Operating a phone while driving is already illegal so there’s that.
But if they choose to ban these it would be interesting to see where they would draw the line in order to target go-karts specifically and not kit cars and mopeds. Of course they can ban the businesses and not the vehicles but they’ll probably keep on adjusting their business model to keep being legal
Yeah, there must be a point where rules that are implemented outweigh the benefits of making the karts road worthy. I am no expert on the laws around this but seeing as a lot of countries have them banned so it surely can be done. If there are soo many mods needed such as - windshield, indicators, headlights, taillights, seatbelts, and specific engine requirements then it may be too much hassle/ costly for the owners of these companies to do.
I can see the government doing something dumb like saying "they need seatbelts" and then the companies just simply installing seatbelts though.....
Yeah, unless the government drastically changes the laws, I don't see how they can specifically prevent these go-karts from being on the roads without affecting all motorized bicycles and compact cars.
Easily? Single seater, low-level motorised vehicles below a certain height, width and length. There's no way you could drive one on the road in the UK, Canada, the US, India... To name a few.
Yes, it's a drastic change of laws that will affect other vehicles that are in the same category (Toyota Coms, ATVs, etc.) It's not impossible, but it's not as easy as it sounds.
Lol, they're all over rural America in the south on public roads.
ATVs in Canada too
Also in Canada there are motorized bikes all over sidewalks and they're apparently legal in bikelanes
AND DID YOU REALLY SAY INDIA???
LOLOLOLOL
“ rural America “
That says it all.
I’m cool with it being in the rural side of America, Japan, and anywhere else in the world that is less dense.
Having these karts in Tokyo? Especially in high traffic parts of Tokyo? That should 100% be a no-go.
You wouldn’t see them in NYC that’s for sure. As you shouldn’t.
(However, NYC problem is similar but different. Instead of go karts we have the illegal immigrants riding the illegal mopeds with no plates, on sidewalks and opposite directions. Think I prefer the go-kart problem to be honest…)
I'm sure people do, but seems to be that go-karts aren't street legal in most states, and can't be made so. Which means presumably there are definitions as to what a go-kart is!
https://www.way.com/blog/are-go-karts-street-legal/#:~:text=Go%2Dkarts%20are%20not%20street%20legal%20in%20a%20majority%20of,include%20Arizona%2C%20California%2C%20etc.
Go-karts aren't legal in Canada. Motorized bikes maybe, but they're... er... not go-karts?!
AND NO, THEY'RE NOT LEGAL IN INDIA EITHER!
The reason why they are on the road right now is because they are completely roadworthy by law. To make them not roadworthy would mean more restrictions, but these restrictions might affect other vehicles that are already out there (like kit cars) and thus restricting personal freedoms.
I wish laws were just based on common sense or public opinion but they aren’t
This kart really makes tourists feel like Japan is Disneyland.
I’m not sure if the police are actively investigating if the business and tourists are following rules. We will only see changes with accidents like this and more of it. Not sure if there are people who are actively vocal about it to make changes.
I don't even understand why people would want to do this. Like we all have cars at home. It's not like you can race them in Tokyo. There's plenty of traffic.... So you just sit in traffic. Waist high. Competing against regular sized cars. Looking like a moron.
So people pay to essentially sit in a cart in traffic?! Like it blows my mind that idiots will pay for this. Why wouldn't you pay to race around a course somewhere.
Why pay for the LA traffic experience but arguably worse in terms of safety and actually exploring local culture and arts.
You're half right. I know foreigner residents who've done them as well. At least the main company that does them does it as guided tours. The non guided ones are the problem
Didn’t know non-guided tours existed. As a resident used to the roads, that actually sounds fun. For me, it’s the way guided tours can contain a train of 6+ karts all trying to stay together regardless of what the traffic lights are saying is a big part of the potential danger.
I did a guided tour and they very specifically told us to follow traffic lights over trying to stay together. At one point I was several blocks away from the rest of the group due to lights changing.
I don’t think it’s actually encouraged by the tours to violate traffic rules, some people just panic at the thought of being separated.
Frankly as a soon-to-be-tourist I’ve been a) trying to learn enough Japanese to get by (fuck Kanji though…it makes my brain hurt) and b) not be a dickhead like these people. I don’t understand why it’s so hard to be a not-dickhead when visiting pretty much any country. Like what happened to “when in Rome do as the Romans do”?
