Lil Noisy Loves Civics

Summary

Away Days Podcast: Reporting from the Underbelly

Episode: Lil Noisy Loves Civics

Host: Jake Hanrahan
Guest/Creative Partner: Johnny Pickup
Date: August 18, 2025
Produced by: H11, Cool Zone Media & iHeartPodcasts

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Overview

This episode of Away Days takes listeners deep into the dangerous, adrenaline-packed world of Japanese underground street racing, focusing on the personalities, culture, and lived experiences of "Kanjo" (highway loop) racers in Osaka. Host Jake Hanrahan connects with "Lil Noisy," a passionate street racer, and brings in documentary team member Johnny Pickup for a raw debrief of the risky rides, technical challenges, and nuances of documenting such an illicit subculture. The show explores what drives these racers, the conservative fabric of Japanese society they push against, and reflects on the unique energy and community found in this underground world.

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Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Introducing "Lil Noisy" and the Street Racing Scene

[02:11 - 04:34]

• Hanrahan immerses the listener in the high-adrenaline world of Japanese street racing following a race up a mountain with Lil Noisy and his crew.
• Lil Noisy is described as tall, skinny, with thick black glasses under a balaclava – exuding the subculture's signature style and anonymity.
• He shares the camaraderie among racers and his deep connection to his car.

“We have a long history. Everyone gets on. Everyone’s cars are crisp and I think it’s a very cool team. We’re number one.” – Lil Noisy via translator ([03:00])

Why do they race?

• Despite police crackdowns and legal risks, fun, thrill, and the bond with fellow racers outweigh concerns.
• Lil Noisy notes: “Having fun is more important. We run away.” ([04:33])

On societal perception:

• Concedes most Japanese people see them as a nuisance, given Japan’s strict adherence to rules and social norms.
• The racer relishes the outlaw status and sense of freedom, given broader societal conservatism, saying racing offers an escape from everyday restrictions.

“It’s exciting. I just get so excited. It feels so good to be in a place where you’re totally unable to think about anything else.” – Lil Noisy ([04:37])

2. The Honda Civic Obsession

[05:12 - 05:37]

• Lil Noisy passionately debates the appeal of Honda Civics, particularly the B-type engine and VTEC technology.
• He expresses disdain for turbochargers, preferring naturally aspirated engines for the visceral driving experience.
• Memorable quote:

  “They look bad, but the moment the VTEC kicks in, it feels so good. It feels like I’m high. That’s why I love Civics. I hate turbos, though.” – Lil Noisy ([05:14])

3. Behind the Lens – Johnny Pickup’s Perspective

[07:37 - 08:12]

• Hanrahan introduces Johnny Pickup, Away Days’ visual architect, lauding his experience and awards.
• Pickup admits limited prior knowledge about Japanese street racing beyond pop culture like “Fast & Furious.”
• Initial impressions: the subculture’s outsider status and the sense of risk—not just criminal, but deeply social.

“[In Japan,] you’re really an outsider if you’re doing that kind of stuff. Like it’s really not accepted.” – Johnny Pickup ([08:19])

• The shock of speed and sensory overload hits both filmmakers early, with the casualness of drivers texting while racing at 100 mph, heightening the danger.

4. The Addictive Rush of the Ride

[14:30 - 16:06]

• Both Hanrahan and Pickup describe the uniquely addictive, overwhelming adrenaline—the rush that comes from riding with Kanjo racers, comparing it to a roller coaster or even to frontline conflict but stressing its singularity.
• The experience was so impactful it lingered long after returning home.

“I would never get in one of those cars again and at the same time secretly would love the opportunity because it’s just like… an adrenaline rush that’s not really comparable to anything else I’ve done.” – Jake Hanrahan ([14:59])

5. Social Dynamics and Challenges of Filming

[16:13 - 18:39]

• The Japanese drivers defy the “petrolhead” stereotype, coming across as shy, humble, and risk-averse in social demeanor rather than braggadocious outlaws.
• The biggest challenge in making the documentary was getting subjects to open up, a reversal from other underground cultures often defined by oversized egos.

“It was quite tricky to get them to speak openly and without embarrassment, I think about what they were doing.” – Jake Hanrahan ([17:15])

• Filming under low light, at high speeds, and inside gutted race cars required creative, improvised rigging (“shit rigs”).
• “GoPros on the side, tripods jerry-rigged into cages, every bit of vibration and G-force captured to try and show the violence of speed on video.” ([19:02] – [21:30])

6. The Cars: Bare Bones, All About Performance

[21:30 - 22:20]

• The extent of car modification impresses and unsettles both: complete gutting, with just roll cage, seats, metal-pole gear lever, no interior panels, and everything sacrificed for weight and function.

“Surely you need more in this than like basically a seat, roll cage, and gear stick and steering wheel. That was… it.” – Jake Hanrahan ([21:42])

7. Humanity Beneath the Hood

[22:42 - 24:18]

• Racers are more "standard guys"—not criminals or toughs, but ordinary people: many play video games, cherish the history of Kanjo, and possess little ego.
• Even a Yakuza member comes off mild-mannered.
• A sense of honor and respect for the tradition dominates, not machismo.

