Coincidence: a outstanding concurrence of occasions or circumstances with out obvious causal connection.

I discover myself continuously busy as of late with the unending duties of parental duty, leaving only a splash of spare time to tinker with Undertaking Tough (which is overdue for an replace). I haven’t had a lot time for precise Speedhunting, and due to that I not often head out with my digicam gear.

On a current journey as much as Tokyo I had no motive to carry my digicam alongside, however I did so anyway. I’m actually glad I did.

My digicam by no means left its bag whereas I used to be in Japan’s capital, and as I left the metropolis round midnight I assumed it might keep that means. My plan was to drive straight dwelling with no stops alongside the way in which.

My bladder, nonetheless, had different concepts. The Dangozaka Service Space – one of many bigger service areas on the Chuo Expressway – can be my saviour.

As I approached the doorway, I noticed what gave the impression to be somebody sitting in a kei van with their smartphone out filming vehicles coming into the service space. I assumed this was a bit odd given it was near midnight, however I’ve seen a lot stranger issues in Japan earlier than.

By the point I discovered a parking area although, it was clear why somebody can be filming. The sounds of barely-silenced engines and the sights of takeyari pipes reaching for the sky painted an image of one thing I by no means anticipated to see on this explicit night time. However that’s Japan for you.

Whereas trying to mix in with my digicam, I ran into the proprietor of a Toyota Corona GT that Alec featured earlier this yr.

John was glad to fill me in on precisely what was taking place – a multi-team cruise occasion, because it turned out. I had stumbled upon the ultimate leg.

Given there was a police automotive parked within the distance, with the officers inside seemingly minding their personal enterprise, I started to suppose that this was a sanctioned gathering.

But it surely was not the case. Every so often the police emerged from their patrol automotive and requested individuals to not park within the spots reserved for giant vans and buses. By no means thoughts all of the questionable modifications!

Wandering round, I additionally met Jon and Astrid, a married couple who construct customized vehicles again in California beneath the Moonlight Runners banner. The pair have spent years researching and perfecting their craft in an effort to create genuine kaido racers in North America, and this pilgrimage to Japan offered an ideal alternative to expertise the native scene firsthand.

It is a fascinating Japanese automotive subculture, regardless of not being everybody’s cup of tea. It’s not significantly mine, if I’m trustworthy.

The engineer in me is continually bemused by among the modifications, nonetheless, that is considerably the purpose of those vehicles. Most individuals are constructing kaido racers for themselves, purely for the enjoyment of it. They aren’t doing it with their severe glasses on.

Kaido racers might be tough across the edges, and that’s completely cool.

On the flip aspect, some individuals go means above and past. You might need noticed an BMW E21 earlier on on this story. Nicely, it’s not truly a BMW in any respect; it began life as a KE70 Toyota Corolla.

On the finish of the day, this subculture is all about having enjoyable and sharing that have along with your kaido racer household. That is one thing I can genuinely get behind, even when issues are just a little chaotic at occasions.

I believe I higher begin bringing my digicam with me in every single place I’m going. , simply in case…

Ron Celestine
Instagram: celestinephotography