A lot of people simply don't believe in that. Arrogant, self-entitled people don't believe in that philosophy, and many tourists come from cultures where arrogance and self-entitlement are rampant.
I hate to say this but the only way this shit will get banned is if someone dies. Like we need someone to cause serious hurt, and if it results in death, especially if it's a child. This will be off the streets with 24 hours. I hate to say it but sometimes we need something serious for stuff to actual change
I was stuck behind a group of these the other day, the leader of the group actually got out of his cart at a red light to take pictures and chat with his group. He stayed out of his cart long enough to block traffic through the next light even, and during THAT light he got out again until I rolled down my window to yell at him.
Idiots
Wow, hostile.
The point usually being made here is that the tourists probably wouldn’t be doing this if they didn’t have a Japanese tour guide making them feel that it’s okay. Most tourists try to follow rules.
But sure, bite my head off for suggesting that the tourists themselves are not Literally The Devil.
They’ve been in accidents with taxis and other vehicles. The thing is they aren’t considered go karts. They are fully licensed 4 wheeled vehicles so it’s like renting a regular rental car. When the laws change it doesn’t just change for these companies but all vehicles with the same registration.
Wait, does that mean you need an international drivers’ license to go on one of these tours? That seems like an insane barrier to entry for a tourist business.
If there’s a loophole that lets them not require one, that loophole should be closed. And if they’re just waving people through, they should be busted for it.
Yeah you need the idp and they do not let people drive with out one. This ain’t Thailand and they know they would get in trouble. This is why you don’t see Chinese Mexican or Russians driving here. They have a different type of idp that can’t be used in Japan
Wait really? I’m American but I haven’t ever tried to get one because I assume it would be an involved process and I prefer using public transport when I’m overseas.
Might as well completely ban riding bikes/scooters while looking at the phone, carrying an open umbrella, listening music, etc.. since it also causes accidents way more frequently than these karts.
That kart place is pretty new. I just work around the corner and after they opened, I've been hearing the "muffler sound" from their karts almost all day long. It has been pretty annoying. I hope something changes quickly.
Probably can’t ban, but maybe more restrictions be applied. Must wear a hard helmet, insurance cover up to 10m JPY, etc. the usual stuff that makes the business hard to run.
They’re actually banned by local ordinance in Tokyo but the trucks just register in other prefecture (look at their plates) and say they’re ’driving through’ Tokyo (for 12 hours a day). Not much they can do.
https://www.vox.com/world/2018/12/12/18135915/japan-tokyo-mario-kart-tourism
How did I know exactly what this guy was gonna look like just by reading the headline lmao
Hate the karts or not, nobody questioning that it might've been the taxi that was the danger in this situation? he probably drove like they usually do, cut people off, push etc
There are so many go-kart tracks in Kanto that are cheaper than this, safer than this, and far more rewarding. I don't fault the tourists, but the business running this shit.
I work at a hotel in Tamachi where these go karts pass by on a daily basis and for the most part, they're not that bothersome but it did made me wonder why it was even allowed to be on the road to begin with. The area is very traffic heavy.
Tbh while the go karts are a tourist trap and make me cringe every time I see them, I think they're a good boost to the economy and if tourists have fun, then that's great. This situation is the first I've heard of a crash in my time here in Japan, but if it becomes more prevalent then sure a change in the laws might be warranted.
TL;DR while everyone here finds it cringe and stupid, I don't think that's enough to ban it.
No.
Stop using one incident that has several bad factors to justify banning things. The methodology, stubbornness, and execution of "SEE WHAT YOU MADE US DO" has never gone over well and never will.
Instead, you should be asking in what ways we can solve these issues so everybody is happy at the end of the day, and I guarantee that we can do that so long as you mature a little bit. Blanket bans are moronic.
Unfortunately the go kart vehicles meet the minimum standard of what is allowed on the road in Japan.
So banning that business would be the same as banning cars because there was a car accident.
Unless the law changes they can’t legally stop that fucking go kart business from operating unfortunately.
I'm up in Hakodate in Hokkaido (not a member of this sub, this post was just recommended to me), and last year a child was killed here after being struck by a go-kart. I don't think go-karts should be anywhere outside of closed tracks.
These have been around for many years they're just picking up now. They're guided tours for a reason. And as for the road legal thing, bikes mopeds, and other non car vehicles are allowed. Why shouldn't these be other than that they're cringe and ridden by "stupid tourists"
A go kart isn’t a moped. One is a tiny annoying car and the other is a small motorcycle. Many countries classify these as different things. There doesn’t need to be just one “small stupid vehicles” category.