“More so than ever with this story… they were just so your standard Joe kind of guy. Like, just surprisingly so. Like, they weren’t in any way like trying to be hard… They were just ordinary guys.” – Jake Hanrahan ([22:42])

8. Impressions of Japanese Society and Culture Shock

[24:18 - 27:24]

• Both Hanrahan and Pickup visit Japan for the first time and marvel at the contrasts: on one hand, law-breaking racers; on the other, immaculate public transit, neighborhoods, and communal trust (e.g., bikes left unchained).
• Deeply impressed by cleanliness, safety, and small details unique to Japan, even in poorer areas: “No trash on the floor, everything worked.”
• Both are charmed by Japanese bathhouses (“sento”), highlighting the cultural extremes: daytime communal relaxation versus wild night racing.

“The total difference of, like, bathhouse culture versus, like, you know, extreme speed street racing. It kind of said it all for me.” – Johnny Pickup ([26:31])

• Amused and baffled by unique elements, like a bathhouse muscle-electrocution treatment or encountering American IRL streamers in Kyoto.

9. The Dangerous Allure and Aftereffects

[32:06 - 33:15]

• After returning to England, Pickup felt a lingering boost, driving faster, “absolutely buzzing for about a week.” Hanrahan notes a sharp increase in speeding tickets—“the lasting effect, the hang of Japan.”
• Both agree the experience was singular and transformative, mentioning its long-lasting impact.

10. The Thrill—and Terror—of the Race

[33:15 - 36:50]

• Both recount the rides up and down the mountain pass as comparable to strapping in for a rollercoaster, not knowing when the ordeal would end—being “praying in the car,” begging the drivers (to little effect) to stop.
• The G-forces in the stripped cars make even routine camera operation hazardous.
• The actual logic of the races (who wins, how they’re organized) remains mysterious.
• The danger is real: “It was certain death…for sure. It was like, yeah. Ravine, treed cliff… you’re not coming back if you went off that.”([36:50])

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Memorable Quotes & Moments

• Lil Noisy on VTEC:
  “They look bad, but the moment the VTEC kicks in, it feels so good. It feels like I’m high.” ([05:14])

• Hanrahan on the rush:
  “It was a serious adrenaline rush…not really comparable to anything else I’ve done.” ([14:59])

• Pickup on drivers’ attitudes:
  “They were just mostly shy about it, which I didn’t expect.” ([17:32])

• Hanrahan on filming:
  “You want to communicate that level of… just pure speed and violence, like, going down the road… you don’t want slow motion… you want something that’s gonna convey that.” ([21:30])

• On returning to regular life:
  “Since we’ve come back from Japan, the number of speeding tickets I’ve got is actually… ridiculous.” – Hanrahan ([32:31])

• On the risks:
  “It was right. For sure. For sure. It was like, yeah. Ravine. Like it was treed. Cliff. Like it was… you’re not coming back if you went off that.” ([36:50])

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Timestamp | Segment | |-----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------| | 02:11 | Introduction to the racing scene and meeting Lil Noisy | | 04:06 | Discussing societal view, police risk, and the rush of racing | | 05:12 | Lil Noisy discusses Honda Civics and engine passions | | 07:37 | Introduction to Johnny Pickup, documentary process | | 08:19 | Pickup’s outsider take on Kanjo and street racing culture | | 09:33 | First rides—shock, speed, sound, and danger | | 14:30 | Addictive, lingering effect of the street racing experience | | 16:13 | Social dynamics: unlikely, understated outlaw subculture | | 17:44 | Challenges of filming at night and at speed | | 19:02 | Technical details: rigging cameras in stripped-out cars | | 21:30 | Car modifications: bare bones for speed | | 22:42 | The humanity of racers; debunking “hard man” and petrolhead images| | 24:18 | Reactions to Japanese culture, daily life, and bathhouses | | 32:06 | Aftereffects: returning home, lasting buzz | | 33:15 | Descriptions of the unique terror and endurance of the races | | 36:50 | Risks and reflections on survival |

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Tone

The episode retains Away Days’ signature conversational, unscripted, and slightly raw tone. Hanrahan and Pickup blend humor, humility, and genuine awe at their experiences—conveying both the excitement and anxiety of deeply embedded, independent journalism.

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Conclusion

“Lil Noisy Loves Civics” offers a rare, empathetic look into Japan’s marginalized street racing scene, capturing the universal appeal of community and adrenaline against a backdrop of societal conservatism. Hanrahan and Pickup’s honest reflections, technical details, and stories of fear and exhilaration make this a standout chapter in Away Days’ journey through society’s underbelly.

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For visuals, documentary films, and more on these stories, visit Away Days on YouTube.

Transcript

[Jake Hanrahan]

This is an iHeart podcast.

[Bob Crawford]

What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on Earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced.

[Johnny Pickup]

He said, you are a number. A New York State number, and we own you.

[Bob Crawford]

Listen to shock incarceration on the iHeartRadio, Apple, Apple podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult, but it happens all the time to people just like you and people just like us. I'm Lola Blanc. And I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the hosts of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out. Trust me. New episodes every Wednesday on Exactly right. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Lithgow]

Hello, I'm John Lithgow.

[Johnny Pickup]

We choose to go to the moon.

[John Lithgow]

I want to tell you about my new fiction podcast.

[Johnny Pickup]

It's One Small Step for Man about.

[John Lithgow]

Buzz Aldrin, one of the true pioneers of space.

[Bob Crawford]

You're a great pilot, Buzz.

[John Lithgow]

That's the story you think you know. This is the story you don't. Buzz. Starring me, John Lithgow on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Crawford]

I'm Bob Crawford, host of American History.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Hotline, a different type of podcast.

[Bob Crawford]

You, the listener, ask the questions.

