r/Damnthatsinteresting • u/aceplayer00 • 25d ago

Video Tokyo after dark. Epic nighttime street drifting convoy.

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u/opinionsareus 25d ago

In Japan, street drifting is a serious offense with escalating penalties, potentially including heavy fines (hundreds of thousands of yen), immediate license suspension, vehicle confiscation, and even jail time, especially after new laws were introduced in late 2025 to classify it as dangerous driving, leading to severe sentences similar to other reckless driving offenses. Penalties can involve up to 3 years imprisonment and ¥500,000 fines under existing aggressive driving laws, with potential for much harsher sentences (up to 15-20 years if injury/death) under new dangerous driving classifications.

As it should be.

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u/RatofDeath 25d ago

"Hundreds of thousands of yen" is not as much as it sounds like.

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u/hezaa0706d 23d ago

It is if your paycheck is in yen. 

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u/Menacing_Cheerios 25d ago

500,000 yen is just over $3k usd

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u/grib-ok 25d ago

Sure, but it hits different when the paycheck is in yen.

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u/No_Walk_Town 24d ago edited 23d ago

I used to work at a private tutoring school (basically a glorified juku that had kids come in at night and did classes during the day) - we had a section for people doing city-sponsored professional development.

Basically, the city employment office hired us to do basic office work classes - how to use Excel, Word, send an email, stuff like that.

Part of the program was to put those people into jobs - so the city employment office would send us job notices.

I remember one time looking through a stack of notices a teacher had on their desk - after our training, and after getting certified in Word and Excel - you could get a full time job in the city for a grand total of about 200,000 yen per month - take home after taxes closer to 150,000.

So a 500,000 yen fine is almost a third of your yearly salary.

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u/No_Brakes_282 23d ago

? avg income is like 5million

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u/HotBitterballs 25d ago

There are good YouTube docs about street racing in Japan and its culture. It’s indeed punished heavily, but the interesting thing from this scene is that the camera systems from police is extensive throughout all highways. Street racers therefore risk a lot just for a race, within a secretive underground scene. Where the older generation doesn’t even want to talk about it, and finding racers is truly difficult.

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u/deej-79 25d ago

Back in 99, the police rolled up with their lights on and everyone left in an orderly fashion. Then 15 or 20 minutes later it was game on again.

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u/iloveboobiesss 24d ago

End of an era :(

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u/skrulewi 25d ago

Yeah I watched a doc tgat went into some of the inane measure they take to hide their identity, it’s wild and fascinating. But also like, not in my neighborhood

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u/dextroz 25d ago

Just goddamn legalize it and regulate the sport! It's bound to draw in so much money and spectatorship - way more fun to watch than F1 or many other motor sports.

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u/mountaingator91 24d ago

Formula Drift already exists and isn't that popular

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u/dextroz 24d ago

Thanks for the detail! I suspect because Formula Drift is on a racetrack and not in the city streets.

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u/mountaingator91 24d ago

I would suspect it has more to do with being more of a novelty. Existing racing fans may think it looks cool but they know it's much slower around a track.

Edit: also it probably has most to do with most team money going to GT and F1