Release the Clutch: Inside Tokyo's Underground Drift Car Scene

"I've never thought about quitting. I am defined by drifting."

Tokyo's underground drift car scene doesn't happen in the light of day. It's not found on the glitz of the Magarigawa Club, a private racetrack that looks out onto Tokyo Bay. No. It takes place under the cloak of night, in some unmarked industrial estate out in in the far peripheries of the city.

You won't know glamour here. But you will know speed.

Drift is synonymous to Japanese car culture—the country's mountain roads creating the perfect playground to push the boundaries of home built cars.

Iconic drift models include Nissan's Silvia and S-Chassis, Toyota's Chaser and AE86 and the Mazda RX-7, each designed to achieve the perfect balance of sidewards control and guttural strength.

In these pictures, taken in collaboration with Japanese clothing brand Edwin, photographer James Edson documents the drivers during one of their nightly stakeouts.

Capturing scenes of frenzied velocity, alongside downtime moments with their friends and partners, Edson's series is a rare insight into the lifestyles of such an elusive community, shot with an intimacy only afforded by trust and friendship.

A skate photographer by trade, Edson met the racers when he was in Tokyo for a show last year. The drivers, who are skaters themselves, were fans of his work.

“One of them came up to me and said ‘meet my friend, he’s one of the most famous drift car racers in Tokyo’,” says Edson.

That’s when he met Tory—known as the best of the Tokyo drifters. Tory's been driving for over fifteen years, and got into drifting by chance.

"I was chasing other cars at high speeds out on the open roads," Tory tells Trippin. “There were a lot of people around me who were drifting, so I didn't want to lose to them. The back tires started to slip, and I learned.”

Tory is a man of few words—he has to be careful about the information he shares. Driving fast on public cross roads and around massive industrial lots, he can’t say where he drives or when.

The scene operates on the fringes of legality—high speeds, customised cars, open roads. But despite the risks involved, he’s not going to stop. “I’ve never thought about giving it up. I am defined by drifting,” he says.

Tory's part of a tight-knit race crew called "DANCER"—the words impressed on his car in a large holographic lettering. The name was chosen for simple reasons—“we want to make the cars dance,” he says.

Choosing a crew is equally as straightforward: “we carefully select people who are willing to race.”

"We want to make the cars dance"

Drift races don’t have a start or end in a traditional sense, but are battled out by mimicking and imitation. “It's about the person you're dealing with,” says Tory.

A highly individual sport, the drift car face off is basically a showdown between two cars— they chase one another in a test of agility, speed and balance.

Drivers customise their car to get the best results. “I make it as light and well-balanced as possible, with an emphasis on performance over looks. Skill over power,” says Tory, who burns up four tires per day on the street.

If he’s on a circuit, he’ll easily get through eight. To achieve maximum lightness, some cars don't even have floors—the road is visible underneath the seats.

While there are similarities between the skate scene and drift car community—urban backdrops and pure adrenaline—Edson, known for his analogue, fly-on-the-wall style, says the drift car shoot was one of his most difficult projects.

"You can't ask them to do that again when they're skidding around—you don't get two chances," he says.

"You don't get two chances."

Edson and Tory are now good friends, united by the parallels between skate scenes they came from and the drift car scene that has united them today.

“They have one thing in common: they both meet on the street,” says Tory. “It doesn't matter what race, education, or age you are, just liking cars and skateboarding is a comfortable connection.”

“It doesn't matter what race, education, or age you are, just liking cars is a connection.”

This article is part of a collaboration with EDWIN. Click here to check out EDWIN's Akiba Autos Capsule Collection for Spring/Summer 2025.