The adrenaline-pumping world of avenue drifting, lengthy a staple of Japanese automotive tradition, has been largely toned down in recent times, however it seems to be making a notable comeback. Movies which have gone viral on-line in latest weeks present thrill-seekers performing high-speed slides, burnouts and maneuvers on Tokyo’s abandoned night time and mountain roads, harking back to iconic scenes from Quick & Livid: Tokyo Drift.
The clip reveals the “drift gang” crashing via intersections, large streets, and beneath overpasses late at night time when visitors is mild. Fanatics say footage of tire-smoking drifts of JDM icons corresponding to modified Nissans and Toyotas has sparked renewed curiosity amongst younger drivers impressed by Japan’s deep motorsport custom.
A totally acknowledged nationwide sport
Drifting stays a well-recognized and admired skilled motorsport in Japan. The game originates from the nation’s mountain go tradition and has developed into official competitions just like the D1 Grand Prix. The D1 Grand Prix has been formally acknowledged because the JAF Japan Drift Championship beneath the Japan Vehicle Federation since 2024. The occasion attracts giant crowds, skilled drivers, and worldwide consideration, proving that managed, circuit-based drifting is just not solely authorized, but in addition a supply of nationwide delight.
Nevertheless, avenue drifting on public roads is technically unlawful and intensely harmful. Authorities have lengthy cracked down on the follow, with latest proposals to categorise public drifting incidents as “harmful driving”, with more durable penalties as a consequence of apply in 2026. Regardless of these measures, and regardless of a interval of relative quiet within the underground scene, the most recent viral content material means that underground exercise is choosing up once more.
Japanese police are actively investigating a few of these latest viral movies, revealing the continued presence of unlawful drifting in city areas and mountain go spots. Footage from early January 2026, together with footage of New 12 months’s automotive rallies and police pursuits throughout nighttime avenue operations, prompted new enforcement efforts. Authorities are reviewing supplies to establish contributors, monitor automobiles and forestall potential accidents in public locations.
Specialists consider this obvious improve is because of a mix of things, together with nostalgia for the heyday of the mountain go within the Nineteen Nineties, popularized by Keiichi Tsuchiya and others.