YOKOHAMA, Jun 24 (News On Japan) - Police have conducted a major crackdown at Yokohama’s Daikoku Parking Area, a popular gathering spot for street racers, uncovering dozens of illegally modified cars and confronting drivers who offered a range of dubious excuses.
A 59-year-old man with a modified car said: "A country boy like me got caught up in Tokyo. If a car doesn’t make noise, it’s not really a car, right? Besides, I’m from Ibaraki. There’s nothing to do there."
On June 21st, a tense atmosphere surrounded the Daikoku Parking Area in Yokohama, Kanagawa Prefecture. The Kanagawa Prefectural Police Highway Patrol, in coordination with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, launched a joint inspection targeting illegally modified cars.
Daikoku Parking Area, known as a sacred ground for street racers, regularly attracts crowds of customized vehicles on weekend nights. Authorities have been grappling with nuisance behaviors such as revving engines at deafening volumes. Even more dangerously, the surrounding area has seen repeated instances of drifting, where drivers intentionally make their tires slip sideways at high speed.
During the inspection, officials checked whether suspect vehicles exceeded legal limits for exhaust noise, vehicle height, and other specifications. One stopped sports car was found to have an excessively wide rear wing, classifying it as illegally modified.
A 21-year-old driver admitted: "I knew June was the crackdown month. I had a bad feeling but decided to come anyway and take my punishment. I’ll fix it."
After speaking, he revved his engine loudly and drove away. Meanwhile, another driver caught with an illegal modification sticker offered a surprising response when confronted.
The 59-year-old man said: "I was just unlucky, I got caught. This is actually my first time coming to Daikoku PA. I thought I’d try something new for a change, but instead of excitement, I ended up with a fine."
While inspectors continued their work, groups of foreign tourists gathered around the flashy modified cars, including sports cars decorated with anime characters known as itasha. The Daikoku Parking Area has become a major attraction for car enthusiasts visiting Japan.
Tourists from the UK, France, Spain, Sweden and other countries eagerly took photos of the cars on display.
A tourist from the Netherlands said: "The cars here are amazing, crazy and cool. These glittering sports cars are so much fun."
An Australian tourist added: "Daikoku is very famous. Anyone who loves cars wants to visit Daikoku PA. There are so many people who dream of seeing Japanese cars here."
Some foreign visitor tours even list Daikoku Parking Area alongside Mount Fuji as a top sightseeing destination.
Another Australian tourist said: "It was my dream to come here. I can’t believe it finally came true."
Despite its growing popularity among foreign tourists, authorities have seen a rise in dangerous incidents, including some visitors climbing over fences to illegally enter restricted areas of the parking facility.
During this latest operation, police discovered 43 illegally modified vehicles.
Source: FNN