[Johnny Pickup]

Did George Washington really cut down a cherry tree?

[Maria Hinojosa]

Were JFK and Marilyn Monroe having an affair?

[Jake Hanrahan]

And I find the answers. I am so glad you asked me this question.

[Maria Hinojosa]

This is such a ridiculous story.

[Bob Crawford]

You can listen to American History Hotline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Call Zone Media.

[Johnny Pickup]

You're listening to the Away Days podcast on the ground outside, reporting from the underbelly with me, Jake Hanrahan. To watch Away Days documentaries, go to YouTube.com/@awaydays tv. This is part three. Speed Tribes 25 episode four. This podcast is a production of H11 Studio and call Zone Media. Back midway up the mountain, after the white knuckle grip race down it, I catch my breath as the cars fly off again into the darkness. My adrenaline is peaked and probably will be for some time. One of the cross racing lads currently hanging out at the side of the road laughs and puts his thumb up. I grin and put my thumb up too. This lad goes by the nickname Lil Noisy. He's tall, skinny and wearing a set of thick Black glasses through the eye slots in his balaclava. He comes over to me and starts to chat with the help of our friend who's translating. We have a long history. Everyone gets on. Everyone's cars are crisp and I think it's a very cool team. We're number one. What is it you love about the street racing here? Obviously it's very illegal, but you guys are all doing it all the time. I think it's fine so long as we don't get caught. It's fun to race with everyone. In Japan, life is quite conservative. People follow the rules. You guys obviously break the rules all the time. How do you think your average person in Japan sees you guys? Street racers? What do they think to you?

[Jake Hanrahan]

I'm sure it's a nuisance. It's probably annoying.

[Johnny Pickup]

They find it annoying. The police are cracking down quite hard on street racing. Are you not worried you might get into trouble, sent to prison, have your car taken? Are you not scared? Well, there is some worry, but having.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Fun is more important.

[Johnny Pickup]

We run away.

[Jake Hanrahan]

That's it.

[Johnny Pickup]

We run away. Can you describe what it feels like when you're racing? How does it feel to you inside? It's exciting. I just get so excited. It feels so good to be in a place where you're totally unable to think about anything else. You're so excited you can't think of anything else. Kids these days don't go out, so they don't really care about cars. Most kids think as long as it drives, anything is fine. I want the world to know more.

[Jake Hanrahan]

About Japanese cars and I want the.

[Johnny Pickup]

Civic's B type engine to become more popular than turbos. They look bad, but the moment the VTEC kicks in, it feels so good. It feels like I'm high.

[Jake Hanrahan]

That's why I love Civics. I hate turbos, though.

[Johnny Pickup]

After this, Lil Noisy goes on to explain why he loves Honda Civic so much for about another 10 minutes. If there's one thing we've learned for sure on this trip, is that these lot absolutely live and breathe cars. Now, as I've explained in previous parts of this podcast, I strip it down to keep the narrative easy to follow. So therefore, I only give my own perspective. Remember, though, Away Days is a documentary series. First and foremost, whilst I was in Japan, I was, of course, not alone. Me and my team were filming this whole thing. So I want to give some time to my very dear friend and creative partner, Johnny Pickup. He was there filming all of this as I was praying for my life in the front of these Honda Civics to give him his full dues. Here is a short bio. Johnny Pickup is an internationally published, multi award winning photojournalist and documentary filmmaker from London. Pickup's work focuses on the unseen and forgotten areas of society, using still and motion imagery to understand contemporary global issues. As a photojournalist, Pickup has covered world events, current affairs for National Geographic, the Telegraph, Foreign Policy and Getty. Pickup has won multiple international awards for his film and photography work, including the Platinum Remy Award. Past winners include directors such as George Lucas and the Coen Brothers. His prowess working on the ground amidst chaotic situations has given Pickup a raw but highly perfected style. Within his documentary work, he is largely responsible for the unique signature that way Days is known for. Needless to say, Johnny is very good at what he does. He's also a really, really good guy. Let's hear from him. Had you ever heard of like the Japanese street race and scene or any of that before we did this film? No, not really.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Like, obviously from like popular culture, like Fast and Furious. You have like, you know, not like I really watch those films or anything, but they're still mainstream, you know, media that gets put out about those kind of racing stories but no specifics about like the Kanjo specifically or Toge. Like that was completely new when you said that to me and especially the like cultural bits that come along with that, like the style and ethos of, of the races, that was completely new.

[Johnny Pickup]

What was your first impressions of them? Like when we first met, like some of the lads there with the cars, what, what did you, what did you think? Like, what kind of struck you?

[Jake Hanrahan]

I think what really struck me was mainly the attitude of the drivers and that culture because you could tell that it was really out the realms of the ordinary. I think when people engage in that kind of thing in the UK or Europe, like it's slightly more accepted. I think in Japan you're really an outsider if you're doing that kind of stuff. Like it's really not accepted and these guys are doing something that carries a risk in terms of the law, but also like cultural risk as well that you might be looked down upon or you know, not accepted socially. So yeah, that was like super interesting. That came across to me straight away. I mean, as soon as we started getting in cars and like being around them properly, the speed at which we were traveling was suddenly like pretty mind blowing. I mean I was like, I was like when, when we first even like getting like when I think we, we took a ride, didn't we? And it was like, not even, like, properly, like, racing the Kanjo, but it was like, all right, we're just gonna go on the Kanjo. And me and you were like, holy. Like, looking at each other like, this is serious. And it was nothing compared to what was about to happen. But we were already, like, you know, checking we're strapped in properly. Like, raise your eyebrows. Like, holy shit. Like, what's going on? And it felt, like, ridiculous. Like, just off the bat. Oh, ridiculous.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah. Like that first time when it was like, oh, okay, we're just gonna go here. And it's like, oh, we're on the loop now. And then all of a sudden, it's like a hundred miles an hour. And that guy was like, texting at the same time. I was like, oh, we're gonna die. Like, it was terrifying.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Also, like, the exhausts, like, the sound that the cars make is just insane, isn't it? It's just like it just goes through you. And I think even whatever speed you're at feels like twice as fast because you've just got this ridiculous rattle coming from the exhaust.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah. Yeah.

