Story: Drifting and Driving Fast on Okinawa

As many of you are aware, Japan has one of the hottest street-racing scenes in the world. This is due to a variety of factors as I have witnessed in person: In Japan, cars are much more lightweight due to fewer unneccessary safety devices; cops rarely patrol the highways (at least on Okinawa); citizens are less uptight; and other drivers know to stay out of the way.

Due to this combination, along with the excitement of street-racing, I was involved with a drifting club known as the Wrecking Crew (Kadena airmen, mostly). For the uninitiated, drifting consists of turning at speeds in excess of the vehicle’s ability to adhere to the roadway. For the layman, it can be defined as “Driving sideways without hitting things”.

This results in an intentional spin, which is to be controlled, countered, reversed, and repeated for best results. Several issues arose from this habit. Obviously, when reckless driving becomes your standard mechanism for transit, driving bears some resemblance to a video game. Other drivers and pedestrians become merely obstacles to avoid.

Generally our club frequented locations such as Aja Port, an industrial complex north of Naha; as well as a low-traffic set of roadways just outside of Torii Station, the Army base on Okinawa. During a busy night, the Japanese would be the predominant entity there - This added both excitement and security. Japanese drifters generally have higher skill and they set up recon units to watch for cops.

We picked locations that were difficult to access and had fewer than 4 ways in. There would be a car stationed at each entry point with a radio, and if a cop or similar vehicle showed up he would key his radio and his buddy (at the drifting area) would sound his horn. Upon the horn sound, everyone would scatter. The phenomenon bore a resemblance to people leaving a parade, except everyone is in a big hurry and doesn’t care about getting a scratch on their cars.

One time during a premature evacuation due to police interference (Someone sounded the cop alarm), I was in the middle of a convoy headed for Highway 58. About ten cars in front of me and 15 behind me all ran the red light. A cop was sitting on the opposing road and sorted through all the other drifters to get to me. That’s right, I got the ticket - because I was the only one in the convoy with American / SOFA “A” plates.

Another time I was driving along the northern part of Highway 58 just out for a ride. I was driving fast, of course, about 120 KPH in a 60 zone. I slowed down for a town that was on the other side of a sharp curve. This curve was bordered by a large mountain and a cliff facing the East China Sea. The danger of the curve didn’t bother me, but the oncoming traffic inevitable with a nearby city did. So, I slowed down and was pulled over on the other side of the curve. The JP’s (Japanese Police) issued me a warning for going 103 in a posted 50 zone. A warning for going over twice the speed limit! Not much of a deterrent if you ask me; except I always slowed down around that city from that point on.