Hokkaido drivers become driving gods！ Everyone has practiced the flashy “drifting stunt”

Text by / Urban Life Research Project, excerpted from *Don’t Be Silly, This Is the Real Hokkaido*, published by Farhill Culture Publishing
Translator / Hsu Yu-wen

Unwritten Rule 2　【Almost everyone has practiced drifting techniques】

Even the most reckless drivers who let loose in summer suddenly sober up when the cold north winds blow in winter. Though snow-related traffic accidents are still common in winter, the death toll drops sharply compared to summer — and the reason is that every driver is willing to obey the speed limit.

No wonder — after all, roads in Hokkaido aren’t just a little slippery in the snow. Ever since studded tires were banned, these roads have been polished smooth as an ice rink by car snow tires, and wide roads become unimaginably narrow in winter due to snow piled up along the shoulders from snow removal operations.

As a result, every winter, road users in Hokkaido drive cautiously, keeping enough distance from the car ahead and anticipating skidding. Moreover, to avoid rear-end collisions, they never slam on the brakes at yellow lights. When taking their driving tests, locals (called “Dōsanzi” — a term older Hokkaido residents use for people from elsewhere in Japan) learn at driving schools about how to handle snow-covered roads, including how to get out of tire tracks and how to react when skidding. People from the mainland (as Hokkaido folks affectionately call the rest of Japan), who haven’t received this unique “elite education” of the northern lands, can only be extra careful — braking more or avoiding sudden acceleration.

However, among the drivers who can still pull off flashy “drifting stunts” on this dangerous “ice rink,” taxi drivers are the real pros.

Imagine you’re standing on the opposite side of the street and wave down a taxi — it’ll immediately hit the brakes, then gracefully execute a perfect U-turn and stop right in front of you. How cool is that！
That said, if you’re so mesmerized by the “action-movie-like” moves that you’re just staring in awe, some reckless drivers might intentionally floor the gas upon starting off, spinning their tires and revving the engine dramatically. Ordinary mainlanders, beware.

Among the hot-blooded, newly licensed Dōsanzi drivers, there are also those who idolize these taxi drivers and go to wide-open parking lots to practice the drifting stunt themselves. Honestly, is that innocence... or just silliness？ Needless to say, those from the mainland who haven’t trained in snowy conditions should definitely not try this at home.

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