Touge & The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift

Tokyo-Style Touge 峠 Drifting to a Theatre Near You

Watch the the trailer for Tokyo Drift!

Ever heard of Touge (pronounced toh-gay)? Doubtful, but the chances are you've heard of drifting. If not, you're about to get a crash course a la Hollywood: Fast and furiously. Quickly catching on in the States and abroad, this new racing craze's roots run deep through the twisiting, turning, roads of Japan. Touge itself refers to the mountain passes that wind their way through the mountainous terrain of the Japanese archeapelago.

Drifting is the controlled loss of traction, causing a car to appear as though it is out of control. Nothing, however, could be further from the truth. A good drifter is in control of his car at all times, easily taking on five or six opposing turns without traction, at speeds of over 80mph, cutting angles of 45 degrees or more. As if that isin't potentially dangerous enough, in tougue, this is all done with the loving embrace of a wall of rock to one side and the comfort of a sheer drop off a cliff on the other. In a battle, the lead car wins if the gap between the cars increases -- the following car wins if the gap stays the same from start to finish.

"How?" You ask? In the words of Keiichi Tsuchiya, the one and only Drift King, and inspirational model for the main character in the popular manga series, Initial D (Kashiramoji D):

"You brake and then turn the wheel, step on the clutch, and pull the e-brake. Release the e-brake, go into countersteer mode, then wait. Wait until you know the car is facing the corner exit direction. then you smile and slam on the gas as you exit the corner."

There you go. Easy as that!

Thus the mission to infiltrate the scene begins...

The Daily Commute

Snow-covered persimmons, dangling over the shivering surface of the Kiso River like tangerine tear drops of sunshine. This is the view from my beautiful mountain school, North Ena Junior High. (Click on the photo to see a larger version).

Nothing says "Saftey Driving" (as our Japanese friends say) as operating a motor vehicle on a slippery, winding road through the mountains with one hand out the window taking pictures! The ride to work, this morning was just too breath-taking. The pine covered slopes, frosted with a fresh cover of over-night snow, seemed to rise higher on every side as I headed towards my beautiful mountain school. The blue sky, the warm sun, and the way the sugar powdered mountains melded with the fluffy, frosty, clouds hanging low with heavy snow was like a dream...a winter fantasy. Before the snow started falling, I could have sworn I would be happy to skip winter all together, but i will never be able to forget the way the mountains look blanketed in snow, or seeing Ontake's pristine peak rise over the southern alps that embrace my town. Yay for winter!

Tono Crew Conquers Mount Ena

At 2190 meters, Mount Ena is listed as one of the top 100 hikes in Japan. (The view from near my apartment last spring).


Following the Nakatsugawa river back to its source...




The narrow trail winds its way through thick, green vegetation.


What trail, you ask?


Just follow the slippery, moss covered rocks uphill for, oh, let's say 2,189 meters!

Along the way, don't forget to stop and smell the fungi!







The view from the summit, after 3 and 1/2 hours of hardcore hiking. Somewhere, tucked beneath the folds of those mountains, is my home.


J looks remarkably excited about the prospect of sliding down Ena on his oshiri as he slips over the edge.

The tough kids who climbed Mount Ena, and lived to tell the tale.