast across is
generally seen as a kanjo crew. These are not exactly
drift cars. They go very fast down the Handschin Expressway.
So I wonder why we're here, ready to go up
a mountain far away from Saka. Turns out the team
are currently not racing the canjo right now. Their boss,
(04:58):
the older guy who runs the gar bridge, has decided
it's a bit too hot with the law enforcement and
surveillance checks. I'm guessing this has something to do with
the smashed up civic we saw on the way in.
Young lad in a white Balaklava who uses the name Hero,
explains to me that that is his car. He's just
(05:19):
eighteen and he was in a police chase recently. Now,
in Japan, a police chase isn't quite what you might think.
Japan active pursuit is far more restricted than in most
Western countries. There's a much bigger emphasis on public safety
over immediate apprehension. The National Police Agency guidelines state that
(05:43):
officers must prioritize avoiding accidents, especially in densely populated areas.
Perfect if you're a cando fugitive in hot pursuit, the
getaway is strongly in your favor. Japanese police are trained
to weigh the risk of a chase against the seriousness
of the perceived offense. Pursuits are generally only allowed when
(06:06):
the suspect is believed to have committed a serious crime,
which dangerous driving comes under. In Japan, street racers are
on their radar. The police are instructed to consider factors
like traffic density, weather, road conditions, and pedestrian presence before
engaging in the chase. If the pursuit is likely to
(06:29):
endanger the public, officers are required to back down by law.
Speed limits still technically apply to police vehicles, but they
can be exceeded if lights and sirens are used, and
the pursuit is officially justified. Just like any other country.
That said, official justification is narrowly defined, and supervisors on
(06:51):
the radio are often involved in the decision to continue
or call off a chase. Legally, if a chase results
in injury or to a third party, and the pursuit
is deemed unnecessary or reckless, the officers and the department
can face civil liability and in some cases, even criminal charges.
(07:12):
The cautious approach stems from Japan's broader policing philosophy crime
prevention and measured response over higher risk enforcement. As a result,
genuine Hollywood style high speed pursuits are very rare in Japan,
and when they do happen, they are usually in rural
areas with lighter traffic and clearer visibility. To avoid dangerous
(07:36):
high speed chases, Japan relies heavily on alternative methods. These
include setting up roadblocks using spike strips, or deploying unmarked
ghost cars to shadow suspects until a safer arrest is possible.
In urban areas, surveillance cameras and licensed plate recognition systems
often allowed police to track a suspect later without an
(08:00):
idiot confrontation. This is what happened to hero He was
racing around the loop when police pulled him behind him,
he took off. They put the foot on the gas,
but ultimately Heroes driving skills and the public traffic helped
him get away, not before the cops caught his license plate,
though for whatever reason, he didn't have the plate flipped
(08:21):
up on its hinges, and the police found out his.
Speaker 2 (08:23):
Address through registration.
Speaker 1 (08:25):
A few weeks Later, a morning raid on Hero's house
found him arrested, charged and released on bail. He laughs
about it now and explains how he went back out
racing any way and totld his car, crashing into a
barrier on a stiff turn. No wonder their captain doesn't
want a cross on the Canjo right now. Kanjo races
(08:59):
in a Sacker are a course notorious for the defiance
of the law. One of their most brazen tactics is
called boxing in when you guessed it, they box in
police cars during late night runs. When police attempt to
intervene in a multi car race, the drivers sometimes coordinate
to trap the patrol car between the multiple vehicles. Two
(09:22):
or more cars will position themselves in front, beside, and
behind police, slowing or blocking its movement while the rest
of the crew scatters. This isn't just a getaway method.
It's also a deliberate act of mockery. There are several
videos out there showing this tactic on the Handchin Expressway
with goofy music and mocking captions. It's pretty funny, honestly.
(09:46):
Drivers will also sometimes weave aggressively in front of the
patrol car, break check it, or rev loudly forcing their
officers into a frustrating standoff. Police are constrained by the
aforementioned strict shoot rules. They're hamstrung. They can't really respond
with the same aggression without risking disciplinary action.
Speaker 2 (10:06):
Too bad.
Speaker 1 (10:08):
The Kanjo crews exploit these limits, knowing the officers are
unlikely to engage in risky maneuvers in heavy traffic or
at extreme speeds beyond the immediate tactic. This behavior feeds
into the Kando subculture's anti authority image. It reinforces their
reputation for outsmarting and goading the police on their own turf.
(10:31):
In a society as strict and rule following as Japan,
this really defines them as serious outlaws. The crew explain
to us that they're going to take us for a
different kind of race. One lad is very excited about this.
