So, I log on to MySpace, and I see a friend of my has posted a bulliten. I read it and have decided I am going to stay off the highways for a bit, at least till I can have my wastegate dump removed and have my ride height checked.

This was posted by Mason, also known as SienSil80 here on NICO.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------"How I got anally violated by Japanese power ranger cops..."

so the general assumption is the Japanese police don't really care about modified cars here and that you have free range to enjoy your automotive hobby to the fullest. From this assumption, we all pout and complain about hwo strict and rude California cops are to us about our rides. Well I'm sorry, but that assumption has since been broken as of 2 days ago.

I'm feeling a little stressed from a long day at work and so i hopped into my skyline and head out for the wangan and c1 loop. Within the first lap of the c1 loop as I'm coming around through tatsumi PA (one of the famous hang out spots for car on the highway, my profile pic was taken there) and I see around 45 cops and an obscene amount of flashing red lights.

In tokyo the police have a term for the different 'racers' who go around in circles on the tokyo freeway system. They call us rureto zoku, coming from the english word for rollet (rollet wheels go in circles durrr) and japanese word zoku for gang or family. Recently they'd been trying to crack down on these rureto zoku and tonight was the biggest operation. They setup a road block where whenever they saw a modified or suspected hashiriya car, they'd pull them in and put them in a line. They were doing similar things in all the PAs in Tokyo including the famous Daikoku.

Once in the line, you waited while they put each and every car through an extensive test. They check the decible limit of your exh (is your exhaust too loud), they smog check your car, they check the ride height of your car, they have a rolling light witha camera they put under the car to check if you removed the cat, they open the hood and checkyour engine, and run the cars through a full shaken check to see if you're violating anything.

I waited for an hour and a half for my turn and then they spent 20 minutes checking my car. It was like a crazy on the spot laboratory with all the machines and technicians they brought out not to mention the overwhelming presence of the 45 cops. After they check your car, they take you to a table they setup with cops on one side and hashiriya on the other they scold you and explain to you all the infractions on your car and give you a ticket.

Luckily for me my car was only lighly modified. Im also a foreigner so i pretended I didnt understand what they were saying and pleaded that i just bought the car a month ago so i had no idea about the mods so they were lenient. They had two systems of fines, one: very expensive, and two: rather cheap. From what I could tell the cops give you one or the other based on their discretion.

I ended up with 4 infractions including no cat on the car and my ride height being too low (limit is 9cm and they popped me at 8.7, yea, talk about strict). They gave me a point on my license and a fine. They also require that you write a formal letter of apology to the state apologizing for modifying your car ilegally. From there, they then take your shaken (registration), and temporarily revoke it and place a large bright orange sticker on your windshield saying something along the lines of "UNCONFORMING CAR". I'm required to replace all the modified parts and repair all the infractions within 2 weeks and take it to the shaken office to have my car rechecked, if it passes, I get new shaken.

The thing is, I had it really easy. Some of the cars there with heavy mods like some of the GTRs that were rolling in, could face upwards of $10,000 in fines and other heavy punishments.



This is the best my gf could do to sneak a picture while we were waiting in line. The R34 in front of me is covering up the machinery and most of the people. You can sort of see some of the power ranger-esque dressed cops.

Also, while I was sitting being talked to by the cops, two bikers rolled through. The police tried to stop them but they just pulled a wheelie and drove straight through the cops and back on the highway. The cops freaked out and a couple got into their cars and started chasing them. Yea, there is no way they got caught and the police knew it.

So overall pretty lame. Its getting hard to enjoy a car hobby here as well. It's expensive as hell for gas ($7/gal about and over $100 gas tanks) and the tolls to get on the freeways are just flat out rude ($7 for one time), and now the police are even more strict and on my ***.---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Looks like it's going to become a mini version of California over here in the next few months...might be time to give the Laurel some rest for a while...

Yow.

Cali will probably have representatives over there to determine what equipment they need to use and procedures. Thinking they could get 10k in fines from kids speeding in Cali would have them drooling.

WOW! thats crazy...I never been to Cali so I don't know how it is over there but if you say is worse..damn that sucks.

So does that mean you have to pay for the new shaken to get re-certified? I know they can get expensive for older cars...

MinisterofDOOM wrote:So does that mean you have to pay for the new shaken to get re-certified? I know they can get expensive for older cars...

Do you think any government in their right mind would pay for your car to have the inspection redone? LOL...come on Chris, you should know better...he he.

What they could start doing is targeting the places that do the sha-ken inspections and pass cars that they say are legal. The only thing I have put on my car since my last inspection was my boost controller, screamer and new coilovers, but I told them to keep the ride height the same, so as long as I get my screamer replaced by October, if not before, I should be ok.

And to put some monetary penalties into perspective for ya, I got a speeding ticket back in April, and had to go to the police station last week to be interrogated. I was doing 128KMH (79.36MPH) in a 60KMH (37.8MPH) zone, so 68KMH (42.16MPH) over.

Roughly a speed limit of 40mph on a highway, doing about 80mph, and 42mph over.