[Bob Crawford]

American history is full of wise people. Walt Whitman said something like, you know.

[Jake Hanrahan]

99.99% of war is diarrhea and 1% is glory.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Those Founding Fathers were gossipy AF, and.

[Jake Hanrahan]

They love to cut each other down.

[Bob Crawford]

I'm Bob Crawford, host of American History.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Hotline, the show where you send us your questions about American history, and I find the answers, including the nuggets of.

[Bob Crawford]

Wisdom our history has to offer. Hamilton pauses, and then he says, the.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Greatest man that ever lived was Julius Caesar.

[Bob Crawford]

And Jefferson writes in his diary, this proves that Hamilton is for a dictator based on corruption. My favorite line was what Neil Armstrong said. It would have been harder to fake it than to do it. Listen to American History Hotline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Lithgow]

Hello, I'm John Lithgow.

[Johnny Pickup]

We choose to go to the moon.

[John Lithgow]

I want to tell you about my new fiction podcast.

[Johnny Pickup]

It's One Small Step for Man.

[John Lithgow]

It's about Buzz Aldrin, one of the true pioneers of space.

[Bob Crawford]

You're a great pilot, Buzz. As far as I'm concerned, the best I've seen.

[John Lithgow]

That's the story you think you know. This is the story you don't predisposition.

[Maria Hinojosa]

To depression, alcohol abuse, and suicide.

[John Lithgow]

We'll see Buzz try to overcome demons.

[Bob Crawford]

What do you say, Buzz?

[Johnny Pickup]

Another beer.

[John Lithgow]

And triumph over addiction.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Here's to you, Buzz Aldrin.

[John Lithgow]

Good luck to you and Become a true hero.

[Bob Crawford]

Buzz and I will proceed into the.

[John Lithgow]

Lunar module not because he conquers space, but because he conquers himself.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Buzz, we intercepted a Soviet radio transmission.

[John Lithgow]

Starring me, John Lithgow.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Can you put it through?

[John Lithgow]

Can you Translate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts?

[Bob Crawford]

Columbia, what would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on Earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced.

[Johnny Pickup]

He said, you are a number, a New York state number, and we own you.

[Bob Crawford]

Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aim to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months.

[Johnny Pickup]

The first night was overwhelming and you don't know who's next to you and we didn't know what to expect. In the morning. Nobody tells you anything.

[Bob Crawford]

Listen to shock incarceration on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Maria Hinojosa]

When I became a journalist, I was the first Latina in the newsrooms where I worked. I'm Maria Hinojosa. I dreamt of having a place where voices that have been historically sidelined would instead be centered. For over 30 years now, Latino USA has been that place. This is Latino USA, the radio journal of news and cultura. As the longest running Latino news and culture show in the United States, Latino USA delivers the stories that truly matter to all of us. From sharp and deep analysis of the most pressing news, they're creating this narrative.

[Johnny Pickup]

That immigrants are criminals.

[Jake Hanrahan]

This is about everyone's freedom of speech.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Nobody expected two popes from the American continent to stories about our cultures and our identities.

[Jake Hanrahan]

When you do get a trans character like Emilia Perez, the trans community is.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Going to push back on that colorism. All of these things, like, exist in Mexican culture and Latino culture. You'll hear from people like Congresswoman aoc. I don't want to give them my fear. I'm not going to give them my fear. Listen to Latino USA as part of the Mike Cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your PODC casts.

[Johnny Pickup]

Do you know what, though? Something really weird. So, like, normally like, say I'm about just at home in England or whatever and I hear someone tear down the road like that, it like Actually drives me mental. Like, it pisses me off, but, But I don't know what it was. Like, halfway through, I was, like, desperate to hear it again. Like, I wanted to feel it. Like, every trip we took, I was like, yeah, I loved it when the VTEC kicked in. Do you know what I mean?

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah. It is addictive, isn't that?

[Johnny Pickup]

It's a weird. Yeah. Did you, did you feel that as well? Almost like surprised I was that I'd ever think that.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah, for sure. And I think, like, I, I both have sworn I would never get in one of those cars again and at the same time secretly would love the opportunity because it's just like, I mean, it was, I mean, it was a serious adrenaline rush. Like, it was everything about it, and it hit all of your senses. Like, you, you know, you were, you were overloading every sense that you have in your body. It was just all, like, on overdrive and it felt, it felt ridiculous and, and you got out the car and like, that adrenaline spike was like something else. I mean, not really comparable to anything else I've done. It was really unique in that way.

[Johnny Pickup]

No saying, like, even, like, war or, like, it was a very specific adrenaline rush. It was like, I don't know. I think the, like, man in machine vibe was just like, I don't know, something completely different. It really made me feel like, I don't know, I don't want to say, like I, I, I understood it fully because I, I just, I couldn't. I, I would be so scared to drive like that myself all the time. But very quickly I saw the appeal of it. Did you, do you think, like. Yeah, like, I get why people would do that.

