Riding ‘Go-karts’ in the Centre of Tokyo

If you are walking around Shibuya, Roppongi, or Odaiba, and suddenly you see a parade of go-karts with drivers wearing your childhood favorite cosplay costumes like Mario, Luigi, or Yoshi, don't be surprised! This is a new cool service that Tokyo has on offer and it’s a big hit. So if you visit Shinagawa, this cool service is not to be missed.

Imagine yourself wearing a costume of your favorite characters, driving a cool go-kart with your friends on a street in central Tokyo. How cool is that? There are many go-kart rental companies around here, but with Maricar, you can ride your rental go-kart on real roads and wear your favorite childhood cosplay costume. On top of that, when stopping at the intersection lights, people will want to take you and your friend’s picture. It’s a bit like being a celebrity for a day. For those people who are concerned about safety, at Maricar it’s a top priority. A professional guide will take care of you through the session. You can read the reviews from some people who have used the service in their website.

There are 3 program to choose from

1. Course A (duration 2 hours): The route starts at Shinagawa and goes to Tokyo Tower, Roppongi, Shibuya and back to Shinagawa. For this course, I recommend you go in the evening, so you can enjoy the night lights of these areas.

2. Course B (duration 2 hours): The route starts at Shinagawa and goes to the Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, the Tokyo Tower, Roppongi and back to Shinagawa. This course would be perfect for a nice sunny day, with numerous opportunities for beautiful views. Don’t be surprised if people take photos of you as well!

3. Course C (duration 3 hours): This route is a combination of the first two, starting at Shinagawa then going to the Rainbow Bridge, Odaiba, the Tokyo Tower, Roppongi, Shibuya and back to Shinagawa. This course is very popular because you are able to see so many of Tokyo’s major landmarks.

Price

The price for Courses A and B is 8,000 yen per person. If you write a review on the Maricar website, TripAdvisor, Facebook or Google Plus, the price will be discounted to 6,000 yen per person.

For Course C, the price is 11,000 yen per person and if you write a review, the price will be discounted to 8,000 yen per person.

Reservation

You can book in advance via phone, on their website, or through Facebook. Walk-in is possible also, but on the weekend you might want to book ahead to ensure a seat.

Process of service

1. The shop will ask you to read the detailed information about renting the go-kart, including rule and regulations. Then you will be asked to sign an agreement. (Don’t forget to bring your driver’s licence - see the details at the bottom of this article.)

2. Choose your costume! At Maricar, they provide lots of costumes. The popular ones are, as the name suggest, the Mario gang. They also have Batman, Ironman and Superman! You can go on their website to have a look so it will save you time when you get there.

3. In addition, they also offer rental equipment such as 4k action cameras or GoPro Heroes, so you can record you and your friends’ fun experience using your own Micro-SD card.

4. The staff will demonstrate how to drive the go-kart and and explain some traffic rules (i.e. maximum speed is 60 kilometers per hour, stop at traffic lights and pedestrian crossing, etc.).

5. For payment, the shop accepts both cash and credit cards.

Detailed Information

1. To take part in this service, you have to have your driver’s licence and passport with you. The valid driver license MUST BE either a Japanese driver license, Japanese SOFA license or International Driver license.

2. An English-speaking guide, costume, insurance and gas are all included in the price.

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