He pops the bonnet of his car, which is painted
purple and white in the Marlborough design, and points laughing
(10:52):
at the paint on the inside. It's Japan's imperial flag
oh i say, commonly known as the Rising Sun flag.
It features a red sum with sixteen rays extending outwards.
It's obviously different from the national flag which is the
simple red circle on a white field rising sun design
(11:15):
has ancient roots in Japanese mythology and Shinto beliefs, where
the sun goddess amit Arasu is central. The flag was
officially adopted as the war flag of the Imperial Japanese
Army in eighteen seventy, and later used by the Imperial
Navy as well across East and Southeast Asia, especially in
(11:37):
Korea and China. It's viewed as a symbol of Japanese
militarism and imperial aggression during World War Two. Its resemblance
to a military insignia tied to occupation, war crimes and
colonialism makes it deeply controversial in those regions. So many
Japanese people though the flag is just a traditional symbol
(11:59):
of good fort, dune power and national pride. It's still
used today by the Japanese Maritime Self Defense Force, even
it continues to appear at sporting events, festivals, and by
nationalist groups. The flag's meaning is heavily context dependent, seen
by some as cultural heritage and by others as a
(12:21):
painful reminder of wartime atrocities. For these lot racing one
of them explains to me that It's just seen as
a good luck charm of sorts, nothing politically loaded about it.
So with the Kanjo loop off the cards, the crew
tells us that were taking the civics up to a
mountain road to grip round corners at extreme high speed.
(12:45):
I agreed to go with them, somewhat reluctantly, but at
the same time excited to see what they do. Because
line up in a convoy at the front of the
garage a row of souped up, multi colored Civics, all
with custom designs, lowered frames, and sparkly across iconography pasted
(13:06):
across the windows. The drivers get into their cars and
they all rev in unison. I can feel the vibration
of the engines raw in my chest. I hop into
one of the cars. Inside, every side panel has been
ripped off so you can see the full inner workings.
Speaker 2 (13:25):
Of the car.
Speaker 1 (13:26):
They do this for weight. The interior car handle is
literally just a metal wire. The two back seats are
ripped out. All that's back there is metal pipes, molded
tire trim, and a DII rollcage bolted into the exposed chassis.
It's like a cockpit built by H. R. Geigert even
the interior roof panel is removed. We're about to zoom
(13:47):
down the road in a metal can with precision brake
power and a custom paint job. Not a single piece
of this civic has been left as is.
Speaker 2 (13:57):
I love it.
Speaker 1 (14:01):
Once everyone is in position, the order in which across
the sides is the hierarchy. Today we all pull off.
There's no casual drive to the mountain. These lot are
racing the whole way there. It's midnight now. We fly
through the streets, and each civic lights up the road
as the cars weave in and out of each other.
(14:21):
At one point we pass a police car going the
other way on the side of the road. We're traveling
at least forty miles per hour above speed limit, all
in a convoy of half a dozen very distinctive cars.
There is no denying that these are for street racing.
My driver is wearing a ski mask and half of
his window is obscured with netting. Look, he laughs in
(14:42):
English Japanese police. He puts his foot on the pedal
and we peel off so fast. I don't even know
if the cops switched on the lights and sirens. They're
fast gone.
Speaker 2 (14:51):
In the mirror.
Speaker 1 (14:52):
I'd be lying if I said I don't feel the
same adrenaline rush as the street racers right now. It's dangerous,
unfair and anti social, but it is still true that
it's exhilarating. After around an hour on the road, we
end up at the bottom of a valley. It's pitch
(15:14):
black and only random highway lights and the civics expose
the scene in front of us. I see rock faces
and lush trees here and there leading up the mountain,
or at least I think it's a mountain. It looks
a bit like one to me, and that's what everyone's
calling it for shorthand, so we'll go with the mountain.
We're all parked at a yellow gate with the engines
(15:35):
ticking over right now. This mountain road is closed for
the night. No one can drive through. It's restricted somehow,
though one of the cross members manages to get the
gate open. It swings out the way and we all
roar up the mountain. The roads I notice are perfect.
(15:55):
It strikes me that to try this back home in
England would be even more deadly, seen as our roads
look like they've been hit with several meteor showers. Now
allow me to tell you about British roads. British roads,
especially in recent years, are a fucking disaster. Mostly to
blame is, of course, the government, especially local governments, who
(16:18):
spend their budgets on just about anything else but the tarmac.
Potholes are absolutely everywhere. It's so common they've basically become
a running joke. Repair work is slow, patchy, and often
poorly executed. Councils claim they lack funding, but central government
investment in road maintenance has consistently lagged behind what's needed.