[Jake Hanrahan]

I'm not like a car. Not in any way. And it's the only time in my life I've been like, oh, I kind of get how your life could become that.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah. Like, if you're a teenager there, you'd be like, you. I think I want a Civic now. And I think I want to do this because ultimately, like, it's like we were saying the whole time, like, like, you made a good point at the start. Like, Japanese culture, it really does not accept or favor outlaws or bandits in any way. Do you know what I mean?

[Jake Hanrahan]

And you could really become a social prior as well. Like, people could really ostracize you for that as well.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah. What was, what was the most challenging part for you? Like, trying to film the racing and everything.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Easy question. It was very difficult, wasn't. I think you would agree with this in the way that Japanese people are quite guarded and shy. I think when it comes to especially being on camera and especially when it's like a secretive world. And I think we both had moments of trying our best to get them to engage past one word answers. And that's just like, I think that's just something that comes. If we went back and we were the same people, I bet you would be easier. It's just maybe requires more time on the ground or whatever. But they, it was quite tricky to get them to speak openly and without embarrassment, I think about what they were doing.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah, that was a big part of it for me. Is difficult because it's like you're going into this kind of underworld. But actually they're just mostly shy about it, which I didn't expect.

[Jake Hanrahan]

And that's different. A lot of the other people that we go and film with. Right. Like a lot of the times these people have like a bit of an ego trip and it's like that you can't stop them. Like they just, you can't stop them talking like about themselves or what they're doing. And, and, and with, with these guys it was the opposite. But yeah, I think apart from, I think from a shooting perspective, like it's quite a tricky story to cover in a few ways because one, everything took place at night. So just from like straight away, just from like an exposure point of view, everything you're shooting is like you're struggling for light the whole time. And number two, like you're shooting in the back of like a stripped out car that's going ridiculously fast and swerving. And like to get any kind of camera control requires hands of steel. I mean it was like, it was pretty hard from that point of view as well.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah. I was trying to explain to a friend the other day about the rigs that we had in there. Like you, you had like lorry straps, you had, you had the, the, the tripod somehow in the back. Can you maybe just go into a little bit of that? Because I couldn't even really fully explain all those kind of technical things that you did to make it work. I mean, I say technical, it was like jerry rigged, but it worked.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah. Shit rigs is what you call it. Yeah, yeah, it was, it was like making the best of the situation. So like we obviously put like GoPros on the side of the vehicle and within. So we already had like a few angles covered. Especially with the toga, which was more like set up, we could rig a car way more than when we Were doing the Kanjo, but with the toga. Like, we. So we set up the GoPro so we had a few angles, and then I was like, I would love to be able to get, like, a shot from the interior looking forwards and rig a camera, a certain. A certain viewpoint. And in order to do that, I decided to strap the tripod down onto the. To the cage of the car and secure it with these. With these straps. Yeah, that you could tighten right up. And it got really. Actually we managed to get it into a really good position, didn't we? And then just fix the camera onto the tripod, and it created a fantastic, like, camera angle. It was really cool. It was like. I think we had our widest lens on. There was like, an 18 mil and just locked off on that tripod and then just went through and it. And because of the way that it was rigged, it moved with the car. So if the car went up a little bit, the camera went up a little bit, and that created quite an unusual. Quite unusual footage. And it felt. Felt very immersive and fast, and I think more so than the other handheld stuff. It was really cool, actually.

[Johnny Pickup]

No, definitely, I agree. And I think, like, for anyone listening, they'll see it on our YouTube when the dot comes out. But basically, it was shooting out the. The front, but from the back. Right. So it was like, you can see my head, you can see the driver's head. But I think the shake is what actually made it work, if that makes sense. For some reason with filmmaking, it kind of hard to show how far something is actually going. Right. And, like, the shape kind of made it work.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah. And it's like the classic thing also, like, you know, slow motion, for example, as soon as you're filming a car, slow motion is, like, the worst thing ever. Just. It doesn't. Suddenly. It just doesn't look. It doesn't look great. It just looks. Just looks like very slow and boring. You want to be able to have a little bit of shake, a little bit of speed. You want to be able to communicate, like, that level of. Yeah, just pure speed and violence, like, going down the road. I mean, literally, the car is, like, going at a ridiculous speed down a mountain pass. And, like, you don't want slow motion. You don't want, like, really controlled footage. You want something that's gonna. Gonna convey that, you know?

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah, definitely. In terms of, like, the cars themselves, like, what did you make of that? For me, I just couldn't quite believe how much they'd taken it apart.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah, it was Quite crazy on the way to that target. Like we were in different cars, weren't we? And I was like in with this other lad and he had it literally bare bones. Like bare bare bones. Like even the gear stick was just like straight metal pole. There was nothing even on top. It was like just there and this. I mean, it just felt unreal. I was like, surely you need more in this than like basically a seat roll cage and gear stick and steering wheel. Like that was. That was effectively it. Even like the speedometer, like didn't have like a plastic sheet. It was just like open.

[Johnny Pickup]

That's crazy. Like, just in case. It's like a feather's weight. Oh, I am. The guy I was with, he didn't. There was no panels on the door, so the door handle was just like a wire. Like it was. It was absolutely mental. Like all the back seats ripped out, like everything. What. Was there anything that kind of like surprised you, maybe you didn't expect from these people?

