Hello everyone…
I’m not sure why I’m writing, if it’s a good idea, or a bad one, or just to get thoughts of my chest. But please read on and hopefully things will make sense…
Let me rewind to late F2/early F3. It was at this time I had come across some private lobbies and contests within the Drift community of Forza. Late F2 I kind of dismissed it I think and just thought ‘‘Okay it’s just some guys having fun sliding cars round corners’’, but in picking up F3 I thought I’d actually try the ‘drift’ part of the game.
In doing so I found this quite cool, and an extra challenge to learn how to drift the Fuji course without hitting a rail. This in turn led me to the forums and there I found a great group of people and from there I leapt online to Youtube and other sources to learn more about drifting (and also to tune my cars).
One of the videos I saw was Masato Kawabata doing his reverse entry at Okayama… I was hooked. How could this guy enter at such speed with his car at such an insane angle. This all of course being topped off by Suzuki-san and co; screaming their heads off and giving him a score 100/100…
Daily from here I wanted to learn more about drifting. It’s history it’s founders, the old school drift teams such as Tinker, GunTama.R, Rough World, Marionette, Otokichi, not so much the common ones these days as Burst, Magician and so, but more to follow on them…
Then a couple of years back I took the plunge, I randomly sat at work on my lunchtime, bored, didn’t know what to do. twenty minutes later I had confirmed and booked flights through Virgin to travel to Tokyo from London in just a few weeks time - what had I done.
But I stuck to my decision and the day in question soon came around. A twelve hour flight later and I’ve touched down and been given the keys to my rent-a-car. And I was off…
August of this year was a return trip for over two weeks that would incorporate Tokyo, Tochigi, Nagano, Kyoto, Nara and much more.
These trips plus a few mini ones I’ve taken in the in between time have allowed me to go the very same circuits I had seen on countless videos. I have met such people like Kawabata-san as named above. I’ve met probably the funniest man in Japanese drifting - Nomura-san. and also two of the best current drivers in the world Nakamura-san and Yokoi-san.
My friendships with these people have been forged over the months and when we’ve met face to face it was like there was never a computer between us and we’ve been able to joke and talk about a number of things.
I have started a website, and side business covering these subjects, and am also making custom pieces in my own time. I have had to learn more about my photography and push myself to improve… and with photography you can only ever get better and I’ve some way to go.
This also thought has led me to do other work for other people and also meet other great people.
My love of the country, it’s people, the food, the sights and so on led me to feel as though I wanted to move there and finally I would have found my niche. I am happy to say that recently became fact as after ongoing talks have resulted in me being offered full-time employment in Japan so not only can I experience Japanese culture on a daily basis, but also get to continue my love for drifting in the land where it started and continue my friendships I have made.
My dad always told me to follow my dreams, and this was a dream of mine. My father though I can say had recently passed away due to battling cancer, but in those last couple of days I could finally make him proud and told him I got the job…
I start on January the 1st so an early Christmas back home before I leave.
This post isn’t to brag, it isn’t to reflect, but it’s just small story that thanks to Turn10 and the community I was lucky to find something that has led me to where I want to be and a future that I hope holds more exciting memories for me to look back on in the years to come.
Don’t dare to dream and if there is something you truly want to do then keep believing. It has taken me two years of building friendships over there, to learn a new language, to keep pushing myself to be motivated. To not waste my money on silly things and to save to keep making my flights, hotels, food whatever…
If you love something enough and you want it bad enough then keep trying…
Thank you to Turn10 for Forza and for the community which led my to achieving my goals. In two months I’ll be on the plane for good. I hope to do a good job and make my father proud.
Best of luck to each and every one of you out there.
Best regards.
Smoky.