Touge is a Japanese word that refers to mountain roads or passes. Generally it refers to running a vehicle on a mountain road or canyon. Many people use the word Drifting (see Drifting article) and Touge interchangeably when talking about racing in the mountains or canyons.

Participants will race their vehicles up or down the canyons, pushing cars to their limits. Frequently they exceed the vehicles limits, and or their driving abilities, and slide down an embankment or hit a canyon wall.

There are many popular canyon spots throughout the country that are frequented by hard core enthusiasts between midnight and 3:00am. There are also several car clubs that run the canyons on weekends. In the past there were many secluded (and referred to as 'secret') spots, but with the emerging interest in this trend they are becoming crowded and collisions and injuries are on the increase. As with Drifting, some of these areas are easy to spot due to the skid marks at the corners.