NAGOYA GYARU DORI: Michiko’s S14 Silvia

March 24, 2009 12:30 am Published by

When I lived in Australia, I used to help run a drift club (www.initialdrift.com.au) that put on track days about once a month. The circuit we used most of the time was no more than an hour’s drive away from most people in Sydney, yet you’d still hear the occasional whinger complain about the distance.

This S14 Silvia belongs to a girl named Michiko. She drove about 500km/310 miles from Nagoya to Utsunomiya to drift at Nikko Circuit, then drove back home the same day.

Michiko (on the right) and the two friends she came with are all girl drifters from Nagoya, and she does office work at Kids Heart, the same shop that Tsuyoshi Tezuka works in. Apparently she saw me at some point when I was there a couple of weeks ago because she knew who I was when I first walked up to her.

Another cool thing about Michiko and her friends is that they all wear rather tight and form-fitting tailored overalls. Usually, girls who come along to the track just wear a regular pair of mens overalls in a small size that they picked up in the local Workman store (a place that supplies labour uniforms, and a cheap source of JDM overalls), but they had actually managed to find overalls cut to fit a girl. Yep, Japan.

Even after driving up that morning and drifting all day, the three of them drove all the way back to Nagoya that same night.

“I have to go to work tomorrow!” she said.

Right on.

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This post was written by Alexi

23 Comments

  • Peter of A. says:

    Sweet ! Eventually, you’re back ! And with a great post 🙂 Thank’s so much.

  • Kenny says:

    I know what you mean about those whingers, the distance is just an excuse. You could have a race track right in the middle of the suburbs and there would be excuses.

    Anyway, it’s great to see people getting out there (at great lengths no less) for their passion.

  • Fury-S12 says:

    Dam thats along way it would be quite an adventure tho

    we have a similar situation in tassie one track is at the top of the state the other at the bottom end so depending which track the even is at half the state has to drive all the way to the other end to get there, theres ALWAYS one person that complains or doesn’t go on distance alone and its only 200-300K

    i wish the pit area looked that kool at the tassie events tho 😛

  • Henry says:

    Rad post. Why can’t I find a girl like that..?!

  • trikazzb says:

    Cool story, its like that in QLD aswell for some people who live abit more north than Brisbane.
    And having the events in Brisbane its always a 4-5hour drive.

    Pictures of overalls? haha.

  • DukeOfNY says:

    cool jzx missles in the background

  • DukeOfNY says:

    “it’s not a bike baby, its a chopper”

  • s0apgun says:

    hahaha

    WHINGER

  • Geki Minihux says:

    no drifting shots?

  • Shane says:

    thats such a distance to drive, shows the commitment of drifters in japan!

  • Buckna says:

    Mmmm, she’s cute too! haha.
    Good effort, I’m lucky only living 25 mins from my local track and 45 mins from QR.

    Super keen to see you get back into this blog alexi. Bumming on my computer isn’t the same without a daily addition.

  • Nick says:

    Mad…you gotta love s14s and you gotta love girls with them!

  • Daniel says:

    dude shes hardcore as! thats like 13 hours of non stop driving in one day!!! haha +1 to the winging comment!

    oh and nice white type x in the background~

  • Rob_180sx says:

    Haha, bloody Sydney whingers 😛
    I barely cover 500km in a return trip to get to OP. But I know the Newcastle blokes go nearly 500km to get to Wakefield!

    How cheap/expensive is it to get towed home in Japan?

  • Lorenzo says:

    Yes I remember people complaining about the distance in Australia. Here driving up to Ebisu from Tokyo for the Matsuri or just a track day was a good 3-5 hour trip one-way and there were some guys from Osaka too! I’d like to see those whingers come here and see the real costs that the Japs pay when “Toll Costs” come into the equation!

    Looking back I miss the ease of getting around in Australia and the lack of toll costs. But then again I don’t think I’ll be moving back to Australia any time soon anyway.

    oh and Rob_180sx, if you want to know about towing costs you have 2 options.
    #1 how good is your Japanese skills for sucking …..?
    #2 bend over and get ready for a big *COUGH* as Darth Vader will send in the Stormtroopers to make you walk like a cowboy for a few months.

  • Alexi says:

    @trikazzb
    I didn’t want to appear creepy, since I had only just met them. Next time.

    There’s an event coming up down in Nagoya called “Gyaruten” that is only for girls and crossdressing men. I had it suggested that I should wear a skirt and drive in it…

    @Buckna
    I look forward to continue being your daily JDM dealer.

    @Rob_180sx
    Yeah, what Lorenzo said. Professional tows are out of the question for most people. It usually comes down to everyone pitching in and fixing the car so you can drive it home, or knowing someone with a tilt tray that you can slip some money to and buy dinner for that night.

  • Garlo says:

    have to agree with rob_18sx, i think most aussies don’t know how far the Japanese tracks are where most of the drifting population live

  • haikii says:

    Did you atleast get in there with one of them… or both. With your new awesome bleached hair you would’ve had it easy mate! 😛

  • andy says:

    Short distances take a long time in Japan (for some reason)
    It’s only 230 odd km to Ebisu from my house, but takes 3 and a half hours by highway or 5 hours by shitamichi. I am going to take the free roads this weekend cos I’m STINGY!!! (and Kei Car Nenpi is the best!!!)

  • Geki Minihux says:

    Honjo track is about 40mins away from Isesaki, Touge is 1 hour Nikko about 2.5 hours, Ebisu 3 hours and thats pretty much the round up around Isesaki.

    Honjo is short trip with no road tolls, but Honjo is Honjo a far cry from the offerings Ebisu has.

  • Laurence says:

    HEhe it took me 40 hours to get home from Ebisu last time I went! Using tollroads!!!

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IWDxo4vafg

    p.s. Michiko is hot

  • Matt says:

    As Arnold said “You lack, DISCIPLINE!” That is the difference between us and them in my opinion. Also I totally agree with L-Dog. Michiko is joy.

    About breaking your car. It’s quite amazing in japan. You can be out in the sticks, and if there are a few drifters around and you need help, they are there with there zipties, wire cutters, screwdrivers and hammers helping you get out of a water drain that you almost neatly inserted your car into. At the track when your steering knuckle bolts snap and you plow into the wall, one guy just happens to have those 2 said bolts you need. Whilst the other handles you a screw driver and a hammer to slowly work the snapped bolt out.

    Only in Japan. *cries a tear from his eye*

  • KArl says:

    Hey guys cool post.:)anyways it looks like i wont complain anymore about the travel distance.lol.i wished i lived in japan.
    it looks great and the drift culture too.Im only a Noob in drifting .