Street racers in their Honda Civics darted by at 180 km/h, visible only as quick blurs of color flying faster than time. Cutting through traffic just for the thrill and culture of this world-famous highway. In Osaka, Japan, starting in the late 1980s, racers stripped down Honda Civics and rebuilt them for speed and precision for driving through tight highways. They’re not just street cars; they’re built for the track by day and illegal street racing by night.
These cars have extremely fast 0 to 60 times (the time it takes for a car to get from 0 mph to 60 mph), as well as incredibly good handling through the tight corners of the Hanshin Expressway Loop. The Kanjo Loop was a famous nickname for a 10.8 km loop on an overhead freeway called the Hanshin Expressway Loop in Osaka, Japan. It was made famous in the late 1980s and early 1990s by a street racing group known as The Kanjozoku.
The culture of the Kanjozoku was built around defiance, and they don’t let any challenge or obstacle stand in their way. They race with many people still on the streets, while dangerously avoiding cops. The Kanjo Loop was built out of culture and competition between the car clubs of the area. Everyone is trying to get the fastest time for bragging rights. There were many different territorial disputes between clubs and teams, so they raced to determine a winner.
After nearly a decade of racing, the Japanese law enforcement started their attempts to crack down on the Kanjozoku. Many of the Kanjozoku started getting arrested and had their cars impounded or destroyed. A large number of original racers decided to leave the scene to race in the mountain roads or out on tracks across the country. These days, people who race in the Kanjo Loop do it out of tradition and respect for the racing scene. It is infrequent for the Kanjozoku to race, and when it does happen, the racers are extremely cautious about not getting caught. Racers now wear masks to conceal their identities from the numerous cameras on the highway. Many of the car clubs have now joined together, and when they do race on the Kanjo Loop, it is out of respect and tradition. It’s not about the rivalries; it is about the community and culture that have been built over 30 years of racing, and to all the people who came before them.
Life as a Kanjozoku racer is very tough nowadays; it is extremely hard to get into the scene. This is because all of the cars that used to be raced are very rare to find, and the parts to fix them have become very expensive. The cars in question were 1990s EK9 Honda Civic Type Rs. All the cars are equipped with no windows, bucket seats, and a highly upgraded engine. Most of the Kanjo cars had swapped the engine to a B16 or a B18. All of the cars were heavily lowered for better grip on the roads. The exhaust was changed to a straight pipe exhaust for its signature raw and powerful sound. Lastly, the wheels were changed to aftermarket 14 or 15-inch rims with semi-slick tires.
From custom Honda Civics running from the police to hiding under masks to avoid arrest. The Kanjo Loop has changed so much since the first races began their journey to get the fastest time. Throughout the 90s, the Kanjo Loop continued to grow and grow until it was one of the biggest street races in the world. Many racers would grace the Kanjo Loop, but the story of all the racers became one that would turn into legend.
