The carnage is pervasive and expensive. Tattered body kits touching more pavement than car, twisted fenders, and cratered rocker panels suggest the eastern course of the Mobara Twin Circuit is lined with sledgehammers.
Prematurely worn tires, big horsepower, and wide grins otherwise permeate the pits where an impressive collection of machinery is gathered in the cold Japanese countryside. No lap times on these cars are collected, only cheers and jeers from the onlookers and the supreme satisfaction that comes with going really sideways and not crashing.
Rather than head to the dragstrip, autocross course or road course, every weekend a healthy population of drift enthusiasts frequent the numerous tight racetracks around Japan.
All the cars at the track today have either weld-in or bolt-in cages, suspension modifications for predictable, at-the-limit handling and engine modifications geared more toward reliable, tractable power than big dyno numbers. There is also an emphasis on greater cooling capacity. Tire choice is dictated by cost and availability for the less dedicated enthusiasts, and stick for the serious.
We show up with JIC Japan to check out its S15 D1 drift car and 350Z in action, and are pleasantly surprised by the hooliganism being perpetrated by so many. Run groups are broken up so both drift and grip drivers, competing for time and ultimately in a race, are given equal track time. The grip drivers went boringly fast and avoided sideways smokies, so we didn't pay them much attention.
Several classes based on driver experience and car preparation divided the 50 or so drift cars into those who make it look easy, including several D1 cars and drivers who compete professionally, and those who try really hard. Enjoy the action.
The RWD R32 Skyline GT-S, powered by the RB25DET, is a popular choice for drifters, given their cheap market price. |  |  |
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This AE86 impressed us all day with consistently kick-ass driving, due in part to its pro driver. A later 4AGZE super-charged 1.6-liter engine was installed. |  |
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Our favorite of the day is this most wicked 1JZ-powered D1 Toyota Chaser. The car is very powerful, very fast and very well-driven, beautifully demonstrating high-speed drifting. | 
The car that started the turbo Lancer legacy, holding its own well during the grip sessions. |
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Judged also in drifting competition is the car's appearance; a popular look is reversed-mirrored vinyl lettering on the driver's side. |
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Notice the passenger holding on for dear life as this S14 is flung into the sharp right-hander that terminates the front straight. | 
Four-door Civics like this one are the source of many of the B16s that reside in U.S. hybrids. |
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Despite the competition, the attitude of people there was fun, nice and communal. | 
Japan is rife with "mini circuits" like the East Loop at Mobara, which feature very short straights and are run mostly in second and third gear. |
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We found the best track slut ever. You might recognize this car as the Q45 sold in our market, but this one has a RB26DETT under the hood. |
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The apex of this turn seemed a popular and not-ideal place to park over-rotated cars. | 
Some owners removed their rear bumpers with every expectation that at some point during the day, they'd end up backed up into a berm. Notice the license plate stanchions welded to the shell. |
Zip ties, known the world over as the ideal method of body panel attachment. | 
Although they slide with less provocation, harder compound tires also tend to chunk when much is asked of them. |  |
These two AE86s were performing impressive side-by-side drifting until one parked it at high speed and the other nearly hit it. | 
The day's costs went up dramatically for the owner of this Toyota. |  |