Drifting in Japan has been commercially popular for over fifteen years and now drifting is rapidly building a fan base in North America, Australia, UK, and Malaysia. In order to better understand drifting culture, you need to look at drifting’s biggest influences in the county were it began – JAPAN.

Daijiro Inada may be the biggest influence in Japanese automotive culture. Daijiro Inada is the founder of Option Magazine and its video spin-off series, creator of the D1 Grand Prix series, and founder of Tokyo Auto Salon, which is the largest automotive event in the world. Daijiro Inada is the heart of Japanese automotive culture, but like any savvy businessman, Mr. Inada understood he couldn’t promote drifting culture alone, so he enlisted the help of Drift King himself - Keiichi Tsuchiya. Together, the two icons would spread drifting to the world.

Keiichi Tsuchiya is a famous Japanese street racer turned professional driver. Keiichi Tsuchiya is credited with developing several drifting techniques widely used by professional drifters today. Unlike most professional drivers that come from wealthy backgrounds, Keiichi Tsuchiya earned his reputation and honed his racing skills from illegal underground street races. Drift King is a D1 Grand Prix Judge and regular fixture in drifting dvds like JDM Option and Best Motoring International.

Click Here to view a map of Japan displaying popular drifting and motorsport destinations.