As we embark on the journey of building our MX73 Cressida into a kaido racer, I wanted to reflect on my own introduction to this subculture. These photos were taken at the Kakegawa OCF Kaido Racer event that I went to on October 20, 2019.
I knew nothing about kaido racers, but my friend had invited me and I was highly intrigued by the event poster. I was staying in Osaka at the time and made the 3.5-hour long drive out with my friend in his S13 Silvia. The weather was absolutely perfect. Neither of us knew what to expect and had never been to a kaido racer meeting, but we were very excited to see what was waiting for us.
I had seen photos of these cars online, but I was a kid who only really knew about 90’s drift cars. Immediately upon arrival, there were cars unlike anything I had ever seen driving past us. Bright and sparkly paint jobs, crazy aero, giant takeyari exhaust pipes, maximum accessorization – it was truly a spectacle that has continued to live in my mind ever since. I had seen these cars online, but it was a completely different experience seeing it all in front of me.
I remember smiling so much that day, being introduced to such a fun, colourful world filled me with child-like wonder and excitement. It wasn’t just the cars, but the entire atmosphere was different from anything I had experienced prior. People were dressed in vintage clothing, playing games, sharing meals and laughing with old friends. Even watching it all from afar was fun.
When I returned to my apartment that night, I thought about how cool it would be to someday build a car like that of my own. It seemed so much more carefree and fun than the generic stance car build, indulging in endless creative possibilities.
After my most recent trip to Japan, it was really cool to see some of the same cars that I had seen at that meeting. Even making friends with people who were in the backgrounds of some of these photos. Although I was too shy to talk to people back then, I’m really glad I had the chance to better connect with them this time around. Looking back on these photos makes me remember that time, and reflect on the journey that I’ve gone through as a car enthusiast. After that event, I thought to myself that I would really love to build my own kaido racer someday. Now that I am finally going through that process, it’s given a new energy to those memories that makes me so excited for where I’m heading next.
Hopefully you guys enjoyed this week’s article. For anyone wondering, these were all shot on an old 35mm point-and-shoot camera.
If you follow us on social media, we’ve given some teasers on where our Cressida project is heading over the next couple of months. I can’t wait to see it all come together and get to share that process with you all! I’ve also been super excited seeing how many other local kaido racers are being built lately, and hopefully we’ll see even more over the next few months.
Take care, don’t forget to break the rules, and enjoy!
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