[Jake Hanrahan]

I think, like, often I think it's kind of what we touch on, but like, it's kind of like when you go into these worlds, often you get a certain type of person. And I just felt like more so than ever with this story. The. The people engaging with, with it were just so your standard Joe kind of guy. Like, just surprisingly so. Like, they weren't in any way like trying to be hard or like gangsters or any. They were just like ordinary guys. Like a lot of them, like video games and stuff and they were just doing these crazy races, but they weren't. They didn't feel like they didn't fulfill the Persona of like an outlaw as much as some of the other stories that we've done. They just were ordinary guys. And that was quite surprising, I thought sometimes like super sweet, like nice guys. Like, they weren't. There was no ego. There was no like trying to. Trying to be a hard guy. They were just. Just loved racing these cars and. Yeah, that was quite surprising.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah, that for me as well. Like, even that like yakuza guy we met was still nice, you know, like he was a chill guy until he kind of, you know, vanished. I was almost expecting some kind of like petrol head vibe like you maybe have in the uk, but literally, literally no one was like that. Even park, like, he was so sweet. I feel like he really longed for the days of it, you know what I mean?

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah. And you could tell I was a part of it. Like the history to it was. Everyone really respected that as well. It was like, it was almost like, this honor code of, like, respect towards the history of Kanjo and the people that had done it before them and stuff, like. And that was cool as well.

[Johnny Pickup]

What did you make of Japan is your first time there, Right? Me as well.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah. Wicked. So cool. I mean, it was like, I. You know, a culture shock, but in the best possible way. It was, like, just brilliant. It was like you were discovering something new on every street corner. A different way of doing it. Whether it was, like, you know, typography, colors. Like, they just did everything different. Like, I remember when we first got on the tube, it was like the color system was just so crazily different to what we would expect in Europe. And, you know, having, like, little cartoon character is, like, used in signage everywhere. And, like, it was just. Yeah, it's just so different, isn't it? Like, and that's fun to walk around and just discover those things. I feel like often when you travel a lot, that doesn't happen so much anymore. I remember when I was younger and I went to India, and I found that, like, a real culture shock as well. And I think this is the only other time I've had that where it was like, oh, wow. Like, this really feels like I'm, Like, I'm traveling and I'm somewhere far, like, far from home. That was cool.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah. No, I agree. I think, with the Whaler. Everything is so globalized now. You can see the other side of the world in the click of a button. It's almost like you've been somewhere before, even if you haven't. But for me, even though I've been looking at Japanese culture and whatever, probably my whole life, like, been fascinated from very young due to, like, manga and anime and all of that kind of cool stuff. It did feel like a completely new place to me. And one thing that I just couldn't get my head around was like, we were in kind of like, what was like, will be considered like, the hood, but, you know, that really cheap little spot we had, people were saying that's, like, a very relatively poor area for Osaka. But it was absolutely lovely. Like, no one had to chain their bike up. Everybody said hello. There was no trash on the floor, no nothing like that. And the thing that got me was, like, everything worked. I couldn't believe it.

[Jake Hanrahan]

And, like, we remember you. Like, we got on that. We got on the tube for the first time. Like, literally, it was. It was just spotless. Like, you could eat your dinner off. It was that clean and going, you know, 12 hours before, like, getting. Getting off The London tube to go to Heathrow and it's like, just feel that, you sit down, a cloud of dust comes up. And it's just such a difference, even on the micro as well as the macro.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah, definitely. I think as well, the. The kind of culture of the bath houses, like, we absolutely ended up loving that. I think they called it the center. Right. Like the first, I was. I don't want to go there. It's kind of seems a bit weird. What. Day one. Loved it. Absolutely in love with it. The total difference of like bathhouse culture versus, like, you know, extreme speed street racing. It kind of said it all for me.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah, yeah. And they had that wild treatment in there where you got electrocuted. Do you remember that?

[Johnny Pickup]

Whoa, mate. I hated that. I was terrified of that.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah, yeah.

[Johnny Pickup]

There was an old fella said like, yeah, yeah, like go in there, it's relaxing or something. And it turns out it was a fucking electrocution, man. It was terrifying. He's laughing at me. I was like, yeah, thanks, mate.

[Bob Crawford]

Horrible.

[Johnny Pickup]

What was the point of it?

[Jake Hanrahan]

It's supposed to relax your muscles, but you just got your novel balls absolutely shocked off.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah, absolutely. Like zapped by lightning. No, I hated that, mate. It was horrible. No, it's a very weird thing. The strange bit for me though as well, when we went to, like, was it Kyoto for the day? Like, everyone, it was just American, like IRL streamers. Yeah, it was just weird. Very strange culture. Plus there definitely.

[Bob Crawford]

What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced.

[Johnny Pickup]

He said, you are a number, a New York state number, and we own you.

[Bob Crawford]

Shock incarceration, also known as boot camps, are short term, highly regimented correctional programs that mimic military basic training. These programs aim to provide a shock of prison life, emphasizing strict discipline, physical training, hard labor and rehabilitation programs. Mark had one chance to complete this program and had no idea of the hell awaiting him the next six months.

[Johnny Pickup]

The first night was overwhelming and you don't know who next to you. And we didn't know what to expect. In the morning, nobody tells you anything.

[Bob Crawford]

Listen to shock incarceration on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Lithgow]

Hello, I'm John Lithgow.