(16:42):
Instead of tackling long term resurfacing, authorities often opt for cheap,
temporary fixes that crumble after a few months, leading to
the same stretch being repaired over and over again. I've
genuinely seen similarly damaged roads in the combas in East Ukraine,
and they're at war. Britain is not. Our road network
(17:06):
is crumbling under the strain of heavy use, bad weather,
and minimal upkeep. With that, serious, well funded intervention is
only going to get much worse. Japan, however, is of
course the total opposite. They are exceptionally good at building roads,
especially through mountainous terrain like where we're at right now.
(17:29):
This skill has been built out of necessity. As around
seventy percent of the country is mountainous, engineers have had
to master creating safe, durable routes in places where the
landscape is anything but forgiving. Japanese mountain pass roads like
these are often feats of precision, blending advanced civil engineering
(17:49):
with a careful sense of safety and efficiency. You'll find
winding togay routes with perfect cambers for corners, cautiously designed
drainage systems to handle heads, and retaining walls built to
withstand both landslides and earthquakes. Many roads use tunnels and
elevated sections to reduce sharp gradients, making them easier to
(18:12):
drive and less prone to weather closures. In winter heavy regions,
road heating systems and snow shelters keep mountain passes open
when they'd be impassable elsewhere. It's incredible. The asphalt quality
is also usually top notch, with smooth surfaces and clearly
marked lanes, even in remote areas. Barriers and signs are
(18:37):
well maintained, and reflective paint is common for night driving.
While of the countries might treat mountain roads as secondary,
Japan treats them as lifelines. Essential for connecting rural communities.
We could do with some of that in England. The
result here is some of the most reliable and well
crafted mountain pass roads in the world and seeing utility
(19:01):
with a scenic driving pleasure. As you can imagine, this
also makes them absolutely perfect for a legal nighttime a
toge racing. After about five minutes driving up the mountain,
(19:31):
we pull up to a scene of bright haired lights,
full dark tints and incredible livery on each and every car.
There's about a dozen here right now. It's a well
known road for the underground racing, and tonight we've got
lucky racers from all different generations have come to put
the tire to the tarmac. We get out the cars
(19:53):
and the across team explains to the are the races
what we're here for? They laugh and ask if we
really plan to go down the road with them with
the passenger. All right, nods, feeling like I don't quite
know what I'm in for. Whilst my work is quite
hectic and often dangerous, I am most definitely not an
adrenaline junkie. I think my favorite hobby outside of the
(20:15):
boxing gym, is chilling out and doing fuck all it
is not a life goal of mine to risk death
going god knows how fast down a mountain pass in
a Honda Civic.
Speaker 2 (20:26):
But here we are.
Speaker 1 (20:28):
One of the across guys points out one of the
older heads. He's a tall fellow dressed in all black
designer clothes with his hair dyed dark blonde. His car
is deep navy all over with a red trim on
his back window. He has the sticker of Temple Racing.
He is a true oji of the underground scene here
in Japan. Now, Temple Racing is one of the most
(20:51):
legendary crews in a SACA and beyond. Their roots go
back to nineteen seventy eight in Higashi Sumayoshi, a saka.
Their team name came from Simon Temple, the character in
the British TV series The Saint, chosen by the team's
early leader. You really like that show. Like all Kanjo crews,
(21:12):
Temple Racing operated within a system of unwritten rules. Every
team had its own turf on the Kanjo loop, and
stepping onto another cruise territory without respect could cause conflict.
Temple Racing was one of those crews you did not
want to mess around with. Their cars were synonymous with
the stripped out Honda Civic hatchbacks, the EF nine's, the
(21:34):
EG six's, and the e K fours. Temple decorated their
cars with racing inspired liveries modeled after Group A touring cars.
Temple's cars were built for performance and anonymity, gutted interiors,
functional arrow mismatched wheels, rough paint jobs, and distinctive camouflage
patterns to make them harder to identify at speed. Drivers
(21:58):
often wore masks or covered their faces to protect their identities,
and cars would sometimes carry false number plates. Despite the
police crackdown and the withering of the Kanjo scene, clearly
Temple Racing is still around. To some degree, Temple Racing
is more than just a name. The guys tell me
that this fella here is the best downhill grip racer around.
