It’s finished….it’s finally finished….
I’m closing the final chapter on this project. Any and everything that I do with the Kanjozoku in the future will just be for me and for my own passion to pursue it. There are just too many risks involved and I have many in Japan who are frankly very afraid of the Kanjozoku culture and do not want it influencing their youths there. I also have many who are deep in the culture and hope that someday the Kanjozoku can peacefully co-exist with average, every day enthusiasts who enjoy their cars for other reasons. They hope for unity between guys who are into USDM style, modern JDM culture, and true Japanese Kansai car culture. Modern day Japanese gear heads either have no idea what the Kanjozoku are, or they’ve been taught to be real quiet and hush hush about it. When it comes to people who are perceived as dangerous men, it is better to keep your mouth shut and to never speak of them. There isn’t a very bright spotlight on these underground street racers because they’ve always been looked at as the enemies of the state. Brandon, Jonathan, and I knew this going into it and we understood the risks. We respected the decision of many to tell us to stay away from this culture but it was something that we were passionate about, and I think they, in turn, respected our choice to move forward with the project. There is a large grey area that exists when it comes to the Kanjozoku. Many of them have ties with certain underground Japanese organizations that, frankly, aren’t people that you really should be associated with. I’m not going to put anyone in danger of getting caught up so I’ll leave it at that….
Forget the “racing”. It was never about racing in the first place. It is so incredibly frustrating to constantly have to re-iterate something to people that just don’t put in the effort to try to understand. This whole entire project has always been about culture. It was used to inform and also to preserve a unique side of car culture that very few people knew about. Even the guys who were trying to give you a glimpse of what they thought was “Kanjo racing” were misinformed. They made the effort, I applaud them, but unless you’ve physically stepped foot into their world and spoken to them personally, you do not get the full grasp of what is going on in Osaka.
Let me tell you some of the reaction that we’re going to get from this video release. I already expected these types of comments;
“Why’s it so short?”
“Where’s the rest of it?”
“I was hoping there would be more racing in it.”
Again, It was never about the competition side of it. I could have shown you 40 minutes of racing footage and what would it have accomplished? Everything that you needed to know we were able to tell you in less than ten minutes. What you had to understand all along was pretty straight forward. It isn’t an informational piece on how to drive on the Kanjo. We would never show you that because well, you don’t need to know. You don’t have a “Loop” here to run and you’d be stupid to think that you did. Don’t put yourself in danger like that. We don’t want you to take this as a piece on how to drive like a maniac on your own public highways.
I don’t mind criticism, I honestly don’t. Shit, I face criticism every day. I also deal with my fair share of shit talk. You don’t think I’ve been doing this for however many years now and don’t hear people talk shit about me, do you? I dig criticism. Someone like me who expresses their ideas that not everyone always agrees with has to be able to deal with criticism in return. I think it is a good thing when warranted. I just find it funny when there are people with a lack of understanding and lack of appreciation choose to talk shit. Hell, since this project began, I have had some of my own friends and/or acquaintances talk shit behind my back because they have certain distaste for all things “Kanjo”-related. I can’t worry about that though. They are the least common denominator and if I listened to everyone that had shit to say about me, I wouldn’t have enough time in the day to continue doing what I love to do. Let them talk. If they’re talking about you, it means you’re doing something worthwhile. Nothing in this life has ever been accomplished without passion and if they’re not talking about you, then you probably haven’t done a whole lot with your life. Like I said, I don’t mind the criticism, I welcome it, but when you don’t bother to try to understand my viewpoint and you take side shots at me, then it becomes shit-talk and even I’ve learned to deal with that. It was tough in the beginning to hear bad things said about me but you know what? Fuck it. If they don’t bother to understand you, then why should you go out of your way and waste time trying to understand them?
I started covering the Kanjozoku because I had unprecedented access to it, and because I find it genuinely interesting what they do. It’s a very secretive world that I was fortunate enough to be able to get inside the proverbial door too. I have no regrets about documenting what they do and I doubt I’ll have any second thoughts about it in the future.