[Johnny Pickup]

We choose to go to the moon.

[John Lithgow]

I want to tell you about my new fiction podcast.

[Johnny Pickup]

That's One Small Step for Man.

[John Lithgow]

It's about Buzz Aldrin. One of the true pioneers of spirit face.

[Bob Crawford]

You're a great pilot, Buzz. As far as I'm concerned, the best I've seen.

[John Lithgow]

That's the story you think you know. This is the story you don't predisposition.

[Maria Hinojosa]

To depression, alcohol abuse and suicide.

[John Lithgow]

We'll see Buzz try to overcome demons.

[Bob Crawford]

What do you say, Buzz?

[John Lithgow]

Another beer and triumph over addiction.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Here's to you, Buzz Aldrin.

[John Lithgow]

Good luck to you and become a true hero.

[Bob Crawford]

Buzz and I will proceed into the.

[John Lithgow]

Lunar module not because he conquers space, but because he conquers himself.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Buzz, we intercepted a Soviet radio transmission.

[John Lithgow]

Starring me, John Lithgow.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Can you put it through?

[John Lithgow]

Can you Translate on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts?

[Bob Crawford]

Columbia American history is full of wise people. Walt Whitman said something like, you know.

[Jake Hanrahan]

99.99% of war is diarrhea and 1% is gory.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Those Founding Fathers were gossipy AF, and they love to cut each other down.

[Bob Crawford]

I'm Bob Crawford, host of American History.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Hotline, the show where you send us your questions about American history.

[Bob Crawford]

And I find the answers, including the nuggets of wisdom our history has to offer. Hamilton pauses, and then he says, the.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Greatest man that ever lived was Julius Caesar.

[Bob Crawford]

And Jefferson writes in his diary, this proves that Hamilton is for a dictator based on corruption. My favorite line was what Neil Armstrong said. It would have been harder to fake it than to do it. Listen to American History Hotline on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Maria Hinojosa]

When I became a journalist, I was the first Latina in the newsrooms where I worked. I'm Maria Hinojosa. I dreamt of having a place where voices that have been historically sidelined would instead be centered. For over 30 years now, Latino USA has been that place. This is Latino USA, the radio journal of news and cultura. As the longest running Latino news and culture show in the United States, Latino USA delivers the stories that truly matter to all of us. From sharp and deep analysis of the most pressing news. They're creating this narrative that immigrants are.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Criminals about everyone's freedom of speech.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Nobody expected two popes from the American continent to stories about our cultures and our identities.

[Jake Hanrahan]

When you do get a trans character like Emilia Perez, the trans community's gonna.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Push back on that colorism, all of these things that exist in Mexican culture and Latino culture. You'll hear from people like Congresswoman aoc. I don't wanna give them my fear. I'm not gonna give them My fear. Listen to Latino USA as part of the My Cultura podcast network, available on the iHeartRadio app, Apple, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Johnny Pickup]

One thing I. I don't know if you felt this, like, but when I. When I got home from, like, our trips, absolutely buzzing, mate. The first time. Now this sounds like, kind of corny, but the first time I got in my car, mate, I. I was like, flying along the motorway back from the thing, and I was like, you know, I don't have like a VTEC in my car or anything like that, but I was absolutely buzzing for about a week. I don't know. Did you feel anything like that?

[Jake Hanrahan]

Well, I'll tell you what, actually, since we've come back from Japan, the number of speeding tickets I've got is actually. It's actually ridiculous. I don't know if that's just a coincidence, but maybe that's the lasting effect. The hang of Japan. I'm just like, thinking that I'm on the Kanjo, though.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah, mate, that says it all, man. That says it. What a trip, though. It was great.

[Jake Hanrahan]

It was just a. Like, a very. A very unique trip and experience. And I think, like, it's definitely stayed with me. Like, maybe not racing the car, but, like, just. I think about it a lot because it. And if people ask me, like, oh, what's one trip that you, you know, you really enjoyed? It was really cool for you. That one I definitely mentioned because it's like, it is. It was. Sorry, just very unique in the way that I experienced it. Like, it definitely has stayed with me.

[Johnny Pickup]

Just lastly, like, what. What did you feel when we went up that mountain pass and we're like, halfway up there and they're like, yeah, we're gonna go now. What. What were you feeling when you were in the car?

[Jake Hanrahan]

Oh, man. I think when you were a kid and you first, like, go on a roller coaster, like, proper roller coaster, and you don't really know what to expect, but you're like, should I do it? Shouldn't I do it? And you end up, like, getting in the seat with your older brother or something, and like, the seat belt straps in and you're like, do you know what? Actually, I'm gonna get off. And it's like, no, mate, it's too late. What was hilarious? The funniest thing about it is, like, we were, like, both said to, like, we were like, okay, we just do one, we'll just do one. And we raced down the mountain, didn't we? Came and then we like, they turned around at the bottom and they raced back up. And we got back to that, like, car park and we were. I was like, thank God that is over. Like, that was. And I was, like, looking at the driver. I was like, laughing, like, oh, that was. Thanks, man. That was amazing. I, like, trying to, like, just unstrapped my belt. Thank you so much. And he's like, no idea what I'm saying. Just laughing and nodding. And he's turning the car around. I'm like, oh, thanks, man. Like, can't wait to get out of here. Thank God. And he starts revving the engine and they all start lining up and I'm like, no, no, no. And then off again. It's like lap number two, just not asked for.

