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

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.

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])

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])

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 |

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.

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.

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