Global Flow of Drift Racing - From Japan to America

Essay by acmannaUniversity, Bachelor'sA, November 2009

download word file, 3 pages 2.0

Today, globalization has dissolved countless boundaries. This has allowed different cultural practices and expressions to be adopted and moulded in unique ways. Global cultural flow is an effect of many causes such as colonization, migration and marketing. Usually, terms such as McDonaldization or Americanization have been coined to describe the global cultural flow. Those arguments are very biased, focusing on the influence that American lifestyle has had on the world. This paper will address the other idea: when North Americans adopt other regions' cultural practices and change them accordingly to their environment and mindset. To illustrate this point, drift racing-or "drifting" as it is commonly known-will be used.

Drifting originated from the mountainous regions of Nagano, Irohazaka, and Hakone in Japan, where techniques from rallies and dirt track racing were borrowed to allow racers to maintain excessive momentum while taking turns. Unlike rally racing, drifting is not about crossing the finish line first.

It is a more subjective sport judged on factors like the racing line, angle, speed and showmanship. In short, it is describable as "the figure skating of motorsports", and like any other sport, it has a particular culture that changes depending on where it is practiced (Jordan, 2003).

In Japan, drifters like Keiichi Tsuchiya are now A-list celebrities-a status practically unreachable for motorsport drivers in the US (Tokyo Drift Production Notes, 2006). Tsuchiya, also known as "Drift King," has been a huge contributor to the drifting culture in Japan, not only by creating legal drifting events, but also being a driving force behind the anime series version of "Initial D"; an anime about the illegal Japanese street racing (Cabell, 2003). A little known truth is that Japanese drifting rarely occurs in urban areas as depicted in "The Fast and the Furious III" (Tokyo Drift Production Notes, 2006). This is a direct result of the respect Japanese have for authority and father figures. Another cultural impact this sport had in Japan was the new stand the Japanese auto industry took. Capitalizing on this phenomenon, Nissan, Toyota and Mazda built lightweight, rear-wheel drive models strictly for their home markets (Cabell, 2003). The aftermarket car part manufacturers also jumped on the band wagon, creating specialized products for drifters (Cabell, 2003). By 2000, what was once an underground lifestyle became mainstream when Japan founded The D1 Grand Prix, the first professional drifting organization in the world. Today, it is still the most popular and most trusted of all drifting organizations (Jordan, M. 2003).

Drifting was brought to the US by a Japanese company named VideoOption to promote this style of motorsport. It instantly became a success, especially in L.A, which always had a remarkable underground racing history (Alvendia, 2005).However, deserted city streets were soon found inadequate for the twists and turns required for extraordinary drifting (Cabell, 2003). Therefore, the concept of auto-cross was born, and it involves drifting in parking lots and industrial parks instead of rural mountain roads (Tokyo Drift Production Notes, 2006). Also, the lack of rear-wheel drive cars available in the US made American drifters familiar with another driving technique known as braking drift where the E-brake is pulled to initiate the skid (Tokyo Drift Production Notes, 2006). This sport has also strengthened the "import culture" in North America by creating a greater demand for Japanese cars and parts. Surprisingly, with all the changes that the sport endured to fit in the US, NASCAR is still the prime contender in the American motorsport industry (NASCAR Busch Series, 2005).

Drifting in both Japan and in the US has been about bringing automobile-lovers together and pushing the limits of car and driver. Yet, there are noticeable disparities when talking about the same sport in those countries. The sport has a greater audience and much more importance in Japan. Being the importer of the sport, the US is criticized of lacking the drift racing culture. This criticism arose because most disregard the fact that differences in cultural landscapes and values have moulded this new sport to make it compatible with the US culture. In addition, standardizing a sport that is so subjective would limit creativity, especially when the basis of the sport is to maximize points by being artistic and resourceful, and as it is widely known, perspective on art and resources change from place to place, thus culture to culture.

BibliographyCabell, T. (2003) Drifting slides in the US. Retrieved February 05,2008, from http://www.crutchfieldadvisor.com/Tokyo Drift Production Notes. (2006) History of Drifting, Culture & Fan Base... Retrieved February 05,2008, from http://madeinatlantis.com/life/drifting_culture.htmJordan, M. (2003) Drifting: D1 Grand Prix USA. Retrieved February 05,2008, from http://www.automobilemag.com/Lee, K. (2005) Formula Drifting in Japan. Retrieved February 05,2008, from http://www.formuladdrift.com/Alvendia, A. (2005) Drifting Sideways from Japan to America. Retrieved February 05,2008, from http://driftingbook.com/NASCAR Busch Series. (2005) NASCAR Busch Series. Retrieved February 05,2008, from http://www.chicagolandspeedway.com/