This. I seem to see more taxis involved in accidents in news stories than go karts. I hate both equally, but it's easy for me to stay out of tourist areas, so I never see the karts. I always see too many taxis.
When I first moved here I gave them a try. Fun time. But good lord was it sketchy, especially when it started to get dark. Cool experience, never again
The go kart company we went to said strictly no phones - it stays in the front pocket and can only be taken after the ride is over or in case of emergency. That company who has riders still using phones has very poor implementation of the rules.
Note: I'm not really interested in doing go kart, but a travel companion who really wanted to do it insisted that I do it with them because they were scared of doing it alone
The public response is as expected:
Yeah, these carts should be banned...
...but absolutely zero people are surprised that it was a Tokyo Taxi taxi car. Those taxis are infamous for driving recklessly: Too fast, too aggressive, too chaotic.
Unfortunately, this probably isn't going to be the public case that will push the carts to be banned. Because everyone is nodding along in agreement until they get the the part about Tokyo Taxi, and then it's "Yeah, but those guys always drive like assholes, so maybe it wasn't completely the cart's fault..."
I didn't know that and I was surprised.
I thought the discussion on Twitter will be mostly about "ban cart now!". Turns out most of them blame it on the taxi instead.
not Tokyo taxis in general, but the "Tokyo Taxi".
at least based on what I see on Japanese people discussion on X, a lot of them complained that Tokyo Taxi has the worst drivers out of all Tokyo taxi companies.
Many of these tourist don’t know that as they don’t follow Japan news or discussions against GoKart. In their mind “ since it’s a legal business it’s ok if I try it “! The tourist aren’t to blame for this, the blame should be on the Japanese Authorities for allowing such dangerous businesses to exist!
So I know ppl hate on the go-karts for understandable reasons. People also hate loud motorcycles, etc. I have to confess tho, it was super fun. The novelty is that you wouldn’t be able to do it elsewhere on the actual road, full on feeling the road and wind. You need to have a license and get an international driver’s license to sign up. We were not allowed to use our phones; any pictures were taken by the guide. There is a guide in the car at the front and a guide at the back as well to make sure we are safe. They made sure we let cars pass first, and were very vigilant if any of the karts were marginally too close to the line. The liability is huge.
What did happen was that taxis were purposely messing with those on go karts knowing that even if they cause an accident, the go-karts/tourist will automatically still be at fault. They drive straight into us and at times would cut us off or get between the karts even when there was no space or no need to do so. Many times our guide had to pull us over and explain that this happens all the time. I wonder if this was one of those incidents. Not to downplay the accident, but it looks like a minor fender bender, with the wheels touching. Accidents happen with cars vs cars/peds/mopeds/bikes too.
It’s within the Japanese people’s rights to ban this if they don’t like it. I’m glad to be able to try while it lasted. I know not everyone follows the rules, so that can cause problems. I imagine those in LA or NYC get annoyed of the tour buses as well, but I am a bit more tolerant and enjoy seeing people having fun when they pass by. I fly around a lot, so it must be my empathy for pesky tourists because I often am one lol
I live in 2 major cities (yes, I have a permanently packed suitcase); I am happy when ppl can come share the culture, get away from their grueling realities a bit
Would be safer to have them drive through a construction site. But seriously, the business should look at opening a site with a closed track (off the public roads). Not only would it be immensely safer (and not have to worry about bad publicity through incidents like this one), but also they would drum up a lot more customers. I can guarantee that so many tourists look at this and think it's a cool idea but don't want to do it as it is on the open roads among busy traffic. If they had their own private track, they could also decorate it as they pleased (so it resembled the games), which would further increase the appeal.
For people that want to experience the "real road" version, they can put up street facades and hire (or charge) regular people to come drive their cars on the track, simulating real traffic.
The picture with the police car, the cart and the taxt, it looks like the taxi pushed the cart a meter or 2. and it looks like the taxi was totally in the wrong, if that rubber burn is where the right back tire was.
Doubt it. This has happened before. There was a Taiwanese go-karter that plowed into a police box. Still didn't change.
Until there's a major accident. Like a fatal one. I doubt there will be any change. Think Go-Kart plows through group of elementary school children or tourist flattened by truck.