Now, before you get all up in my face, realize, that the average driven speed on the highways is between 90KMH-120KMH (55.8mph-74.4mph) and the speed cameras usually go off at anything over 110. So, it's not like I am the only person going over the speed limit.

My case, just wasn't paying attention to my speed, which I am usually pretty well aware of. I normally cruise at 100KMH, and I get passed by friggan K cars...lol

My fine, should the prefectural prosecutor decide to hit me with the maximum...￥100,000 ($930-ish) 12 points off my license and a 90 day suspension.

Is it excessive? Yes. Is it justified? Maybe not. Will I pay it? Yes. Do I deserve it? You're damned right I do. I wasn't paying attention and got caught.

Now, will I do some stupid crap like this again...hell no! I'm gonna learn from this one, you can count on it.

no I don't have to get a whole new shaken, I have to go to the registration office where they do the final shaken check and have those points on my shaken rechecked a cleared before they reissue my shaken back to me and remove the 'retard' sticker from my windshield.

as far as the Cali cops trying to get more money from kids. You gotta understand the people who tune cars here or own cars aren't kids. Most everyone I've met or seen on the wangan or c1 are in their 30's, the more expensive cars like R34, 40s. That kind of tuning culture isn't limited to the young. Luckily, because of this the cars aren't ghetto like in the states. I mean shoot, owning a car is expensive enough. I pay $200 a month for a parking spot made up of dirt almost a mile from my house. To go to shopping by car I have to walk 10 minutes to my car each way. Nevermind the $400+ road tax i pay every year, the $600-$2000 shaken every two years, the $100 gas tanks, tolls, and tickets.

they would just arrest me if they looked closely at my car.

Damn dude, and here i am thinking about moving to japan one day, it sounds way too expensive and strict...i still wanna go one of these days though.

DrifterXRPS13 wrote:Damn dude, and here i am thinking about moving to japan one day, it sounds way too expensive and strict...i still wanna go one of these days though.

Same here. I knew it was strict over there but DAMN!!!!!!

Unconforming car? Should have looked at them and said "I WILL NOT BE A CONFORMIST!"

I really hate that we, as automotive enthusiast have been in the limelight lately. A few bad eggs are giving us all a bad name. I cant believe the way they treat people. So much time and resources going into catching people with tuned cars when there are drunk drivers, car thieves and rapists everywhere.

Every person I know with a modified car has been hassled at least once by the police, yet I know way to many people drunk drive on a regular basis who never once get caught.

I in no way condone street racing, but who causes more deaths, street racers, or drunks?

Meh, I hate streetracers as lividly as I hate drunk drivers.

I find it amusing that foreigners think that Japan isn't hardcore on keeping that stuff off the streets. With all the novice friendly tracks and places to go in Japan, I wonder why people risk it? Especially when it's so expensive just to simply own a car in Japan.

This thread is a nice reminder of how easy we have it here in Georgia. No smog tests, no annoying cops busting your balls about mods. I feel really bad for you guys. I don't know what I'd do if it was anywhere near as bad here as it is there.
Modified by sbird1 at 12:29 AM 6/17/2008

There are no smog tests in FL, but the cops do bust your balls occasionally for modified cars in orlando and they can really be d!ck about it too. Luckily, I kept my car "sleeper" so I never got pulled over, But I'm going to move to VIP so I'm even more incognito.

The scene here is nice but it just isn't the same as back home. too many retards.

In my town a drunk is more likely to get ignored even if he hits a telephone poll.

My uncle is an alcoholic, drinks everyday and drives drunk as a skunk.He's personally hit about 5-6 cars, and a telephone poll. When neighbors or I call the police on him I wake up to find another $56 dollar ticket for not having my registration sticker and front license plate on MY car.

Him? oh nothing he's innocent, I've warned everyone in the neighborhood about him and told the police more times than I can count, they just don't care until he kills someone and I'm almost positive at that point they would blame me and my family for not "speaking up sooner"

PantherRacer wrote:I kept my car "sleeper" so I never got pulled over, But I'm going to move to VIP so I'm even more incognito..

how is moving to VIP going to be more incognito

skydragoness wrote:Meh, I hate streetracers as lividly as I hate drunk drivers.

I find it amusing that foreigners think that Japan isn't hardcore on keeping that stuff off the streets. With all the novice friendly tracks and places to go in Japan, I wonder why people risk it? Especially when it's so expensive just to simply own a car in Japan.

I wouldn't say there are a lot of "novice friendly" tracks. I know of a few, but they are pretty far away, at least a 2 hour drive minimum. And it isn't cheap either.

Case in point, this November, there is a group from here in Yashio going to Fuji speedway for a track day, which is open to the public. For about $180, you get three 20 minute sessions. A mildly tuned car can lap the speedway in about 4 minutes, so you are getting about 15 laps total.

Now, add on about another $60 for tolls, figure $100 for gas, $50 for food and other misc. stuff, and you're now out close to $400 dollars.

