Badseki: Can you start from the beginning, how your interest in drifting started and what inspired you?
NN: When I was 17, a senpai from my hometown took me with him, and that’s when I learned about drifting. Then when I was 18, I was at the touge and saw Japanese drifting for the first time. When I first saw drifting, I didn’t really understand it, and I didn’t know anything about cars at all. But it just clicked for me.
I felt like this is the only option. It really struck a chord with me. I just thought, this is the best, this is cool. So I started drifting.
At that time, there was a team called BURST, and I became active with Team BURST, mainly on the streets, for a long time. As I got better, I decided to try competing, so I started participating in the D1 Grand Prix. That’s how it all came together.
Badseki: Did you have any inspiration or mentor when you started?
NN: I don’t really have a mentor. I think I was just doing my own thing. Maybe it’s not completely my own thing, but I started with my own style and I was doing things my own way. Inspiration was more like friends I knew, people around me.
Badseki: What about cars? How did that come in, and why the Silvia?
NN: At first, I didn’t know anything about cars. Not even about the Silvia. The first car I thought was cool was the C33 Laurel. I really liked it, the way it looked and how it drove, and I always admired it. I wanted to drive one, but I never actually did.
In reality, I drove Silvias. The reason is simple, they were cheap and easy to get. So I drove a Silvia, then a Sileighty. Even though the Laurel was the first thing that came to mind, Silvia was what I could actually use, and I liked it.
Badseki: Your style, especially with BURST, is very recognizable, especially the colors. How did that come about?
NN: At first, it wasn’t the purple you see now. It was more pink, like a metallic pink, a brighter pink. That came from wanting to be more flashy and stand out more than anyone else. At that time, my teammate was wearing purple, and there was also a guy named Fujio Fujio. We talked about it, and through that collaboration, pink and purple came together.
BURST as a team is flashy. The style is loud. A loud exhaust has to be loud or it doesn’t make sense. The driving style is also more energetic than others. It’s about the driving, the cars, the design, everything together.
Badseki: Are there influences outside of cars, like music or fashion?
NN: Yes, there are. Fashion and music, lifestyle in general. People say that often, like what someone is wearing, or rock music. It’s not only about cars, it’s everything around it.
Badseki: How do you see drifting today compared to when you started?
NN: Drifting now feels a bit split into two. With the internet and stricter rules, street drifting has moved more to circuits. On one side, drifting is becoming a proper motorsport. Companies are involved, everything is more serious, more structured.
On the other side, there’s still that festival feeling. Like a big party, everyone together, wild driving. That’s what drifting is about too. Both are fun. The professional side is exciting because you battle at a high level. But the festival side, drifting with friends, that feeling is also the best.
Badseki: What is the most important thing in drifting for you?
NN: It’s the feeling when I’m driving, and doing it together with friends. Being able to run together, that excitement, that’s the best. The people who gather around drifting usually share the same direction.
For me, drifting is about having fun with friends. That’s the value.
Badseki: What advice would you give to someone starting drifting?
NN: Don’t forget the fun. Even if you practice hard or aim for competition, it’s easy to lose that. The difficult part is continuing to enjoy it.
If you focus on enjoying yourself instead of just improving, you’ll naturally get better.
Badseki: What makes a drift the best for you?
NN: The best drift is the one that excites the crowd. When people react, that feeling is the best.
Badseki: How do you feel when you win?
NN: When I win, I’m really pumped. I have a strong determination, like I have to win, I can’t lose.
Badseki: What about simulators?
NN: I don’t really use them. My kid does, and I sometimes play a bit, but not seriously. I’m more old-school. Some kids who start with sims are actually very good, so I think it’s worth recommending. But I think it’s better to start with sims and then move to real drifting.
Badseki: Outside of drifting, what do you listen to and what is your daily car like?
NN: I listen to Western music, mostly pop. In my car, there’s usually nothing. The trunk and glove compartment are empty.
Badseki: Anything you want to say to people who love drifting?
NN: Just keep enjoying drifting. That’s the most important thing.
