Sean is sent to Tokyo to live with his father, stationed in Japan as a U.S Naval Officer, after a street racing incident in the United States almost lands him in jail.
He is introduced into the world of drifting after a chance encounter with another ex pat, Twinkie, a hustler who sells American goods to the Japanese.
However, Sean runs into Takashi, or DK, short for Drift King, and his business partner Han. Sean challenges DK to a race, where DK ends up winning in a blowout. Afterwards, Han tells Sean that he will be working with him to pay off the car that Sean smashed in the race with DK. Sean later finds out more about his friends, namely Han being involved in a business partnership with DK, a "wannabe" Yakuza.