Reliving Initial D’s 30th Anniversary Celebrations At Fuji Speedway
Table of Contents
Initial D’s 30th Anniversary celebration at Fuji Speedway brought together thousands of enthusiasts, Initial D cars that were close enough to convince you they’re the real thing, and enough tofu delivery references to last a lifetime.
The two-day festival combined the annual FUJI 86/BRZ STYLE event with the Initial D World Summit 2025.
The hero garage
The centerpiece had to be this garage featuring the most screen-accurate Initial D builds you’ll ever see. Here, you’ve got Keisuke Takahashi’s yellow RedSuns RX-7 FD, Go Hojo’s red Honda NSX, and of course, Takumi’s legendary ‘Eight-Six’ in all its tofu-delivering glory.
That’s not all, you also get Kyoichi Sudo’s black Evo III, while the white FC RX-7 reminds us of Ryosuke Takahashi’s calculating precision. Of course, there’s no shortage of ‘that’ AE86, which is practically everywhere you look, and we’re certainly not complaining.
It’s incredible to see so many real-world rolling tributes to the characters that defined the series in one place, and they’re even taken out for some sideways action on the track. (Which admittedly looked a little sketchy at times!)
Fans also had the opportunity to check out the panels from Shuichi Shigeno’s pages, which framed the walkways, reminding everyone why the series became such a phenomenon.
Classic culture meets modern Japan
Alongside the Initial D show was the FUJI 86/BRZ STYLE event, featuring incredible builds like this GT300 BRZ, showcasing how the JDM tuning culture continues to evolve. While respecting the past, builders continue to push boundaries that carry the spirit of the legendary mountain battles into today’s scene.
Some even opted to provide a mix of both old and new, with Toyota’s hydrogen-powered AE86 BEV concept on display. Using fuel cells from the Mirai, it promises to maintain the Hachiroku’s old-school driving experience while going zero emissions.
Many of the builds continue pushing the boundaries of what you think is possible. This GR86’s custom exhaust system threading in and out of the rear bumper might be overkill, but that’s exactly the point. The Japanese tuning scene has always been about pushing every detail to its absolute limits, and we wouldn’t have it any other way.
Even the smallest details are mind-blowing, such as this carbon fiber weave work. The craftsmanship level at Japanese car shows consistently amazes, whether it’s a full restoration or subtle custom touches that most people would never notice.
It’s awesome to see such an incredibly diverse mix of cars and owners get together to celebrate 30 years of Initial D. Even in the present day, its influence on the global drifting culture is undeniable.
If you weren’t able to make the event, you can check out everything it had to offer with this video from JDM Global Warehouse.
Written by:
Published on:
Bill is a writer and photographer who has been part of the Drifted team since 2015. His work extends to various print and online publications, including Wangan Warriors.
As part of the King of Nations team, he traveled extensively for several years, capturing top-tier international drift events worldwide. His hands-on experience, including rebuilding his own Nissan Silvia S15 drift car, gives him unique insights into drift car building and global drift culture.
When not behind the lens or keyboard, Bill can be found browsing classifieds for his next JDM project or shredding virtual tires on popular simulators like Assetto Corsa, CarX, and Forza.
You can learn more about Bill’s story here or follow his socials on X (formerly Twitter), Flickr, Facebook, and Instagram.
