Categories: My Family's Car Life

A thought on why motorsports culture has not taken root in Japan.

Unlike golf or tennis.

My husband said to me the other day, "In golf or tennis, everyone is aware of and takes care of basic form, but when it comes to driving, why are we so completely unaware of driving position and form? It's the same thing.

...hmm? Same thing?

I don't think so, but on the other hand, I think I understand.

Certainly, there are many people who study golf form. They are asking questions such as, "How can I increase my distance?" and "Where should I hit the ball to make it fly straight?" Since Lizap has started offering one-on-one golf instruction, there must be many people in Japan who want to improve their golf skills.

As for tennis, the appearance of Mr. Nishikori has further ignited the sport, and I hear that the number of people attending tennis schools has increased.

You know, compared to tennis or golf.Motorsports culture is still lagging behind in Japan.

In Europe, motorsports is much more accessible, and there are many circuits where F1 and big races can be held, and apparently many people go to watch them. In Japan, there are

F1 is something for nerds and rich people with a penchant for the easygoing, right?"

I feel that this is a strong image, and it has not been widely accepted.

Among car enthusiasts, racers such as Kamui Kobayashi and Kazuki Nakajima are well known, but there are still many people in the world who do not know about them. Even on TV sports programs, there is a lot of talk about baseball, soccer, tennis, and golf, but not much about motorsports. Perhaps if Kamui Kobayashi and his team participated in F1 and other major races and won, motor sports would become more popular in Japan...

But maybe not as powerful as Mr. Nishikori in tennis.

What is the difference between Europe and Japan?

Why hasn't motorsports taken root in Japan?I had a discussion with my husband once about, ,Between my wife and I, we've been

I think it's because "Europe and the U.S. have a horse-drawn carriage culture, while Japan has a flying coach culture."

This was the conclusion of the study.

The horse-drawn carriage culture has long taken root in Europe.To my surprise, horse-drawn carriages have existed since the Mesopotamian and Indus civilizations. The topography of many places was open, making it easy for carriages to pass through, and nobles often competed with each other in the decoration and speed of their carriages, with the carriages being a symbol of wealth. As an extension of this carriage culture, the car was born.

Japan, on the other hand, has many mountains and narrow roads, and the terrain is not conducive to horse-drawn carriages. The Edo shogunate prohibited the passage of cars except in some areas, and daimyo (feudal lords) traveled in portable shrines carried by people.(Must have been tough for the fliers...)

Cars did not spread rapidly in Japan until the Meiji period (1868-1912). In Europe, where the horse-drawn carriage had a long history, the car became more than just a means of transportation; it developed into a motor sport, but it was not until the Meiji Era (1868-1912) that the car became the main form of transportation in Japan.Japan doesn't have the culture to go that far.The perception that car = means of transportation is still strong.

It is natural that many people are not conscious of the driving position of a car, which is just a means of transportation. If the motorsports culture permeates more widely in Japan, perhaps more people will become aware of the driving position, as my husband says.

However, it is impossible to do such a thing in a few years; it may take decades, maybe even longer. These days, I feel that the word "car" has a very deep meaning.

 

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