I can’t really recall the last time I had so much trouble putting a post together…. I mean, I honestly don’t think I’ve ever had a difficult time putting something together, considering that I write for a living and it just comes pretty easily to me. Putting together this Kanjo piece was challenging because there are a lot of unknowns when it comes to this particular sub-culture. You hear a lot of rumors and a bunch of shit that isn’t remotely true about it so I really wanted to give my audience a good grasp of what exactly goes on in this underground world. The challenge wasn’t necessarily in detailing all the facts, as I still remember everything like it just happened yesterday…it was actually trying to think of what to hold back from telling the world because there is a necessary amount of secrecy and anonymity that helps to protect the parties involved. I want to give you guys an understanding of what Kanjo Racing is about and what exactly makes it so cool, but at the same time, I’m torn because a part of me doesn’t want to say anything. Why? Well, any time you put together something like this that details a subculture that is so mysterious, you’re going to get people that want to mimic what these guys do because they think it is “cool”. While I agree that it is cool, I can’t say I agree with people replicating what they do on their own city streets and highways. I think it’s ridiculous that any one would even try because you’re going to likely get caught and arrested. These guys have been doing it for over 2 decades now and not all of them have gotten away without any repercussions…

I wanted to document this because I enjoy it for what it is; a look into a completely different culture that shares a mutual interest of cars like me. I don’t follow it because I want to do it nor would I want anyone to do it. What these guys do is very unconventional and they do it with the idea that they could lose their cars or maybe even their lives at any time. Cultural standards and laws of course are different in Japan. If you think anyone can go out and do this on the Osaka Loop, you’d be wrong. In fact, the Osaka Police have come down so hard on these guys over the years that even spotting them on the streets is a rarity these days. Some of these guys are wanted by the authorities and if caught, could be sent off to jail for a long time. On one fateful night, in Osaka, Japan, these guys got together to show me and my friends what Kanjo racing was all about. A gathering like this has not been assembled in over SIX YEARS. I’m incredibly blessed with the opportunity to have been there but at the same time, I am also now faced with the responsibility of presenting it in the right way while protecting everyone involved…

The most tasking part of all this is going through all the video footage we captured and making sure that you don’t see faces, plates (if they even have any), or any identifying markers of when and where this all happened. There is no timeline or date that I will provide you that will tell you when this all went down. Just look at it for what it is, appreciate it, hate it, whatever you want, but I want you to look at this like you would if you were studying a completely foreign culture than your’s and respect what they do and the risks they take. Don’t compare it to what you do at home because it will likely be completely separate from anything you have ever done. If you think you are a “kanjo racer”, you are wrong. We don’t recommend that you try it or try to claim that you are…

What you will witness tomorrow will be a little different. Think of it as “controlled chaos”, if you will…

Stay tuned and DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME….