We did it!!!! YES YES YES!! It was soooooooooo much fun and totally worth it. Everyone was following the rules and we were practically celebrities on the streets. People kept taking photos of us and waved at us. (Check out my GoPro video at the end of this post for the experience!) If you are planning to experience the same, here are a few things you need to know before you book:
First of all, these are called Street Karts, despite what you are thinking. Drivers can choose to dress in costume, or not. If you do wish to do so, stores do provide free costumes for paid drivers to choose from and free locker space for your belongings.
Second of all, this is like real driving on the streets anywhere in the world. Tokyo has one of the busiest, the most condensed streets in the entire world, so yes, it means you need a valid Driver's License. Not just any license, but an INTERNATIONAL DRIVER'S LICENSE in order to experience one of these. For more info and details, check out my other post here! Do not try to skip this thinking they won't check. C'mon, this is Japan we are talking about. They follow rules AT ALL COST.
Third of all, most of us did not know how to operate one of those karts till after the orientation and training so do not be scared. The orientation takes about 15 minutes. It really is like driving a normal car. Oh! One thing I do need to mention, okay, TWO things. No personal belongings allowed. As you can see, there is no glove compartment, nor a cup holder for any of your personal items. Not even your phone. All personal belonging must be locked in the locker at the store before getting on a kart for safety purposes. Which brings me to my second thing: bring GoPro. If not, they do have GoPro for rent at the store. If not, your guide/keeper will take tons, TONS of photos for you at almost each light. To a point that you simply cannot smile for photos no more. And he will AirDrop all photos before you part ways.
There are different time slots for you to sign up, either morning or late afternoon, as well as the length of tour. It's between 1.5 to 3 hours. We did the 3-hour tour, my sister thought it was long, I thought 3 hours was perfect. We had a maybe 25-min break in between to take photos at Odaiba mall and restroom. You'll be assigned to a group of 6 + 1 guide, who always drives first to keep an eye on the road condition. If there's any questions or incident, he will be the one to ask before / when you are on the road.
Depends on which website you book the tour with, each beginning location is different. I do see now that some stores offer free face masks during Covid-19. Some stores have free shades and free helmets available as well. If you don't see them on the website, always email to ask.
My personal favorite part was driving on the Rainbow Bridge between Shibaura and Odaiba waterfront. The bridge lights up at night like the rainbow. I also liked driving pass the Tokyo Tower without dealing with tourists and the crowd.
Generally speaking, it is very easy to get around Tokyo by metro or bus, if not, Uber is like another level of luxury there. Seriously, I had never seen any Uber driver in suits and white gloves till Tokyo.
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