It’s a freezing day in Chiba, and I’ve just spent the afternoon with some friends, eating, catching up, and meeting others along the way. While we were hanging out, my friend @sotobooldschool was chatting with one of his seniors and mentioned he wanted to take me to a shop in Chiba City.
It’s around 9pm when we turn down a narrow laneway, tucked between towering apartment buildings, an expressway, and overhead train lines. The whole scene feels like something out of a cyberpunk film.
At the end of the laneway, we arrive at the workshop. It’s called “Various Quality R’s,” and it’s run by a guy named Rikiya, a well-known drifter in Tokyo. He’s best known for his green AE86, powered by a naturally aspirated rotary engine, though that car wasn’t at the shop that night. Instead, his grey 180SX was parked inside.
The shop specialises in custom paintwork and works on all kinds of vehicles, from drift cars to motorcycles.
This is Rikiya’s 180SX, a machine purpose-built for the street. When I asked if he ever takes it to the circuit, he simply replied, “Not really, if I do, its only to practice for the street.” It’s SR-powered, which I love to see, especially considering most S-chassis cars in Australia have had their SRs pulled out in favour of JZs, RBs, or LS swaps. It’s running an HKS turbo, FRP doors, and polycarbonate windows, pretty insane for a street car. The AE86 sitting next to it is there as backup, ready to donate its running gear if anything ever happens to the 180SX.
Rikiya has been featured in countless issues of Drift Tengoku, he’s even landed the cover a few times, with his green AE86 (back when it was 4A-GE powered) and his SA22C RX-7 drift car. A pretty incredible achievement, especially now that Drift Tengoku magazine is no longer in production, cementing his place in drifting history.
Rikiya was kind enough to show me around the shop and share some of the cool things he’s collected over the years. Among them was a handwritten message from his friend, Palace’s Lucien Clarke. If you’re into skateboarding, you’ll know exactly who that is.
At the back of the workshop is where his friend Saipan works. He’s an intricate airbrush artist who mainly custom paints bikes, but anything’s possible here (there was even a forklift in for a custom paint job). Saipan’s also a wild road bike rider, he terrorizes the streets pulling monos and causing a ruckus. You can check out his Instagram here where he has many videos.
As we talked and he showed me around his work area, it was clear he’s heavily influenced by American culture, the road bike scene, Jordans, airbrush styles, and memorabilia. I’ve always loved the way people in Japan fully immerse themselves in something and truly live the lifestyle.
Huge thanks to Rikiya and Saipan for the hospitality and for giving me a glimpse into their world, it’s something truly special. Safe to say, these two run the streets in their own completely different ways.
Garage Sokudo 
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