Sung Kang on the jacket that lit up Tokyo, a game he didn’t expect to love, and wearing LEDs to a car meet.
LOS ANGELES, CA- I’ve stood under the neon glow of Tokyo at midnight, feeling the vibration of a modified engine hit straight through my chest. If you’ve ever wandered through a real Tokyo car meet at Daikoku PA, you know the feeling. Rows of cars packed together under fluorescent lights, exhaust fumes hanging in the air, engines screaming somewhere in the distance while people quietly circle builds like they’re museum pieces, and some using the parking lot as the perfect backdrop for their TikTok’s.
But let’s be real. Most of us can’t just magically hop a flight to Japan every weekend. And you definitely shouldn’t try drifting a real car through the Shibuya crosswalk – because that would be illegal, and let’s not be that gaijin (foreigner) who ends up plastered on the morning news right after getting reported and deported.
That’s exactly why Forza Horizon 6 hitting the shelves this month is such a massive deal. It translates all that spice, energy, and flavor straight to the comfort of your own home. Behind the wheel in this game, you can be whoever you want, exploring the most massive, intricate drivable Tokyo map Playground Games has ever built.
To celebrate the release, Xbox teamed up with Goldenvoice’s new J-pop festival Zipangu, LA-based design house UPRISERS LAB, and actor/car enthusiast Sung Kang (Fast & Furious) for a special collaboration featuring two custom upcycled Japanese selvedge denim jackets.
Kang is not just an actor playing a car guy on screen – he’s deeply entrenched in the culture. From iconic custom builds like the award-winning Fugu Z (his beautiful Datsun 240Z) to the incredible Doc Z, his roots in the JDM scene are undeniably authentic. That same energy carries into his upcoming film, Drifter. Kang wrote, directed, and stars in the movie as Tree, a racetrack janitor who discovers drifting through an aging Toyota AE86 Corolla. Like the Forza collaboration and the jackets themselves, the project feels centered around identity, obsession, creativity, and the emotional side of car culture rather than just speed or spectacle.
We got a chance to catch up with Sung Kang to talk about the collaboration, music, cars, and why he unexpectedly connected with Forza Horizon 6.
MARINA ROSE FOR BLURRED CULTURE: Since this drop is happening at Zipangu, we absolutely have to talk music first! What is your ultimate late-night driving playlist? Our readers would love to know what tracks you’re throwing on when you’re cruising or working on cars in the garage.
Sung Kang: Depending on the city I’m in, I throw on LoFi that is local to the city.
BC: With this entire collaboration celebrating the launch of Forza Horizon 6, are you much of a gamer yourself What kind of vibe or soundtrack do you need to get in the zone?
SK: I’ve never considered myself much of a gamer. For most of my life, my passions have always been films and cars, and because of that, I never truly connected with video games in a meaningful way. But through my journey of meeting the passionate developers behind Forza Horizon 6, I began to realize something unexpected — the “why” behind their work deeply aligns with my own northern star as a storyteller and filmmaker. At the heart of it all is the desire to create something that brings people together… a true sense of community through a shared love of cars, creativity, and emotion.
That realization changed the way I experienced the game itself. It no longer felt like just a game to me, but more like a welcoming space with a soul and atmosphere all its own. That connection even inspired the playlists I listen to while playing. To me, Forza Horizon carries this calm, almost meditative energy — something that naturally pairs with Tokyo LoFi music drifting quietly in the background.
The vibe feels open, inclusive, and comforting. It invites everyone in.
“It no longer felt like just a game to me, but more like a welcoming space with a soul and atmosphere all its own.”
Sung Kang
BC: The release mentioned this drop also ties into your upcoming movie, Drifter. How does the energy of that film connect with the aesthetic of this jacket and the Forza world?
SK: I think there’s a shared atmosphere between Drifter, the jacket collaboration and the world of Forza Horizon 6. All three are rooted in movement, identity and emotional connection to car culture. Drifter explores the human side of that world – memory, isolation, creativity, freedom – while the jackets translate those same ideas visually through craftsmanship, texture and design. What I appreciated about the collaboration is that it never felt overly commercial. It felt cinematic and emotionally grounded in the same way the film does.
BC: You’ve built some incredible cars over the years, from the Fugu Z to the Doc Z 240Z. If you’re throwing on this exclusive neon-lit jacket, which car from your personal collection are you taking out, and what song is playing through the speakers?
SK: I would rock the jacket with FUGUZ.
BC: Forza Horizon is essentially the ultimate fantasy car festival. Be honest – are you planning to pull up to your next real-life local car meet rocking this fully lit-up neon LED jacket?
SK: Honestly, that’s what I like most about the jacket – despite how technically ambitious it is, it still feels wearable and expressive rather than costume-like. UPRISERS LAB did an incredible job balancing innovation with craftsmanship. The LED functionality captures the atmosphere of Tokyo nightlife and street culture in a way that still feels authentic to enthusiast culture. So yes, I think the fun of it is that it’s designed to actually exist in the real world rather than just behind glass.
BC: You’ve seen it all in the global car community. What is one current car mod or street culture trend that you absolutely love?
SK: One thing I really appreciate right now is seeing people move back toward individuality and craftsmanship. There’s a growing appreciation for builds that feel personal rather than purely trend-driven or performance-focused. I think people are reconnecting with the artistry behind customization again – the small details, the imperfections, the storytelling. That mindset influenced this collaboration a lot as well.
Sung Kang cruises to local LoFi. I absolutely love that because our playlist preferences match perfectly, and I’ve got it all on deck. If you want to match that exact energy while you’re tearing up Touge Battles in Forza Horizon 6 from your couch (or a custom gamers racing seat), I highly recommend throwing on some delicious tracks by LAFFEY, ANTENT, a bit of MARSQUAKE, or maybe the Bring Me The HorizonLoFi album, toss in the Stranger Things original score the LoFi edition to make it extra cinematic, and you’re locked into the ultimate late-night vibe.
And congratulations to the lucky few who managed to get one of the jackets through the festival or Xbox sweepstakes. The standard versions already came loaded with details like reflective 3M elements and controller storage pockets, but the ultra-limited Sung Kang edition — featuring hand-sewn cherry blossoms and battery-powered LED lighting woven directly into the seams — is the kind of piece people will probably still talk about years from now.
If you missed out, grab your controller, and go claim the streets of Japan.
Forza Horizon 6 is available now on Xbox Series X|S, PC, and Xbox Cloud Gaming.
Follow Forza Horizon on Facebook, TikTok, X, and Instagram.
Follow Sung Kang on Facebook, TikTok, X, and Instagram.
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Sung Kang Talks Forza Horizon 6, Drifter, Tokyo Car Culture, and His Ultimate LoFi Driving Soundtrack