[Johnny Pickup]

But the exact same thing. The same thing happened to me. Like, we're going back up. And I think we did, what, like three or something like that? And I went back up. And again, I was like, he's gonna stop. Like, I'll just get out. Like, like, thank God I survived it. I'm like, literally praying in the car. And he just. I, like, looked at him and nodded and he nodded. So I thought, right, he's got it straight down again, like, wow.

[Jake Hanrahan]

I was literally telling him, like, stop. Like, I wanted it out. He was just nodding. Yeah, yeah.

[Johnny Pickup]

He's like, yeah, you like it? I was like, no, no, no. Like, mate, in the end, I had to, like, really grab his shoulder, like, not forcefully, but and, like, get him to look at me. And I was doing, like, the cut neck sign. Like, I'm done, I'm done. Oh, man. Absolutely terrifying. Mate, I'll tell you what, as well, the. I don't think I've ever felt G force, if that makes sense. Like, I feel like that's as close as it probably gets, you know, in terms of, like, being in the car.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah, now you mentioned it. Like, so I had all the cameras rigged up, but I also had a camera on my lap. And I was in the car behind you, I think. And my plan was to try and see if I could shoot some bits of your car through our window. And literally, like, before we even got to the first turn, that was just evidently impossible because I, like, raised up the camera. The G force hit properly, and it just, like, swung violently to the point where, like, I almost hit the driver. And I was like, nope, not gonna try that again. He, like, looked at me like I was absolutely crazy for trying.

[Johnny Pickup]

So were you just shooting out the front window?

[Jake Hanrahan]

I was trying to, yeah, yeah, yeah. But it was Very. Yeah. I mean, we're going so fast, so I think a lot of the footage we will use is just from the GoPro angles, to be honest. And the. And the car and the one that was rigged, the camera in the back.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yeah, I. I felt as well that the. Well, you. You tell me. Like, I. Can you work out how that race worked? Like, I don't know who was first, who was second. Like, did you work it out?

[Jake Hanrahan]

No idea. No. Maybe time. Yeah. I'm not sure.

[Johnny Pickup]

It was just like he was. I think he was saying that when you, when you get to the bottom, it's like you, whoever can quickly spin around and get the next spot. But it, like, it didn't make any sense to me. I don't know, man. It was absolutely crazy to me. It was quite an experience though, and I'm glad we lived through it. How far do you reckon it was on the, you know, the other side of like that little fence? Like, if you went off that. I mean, you know, I've been saying throughout this series, it was certain death. Like it was right.

[Jake Hanrahan]

For sure. For sure. It was like, yeah. Ravine. Like it was treed. Cliff. Like it was. Yeah. You're not coming back if you went off that?

[Johnny Pickup]

No, definitely not. All right, mate. Thank you so much for coming along for that. It was absolutely mental.

[Jake Hanrahan]

Yeah, no worries, man. Until the next one.

[Johnny Pickup]

Yes, mate. Remember, everything you heard in the last 12 episodes is just a fraction of what's to come. See our progress. Watch our films. Go to YouTube.com waydaystv for everything else, it's Awaydays TV. Thanks for listening to watch independent Away Days documentaries. Subscribe to our [e-mail] waydaystv. Your Way Days podcast is a production of H11 Studio for Cool Zone Media. Reporting, producing, writing, editing and research by me, Jake Hanrahan. Co producer by Sophie Lichterman. Music by Sam Black Sound mix by Splicing block Photography by Johnny Pickup and Louis Hollis. Graphic design by Laura Adamson and Casey Highfield. If you're looking for another heavy podcast about trauma, this ain't it.

[Jake Hanrahan]

This is for the ones who had.

[Johnny Pickup]

To survive and still show up as brilliant, loud, soft and whole.

[Jake Hanrahan]

The unwanted sorority is where black women.

[Johnny Pickup]

Femmes and gender expansive survivors sexual violence rewrite the rules on healing, support and what happens after.

[Jake Hanrahan]

And I'm your host and co president of this organization, Dr. Lea Tritate. Listen to the unwanted sorority.

[Johnny Pickup]

New episodes every Thursday on the iHeartRadio.

[Jake Hanrahan]

App, Apple Podcasts or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Maria Hinojosa]

Everyone thinks they'd never join a cult. But it happens all the time to people just like you and people just like us. I'm Lola Blanche. And I'm Megan Elizabeth. We're the hosts of Trust Me, a podcast about cults, manipulation and the psychology of belief. Each week we talk to fellow survivors, former believers and experts to understand why people get pulled in and how they get out. Trust Me. New episodes every Wednesday on Exactly right. Listen, wherever you get your podcasts.

[Bob Crawford]

What would you do if one bad decision forced you to choose between a maximum security prison or the most brutal boot camp designed to be hell on Earth? Unfortunately for Mark Lombardo, this was the choice he faced.

[Johnny Pickup]

He said, you are a number, a New York state number, and we own you.

[Bob Crawford]

Listen to Shock incarceration on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[John Lithgow]

Hello, I'm John Lithgow.

[Johnny Pickup]

We choose to go to the moon.

[John Lithgow]

I want to tell you about my new fiction podcast.

[Johnny Pickup]

That's why One Small Step for Man.

[John Lithgow]

About Buzz Aldrin, one of the true pioneers of space.

[Bob Crawford]

You're a great pilot, Buzz.

[John Lithgow]

That's the story you think you know. This is the story you don't. Buzz, starring me, John Lithgow, on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts.

[Jake Hanrahan]

This is an iHeart podcast.