【Tokyo Guide】Mario Kart in the City Streets: A Tokyo Adventure Report
Nintendo’s [Mario Kart] is no doubt a cherished childhood memory for many kids and adults alike. From the GBA era to arcade multiplayer battles, it has always had a solid fanbase.
By chance, U and ?Xia? got talking about trying out a racing experience, and when they saw it being promoted, they realized that as long as you have a license, you can dress up like Mario and race for real. Of course, in reality, there won’t be any banana peels or turtle shells, but being able to speed through the city at an affordable price is something that’s probably quite hard to do in Hong Kong.
The concept of real-life Mario Kart actually originated fromマリカ0? (MariCar) in Shinagawa. In the Tokyo area, they offer three routes for participants, mainly involving guided tours around Tokyo’s popular attractions via go-karts.
Before setting off, MariCar provides training and lends you cute character outfits to wear.
MariCar offers three Plans, starting from two to three hours, with prices ranging from 8,000 Yen to 11,000 Yen.
After deducting time for changing clothes and instructions, if you join the two-hour plan, you’re only left with about one hour of actual driving, and you’ll have to choose between the Rainbow Bridge and Shibuya.
That means if you want to speed on the open road, you’ll have to give up the city buzz—and even then, one hour feels just enough to whet your appetite.
It’s recommended to go for the three-hour plan so you can drive for two full hours and visit all the spots: the Rainbow Bridge, Roppongi, Tokyo Tower, and Shibuya.
Besides lending outfits, MariCar also offers equipment like GoPros for players to capture memories.
Time to set off. The convoy will be led by two staff members.
First, you’ll head over the Rainbow Bridge to Odaiba.
Although the max speed is supposedly 100 km/h, for safety’s sake, following the group and sticking to Japan’s speed limits is more than enough.
The convoy always becomes the center of attention wherever you go. When stopped at lights, the lead staff member will happily take photos for everyone.
U and his friend also took the chance to snap some fun photos along the way.
U felt that apart from the drive itself, the photo ops were another major highlight of the trip.
Thanks to the ample time given, U and his friends were able to take lots of group photos along the route and at the rest stops.
Epilogue
Although places like the Rainbow Bridge, Shibuya, and Tokyo Tower weren’t new to me as someone who visits Tokyo often, and I’d tried go-karting before,
combining the two was a totally fresh experience. It allowed me to relive my childhood racing memories in real life in a way I hadn’t expected. Most importantly, if you book through a reliable operator, the experience is well worth it.
MariCar has its own Facebook page and website, so booking is simple—just send them a Facebook message telling them which day you want to join, which course, and how many people are in your group. Worth mentioning is that MariCar offers promotions: if you post photos after your ride, you’ll get a discounted rate. For example, the three-hour course can be reduced to 8,000 Yen—saving enough for a meal or even a taxi ride.
But don’t forget before you go—don’t forget—don’t forget—to bring your international driver’s license.
P.S. The staff recently seem to have become even more adorable, so friends going with friends should take note.