News On Japan

Five Arrested in Tokyo Midnight Drifting

TOKYO, Mar 04 (News On Japan) - Five people have been arrested after repeatedly performing dangerous drift driving on a road in Tokyo’s Ota Ward, sending up clouds of white smoke in the middle of the night and drawing police scrutiny.

Footage captured in central Tokyo showed cars spinning their tires and sweeping in wide arcs across the roadway, producing thick white smoke as they maneuvered. At one point, a vehicle appeared to lose control, slowing abruptly with a loud noise after what seemed to be a driving error.

Such acts, if misjudged, could easily result in serious accidents.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department arrested five individuals, including Brazilian national Marcelo Yuji Yoshikawa, 27, on suspicion of repeatedly swerving and drifting along a road in Ota Ward, Tokyo.

Investigators said Yoshikawa and the others were active members of a drifting group known as Japan Majikiteru Union, where enthusiasts gathered to engage in street drifting.

One of those arrested told investigators, "The circuit is not enough. There is meaning in doing it on the street," underscoring the group’s belief that public roads offered a different sense of fulfillment than closed racing tracks.

Source: FNN

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