[Respect] The Proud Performers of the 'Land of Sunshine, Okayama' Encountered on the Highway in December
"We don't need a roof"
With only a few days left in 2025, I was speeding down the highway, feeling a bit anxious to reach Tokyo by New Year's Eve.
While traveling from the Seto Ohashi Bridge toward the Hanshin area, under the cold lights of a tunnel, just as I was about to pass the car in front of me, a group appeared before my eyes that was strange, yet felt somewhat divine.
On their car bodies, they proudly displayed the words "Land of Sunshine, Okayama". And the slogan they carried was "We don't need a roof"
A 'Resolve' that cannot be dismissed as mere reckless driving
To be honest, I was in a hurry at the time. The speedometer read 170 km/h, the engine was screaming, and when I caught sight of the group ahead, I felt a momentary tension. However, as I got closer, what welled up in my heart was not fear, but overwhelming 'respect'.
Their cars were bold modifications of so-called vintage vehicles. The biggest feature was, quite literally, that they had 'no roof.' On a freezing winter highway at the end of December, the wind at speeds over 100 km/h must have been as cold as a blade piercing the skin. Yet, they were facing it head-on.
To dismiss this simply as 'bosozoku' (reckless driving gang) shows a lack of imagination.
It is not just about sticking to one's beliefs. The decisiveness and unity required to engage in this activity are things that civilians who want to lump them into the 'bosozoku' category could never understand.
Street racers who express their love for their hometown with their 'bodies'
What they are protecting is not just old cars. It is an incredible attachment to the land of 'Okayama,' which is their roots.
Driving in extreme conditions: The grit to keep driving in a space with no heater and nothing to shield them.
Calculated style: Behind the modifications lies a unique aesthetic of how to showcase their love for their hometown.
Professional distance: When I passed them, there was no provocation or chaos. They were continuing to drive their own path with their own pride.
A pure way of life that makes you want to cheer them on
I learned later that their activities are driven by a pure, consistent philosophy of 'wanting to energize the local area' and 'wanting to stick to their own style.' They are 'street racers' and 'performers' who have staked their lives on this.
In conclusion
On my way back to Tokyo, the afterimage they left behind was much warmer and more powerful than the wind that had passed me by.
The sight of them carrying the 'Land of Sunshine, Okayama' on their backs, laughing off the cold winter wind. I feel that in their backs, which I encountered in that tunnel that day, I saw the gritty yet beautiful soul of Japan's street culture.
If you ever see them somewhere, I hope you will take off your colored glasses and look. There, you will surely find a raw, exposed freedom that they obtained even at the cost of their roof.