(22:20):
Temple embodies the scene's loyalty to one's crew, respect for
the roads, and the refusal to let the culture fade
into history. If Kando Zoku is a living history of
Japan's outlaw street racers, Temple Racing is one of its
most important chapters. They live through the Golden era and
are still racing around. These guys believe still that the
(22:41):
roads belong to the brave, and it turns out this
guy will be racing alongside us. After about thirty minutes
of discussion, sending off younger lookouts to check the roads
and examining each other's cars, is decided that the race
is on. Eight cars all line up in order. The
roads are far too narrow to overtake at high speed,
(23:02):
so I'm not too sure how one wins the race.
Each person I ask is a different explanation, but I
think it works like this. The cars zoom down the
steep mountain road in single file, high speed controlled turning.
Then when they get to the bottom, where there's a
wider area to maneuver, they all quickly swerve back around,
(23:24):
trying to get their car up the hill in a
better position than when they came down it. I think
that's how it works anyway. Honestly, the thrill of the
chase is more what they're after right now, rather than
a coherent race system. With street racing clamped down on
so hard by the cops, they all have to just
take what they can. I'm feeling nervous if one of
(23:46):
these drivers makes a mistake. We're looking at certain death
if the car mounts the small fence at the side
of the road. It's not great either way. I hop
into one of the curs of the across lads and
await patiently as the engine's rev in anticipation for the
go signal. I strap myself in with the X shaped
four point seat belt.
Speaker 2 (24:07):
I say a small prayer.
Speaker 1 (24:09):
A few minutes past the spot at the front of
the queue puts his hand up. It's time to go.
The cars in front pull off at warp speed. My
driver slams the gearstick and stamps the pedals. The Civic
burst forward, and before I can even catch my breath,
we're taking The first corner breaks a pumped the wheel stick,
(24:31):
and we grip around the bend with total precision. To
my left is a blurred, jagged rock face. To the
right a darkness below over the fence line that the
speed we're going, we tear right through it. In front
and behind us, the headlights of the other cars shake
and sliders. We speed down the course. Driver man handles
the steering wheel as if he's fighting for his life.
The car jolts from side to side as we pick
(24:53):
up speed, tear through sharp.
Speaker 2 (24:55):
Corners, like nothing.
Speaker 1 (24:56):
My hands are so tightly gripped around my seat belt
that they The driver looks at me quick and bursts
out laughing.
Speaker 2 (25:03):
I laugh too, This is crazy. The car is a
roller coaster.
Speaker 1 (25:07):
With tinted windows and scorched tires. The engine screams at
a steady pitch. Piston's working overtime. As the crank shaft
spins fast enough to shake the striped chassis, heat builds
up under the bonnet. Cooling fans were keeping it in check.
Each gear chain jolts through the transmission, sharp and carrying
weight at high speed. We finish the Trosen course, then
(25:28):
spin around and fly straight back up it. I can't
even tell it. We're in a better position than before,
but I can see the Temple racing car spin off
even faster than we are. My driver eases off the
throttle for a heartbeat. As we take another corner, the
car slides, he stamps back on it. The rear tires
lose grip for a moment, sliding across the tarmac in
a controlled sweep. The limited slip differential keeps both wheels
(25:51):
spinning together, feeding talk evenly. As the car takes the strain,
The suspension dips under the sudden weight shift, then rises
as the car set into the grip. Tires hissed and squeal,
faint smoke trailing out the exhaust in front. The steering
wheel moves violently in the driver's hands. The steering wheel
moves violently in the driver's hands, with heavy but precise
(26:12):
adjustments to keep the nose aimed just ahead of the slide.
Every system is working near its limit. Engine, gearbox, suspension, tires.
In the midst of the high speed chaos, the civic
moves in a careful balance. There's a constant connection between
driver and machine. The corner unwinds, grip returns, and the
car straightens. The engine's still holding its own. As we
(26:38):
pull up to the top of the hill. I tell
the driver I'm getting the fuck out. I survived the run.
He can do the rest on his own. He laughs,
(26:59):
pats my back, and then stop so I can get out.
Him and the rest of the cars quickly screech off
back down the track. They'll run this road a dozen
times before the end of the night. There and back
was enough for me. My heart's racing is ringing, palm sweaty.
The racing k is not for me, but I can
now completely feel the appeal of it. Next week is
(27:24):
the final part of the Away Days podcast. You've been
listening to the Away Days podcast. To watch independent Away
Days documentaries, subscribe to our channel at YouTube dot com
slash at away Days TV. The a Wait Days Podcast
is a production of H eleven Studio for Cool Zone Media. Reporting, producing, writing,
(27:50):
editing and research by me Jake Hanrahan, co producing by
Sophie Lichtman, Music by Sam Black, sound mixed by Splicing Block.
Photography by Johnny Pickock and Louis Hollis. Graphic design by
Laura Adamson and Casey Highfield.
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