I’ve decided to put an end to this 7-month long journey because I feel like the world now has a better understanding of the Kanjozoku and why they do what they do. You don’t need to see any more racing, hear any more words, or see anything else regarding this because this is “enough” information. I was told in the beginning that the world didn’t deserve to see the Kanjozoku culture and it still holds true. Hopefully this piece by BOWLS FILMS tells you everything you ever wanted to know. If you have any further questions that need to be addressed, feel free to ask me in person. I’ll gladly answer with whatever knowledge I have.
We poured blood, sweat, and everything we had into this video. We also made it on our own dime and traveled across the world to get this content. There is no money to be made, we don’t ask anything of the public other than to simply watch and learn. If you want something longer with more racing footage, please feel free to pay someone to put something together that will be better than this. I’ll wait…
It won’t happen because no one else is allowed to see what we saw. Even more popular “car culture” sites won’t touch this because of the legalities involved. They have a corporate structure in place that wouldn’t even go near this content. We put ourselves at risk for the passion and for our love of Japanese car culture. You don’t have to like it, we don’t care if you don’t. There is a deeper meaning within this project that only true car guys would “get”.
If you want to complain about something that you get to see 100% for free, which requires zero effort from you to view, please strongly consider the possibility of fucking-off.
For those that care, I appreciate it. I love that you do and I love the outpouring of support. Enjoy the video, the stories on the site associated with it, and the bonus video footage that BOWLS was awesome enough to put together for the site.
Thank you to all that made this possible:
-Brandon and Phil from BOWLS FILMS for working their fucking asses off to make this shit possible. I did a terrible job of capturing video and then Brandon went out there and killed that shit. Phil put it all together into an amazing package.
-Jonathan Wong for being involved and for writing most of the text required to execute this project properly, all while working an 8-hour job every fucking day. I appreciate this dude as a friend and as a mentor.
-Our contacts in Osaka for opening the doors into this crazy, crazy, world. I learned things I never thought I could and I’m so humbled that they would allow me into their world. Their circle is so tight that now in 2014, only Brandon, myself, and Mike Garrett are allowed to do anything Kanjo-related. You know who you are, we love you and we thank you unconditionally.
-NO GOOD RACING
-LAW BREAK
-TOP GUN RACING
-TEMPLE RACING, MAGU NAMU, WHARP RACING, and everyone else who had a small part in this. THANK YOU.
Now go watch and enjoy with an open-mind….
Nicely done, thank you
Thank you guys for risking your lives to bring this coverage to us. I greatly appreciate this as an enthusiast and civic driver. Its nice to know a little piece of history behind the civic that makes it that much more than just a honda economy car. Keep doing what you are doing Joey!
Great work! Hopefully the younger generations will understand what Real JDM is and about.. through the combined efforts for this project.
Looking forward for the video game..
Thank you very much for this, that 8 minutes of seeing what you got to see in person was more than enough. And I agree wholeheartedly with everything that was shared in the video about “jdm” and style. I believe Jonathan Wong has earned himself a lifetime designated driver. lol
Though it was only a tiny glimpse into this secretive world, I feel that I’ve gotten to see more than I deserve. Thanks to each of you for making this happen.
I enjoyed this – thank you.
i really enjoy reading and watching the “kanjozoku” feature. thanks for sharing!
I’m late to the party, but i feel like i have to say this.
The write up and vids about the kanjozoku were amazing, have read/watched quite a few times to let it all soak in.
Thanks guys.
Thank you for the video. I’ve watched it numerous times. To me the Kanjozoku is something I admire. I can’t really explain why but it just is. Currently I am sitting in Osaka by the Namba subway station next to the Kanjo loop. This is my third night here and I already walked around parts of the Kanjo loop trying to find a good vantage point to hopefully see some one doing a run. That proved to be unsuccessful. Nor did I get to hear/see anyone running the loop. I also took a taxi ride around the loop. There is no way I could miss an opportunity to actually ride on the kanjo loop even if it is only in a taxi. Once again, thank you for the video and for your efforts. I wish to someday meet you and get more info and experiences about the Kanjozoku.