Nago "circuit" (it ain't a circuit, it's saddle shaped parking lot) charges me $100 for three runs at the HKS "drags" (150 meters isn't a drag race fellas, most people can run out second gear and reach the end)

damn, that sucks tms. i always thought it was very laid back law enforcemnt on car tuning in japan land.

It sucks for you guys.Move to Colorado hell you can drive with your doors off and nobody looks twice at you.I drove my old f-150 home with open headers and WOT winding out first gear past a cop and he looked over and didn't do anything.I love Colorado for how little they car about modifications.

sbird1 wrote:This thread is a nice reminder of how easy we have it here in Georgia. No smog tests, no annoying costs busting your balls about mods. I feel really bad for you guys. I don't know what I'd do if it was anywhere near as bad here as it is there.

lucky sob!

but then again, every time i get pulled over for something-- i just play the "cute innocent girl" card and i'm off w a warning every time. perhaps if i were in japan w my super pale skin... maybe i'll get away w it there too? who knows.

sbird1 wrote:This thread is a nice reminder of how easy we have it here in Georgia. No smog tests, no annoying costs busting your balls about mods. I feel really bad for you guys. I don't know what I'd do if it was anywhere near as bad here as it is there.

Correction: No smog tests IF you live outside metro Atlanta. Pretty much within a 1 county radius of the perimeter we get tested.

that just sucks bawls right there... iuno wat to say about that. Some1 already said it, the law pays more attention trying to get modified cars of the street than they do protecting and serving.

i am amazed at this thread. i really didnt know how strict some places are about modified cars. its a real shame that the cops have to crack down on modified cars when they could be out actually helping people or possibly busting criminals instead of people who have a passion for motorsports

Damn dude that sucks! i always thought of Tokyo/ Japan to b real lienient on cars. i know i have heard of crack downs here and there. But i bet this is what they will do go out random nights ever few weeks and get you guys.

C33LaurelRacer wrote:
I wouldn't say there are a lot of "novice friendly" tracks. I know of a few, but they are pretty far away, at least a 2 hour drive minimum. And it isn't cheap either.

Case in point, this November, there is a group from here in Yashio going to Fuji speedway for a track day, which is open to the public. For about $180, you get three 20 minute sessions. A mildly tuned car can lap the speedway in about 4 minutes, so you are getting about 15 laps total.

Now, add on about another $60 for tolls, figure $100 for gas, $50 for food and other misc. stuff, and you're now out close to $400 dollars.

Hmm..

PDX with the Audi or Porsche Club at Summit Point in WV (about 2hrs from me) is $350 for a one night of classes and a Saturday full of laps. Don't know how many, I forgot. But I can check w/ my Philly SCCA schedule. Then with gas, food and tolls I suppose that would be the same if not higher? IMO, it's not cheap but it's not expensive either. Also figure that's your'e paying guys to help you out on the course. And then there's the more unsavory alternative of being caught street racing and having your car impounded/huge fines/etc.

$180 is a steal! It's just so expensive to own and drive a car through Japan so it comes about to be the same in the end huh?

DrifterXRPS13 wrote:Damn dude, and here i am thinking about moving to japan one day, it sounds way too expensive and strict...i still wanna go one of these days though.

join the marine corps...lol but yea im glad i live in florida, sucks for you cali/japan people.

Traffic cops: To Ticket and Harass

seriously, its bull

skydragoness wrote:
Hmm..

PDX with the Audi or Porsche Club at Summit Point in WV (about 2hrs from me) is $350 for a one night of classes and a Saturday full of laps. Don't know how many, I forgot. But I can check w/ my Philly SCCA schedule. Then with gas, food and tolls I suppose that would be the same if not higher? IMO, it's not cheap but it's not expensive either. Also figure that's your'e paying guys to help you out on the course. And then there's the more unsavory alternative of being caught street racing and having your car impounded/huge fines/etc.

$180 is a steal! It's just so expensive to own and drive a car through Japan so it comes about to be the same in the end huh?

Actually, on these track days, you get no help and no instruction. They basically just turn you loose. You can get help from people if you are in a group, or aren't affraid to ask someone else, but that's about it.

You said $350 for a night of lessons and a Saturday full of laps? That is a steal right there.

$180 for maybe 15 laps, no help and you pay for everything else as well, not so much of a deal when you look at it from that perspective.

mistamacadamian wrote:join the marine corps...lol but yea im glad i live in florida, sucks for you cali/japan people.

That doesn't make it any safer. You can still be stopped by Japanese cops and cited for infractions.

audtatious wrote:Yow.

Cali will probably have representatives over there to determine what equipment they need to use and procedures. Thinking they could get 10k in fines from kids speeding in Cali would have them drooling.

No way in hell I would pay a 10 grand ticket. **** that I'd leave the state before that. What a goddamn joke. Do they really expect people to pay that kind of money?

As regards smog and harassment from the police Oklahoma is one of the few great places where those words are nonexistent. I once talked with a cop for 20 minutes on how easy it was to swap my SR into my S13