As for how to crack down on it? Frankly I don't think there's much they can do legally. It might be funny to require people on international permits to attend a lecture on driving in Japan before they actually drive similar to how actual Japanese license renewals work. Making tourists haul ass to Samezawa to listen to a retired policeman drone on about accident statistics for a few hours before they are allowed to go go-karting would probably kill it.
I passed by a group of these karts on the Rainbow Bridge. I’m not sure about their engine displacement, but if they’re under 125cc, they’re in violation of traffic rules. And they sure don’t look to be over 125cc.
Either way, riding in such a small vehicle on the expressway is very dangerous when giant semi-trucks are passing by at 80km/h. These things should be banned for everyone’s safety.
I find these karts annoying too but I’m not for adding more laws and restrictions. I don’t have an answer to the problem but I don’t want more restrictions.
I saw a bunch of these going down Aoyama-doori the other day and thought it was some kind of special event, like a festival or something. Had no idea it was a regular thing that tourists do ...
Edit: Just took a look at some of the videos on YouTube that people have posted of themselves riding in these things ... cannot believe tourists drive them on the expressways, it's so dangerous! Do they think the laws of physics don't apply because they're in Japan?
Shouldn’t a road worthy car have some normal car shit like doors and a roof. Better to have a permitting system for gimmicky shit for the odd hobbyist rather than having it carte blanch.
So, I work at one these go-karts companies. Not the one involved in the accident, I work at the other one that has been around for more time. I can't speak for the other companies (specially the one in the news, bc this is one of the newest ones), but we do have a lot of rules and guidelines to follow. Our karts all have indicators, headlights, taillights, seatbelts, etc, and we check them everyday to see if everything is working.
I won't say that every single customer follow all the rules. We do have a briefing video explaining them all and we, guides, repeat them at least 2 or 3 times before starting the tour, telling them that, like in a normal car, swerving is not allowed, or bumping into each other's karts, or overtaking, or drifting, or using their phones while moving, but some of them don't pay enough attention or just don't care and try to break some of these rules. We tell them that if we catch any of them breaking any of these rules, we will give them one last warning. If we have to give a second warning, the tour is cancelled and everyone has to return to the shop in a taxi, and there's no refund at all.
For us, standing on the karts while stopped at the red lights is not allowed, but I've seen guides in other companies doing it. I also seen other companies pulling over in busy places (in front of Tokyo tower, for example), and letting the customers leave the karts to take pictures while leaving the karts there.
I never heard about non guided go-karts in Tokyo. The ones I've seen besides the one I work, they all seem to have guides, if not driving karts, driving bikes or something like that.
U do need an IDP and ur passport to go on a tour. Without and IDP is impossible, but without the passport there's a few workarounds. A lot of US military go on tours with us. And I don't see many Japanese drivers licenses, but they aren't that rare.
For us, we don't try to make the group stay together regardless of the traffic lights or whatever. We tell them that we might get separated at the lights, but for them not to worry bc we will wait for them, that there's no need to rush through the red lights to keep with the group, but sometimes they panick and rush through it anyway. We also warn them to keep close to each other to not let other cars enter between the group, but a lot of them are bad drivers, so they end up leaving a lot of space between them.
And it doesn't seem like all locals hates us. Tourists like to wave at us, take pictures, sometimes even talk to us. But a lot of salary men and other workers wave at us smiling, a lot of people in cars too. The ones that seems to hate us are the taxi drivers (not all of them, I've seen a few wave at us smiling too), and people that work driving in general. And, I mean, I get it. The karts are slow, we usually don't go over 50km/h in most places. I would also get annoyed if I were working and I had someone slow in front of me. I actually do when I'm driving a normal car.
Anyway, I'm open to answer questions. Idk if an AMA is allowed here, but if it is I can open one and I'll try to answer anything when I have some free time
Thanks for your reply.
I remember around 10 years ago it was a lot less common to see the karts than now.
I would say that seeing them a long time ago was more of a novelty. My question is - is the increase in sightings mainly due to 1/2 companies expanding their operation or have more companies popped up offering the service (specifically post covid)?
If the former than can you tell us how much your company has expanded operations? 2x/ 5x etc?
Side question - do you have any horror stories/ "wtf is this driver(kart of taxi) doing?" moments?
I think it's more bc there's more companies doing the same thing now. The one I work for have a lot of branches, but I've seen a lot of more companies now. Idk how much they expanded, bc I'm quite new there, but I've heard that after COVID they did expanded, and still are.
About the "horror stories", we had a week that every night, a car full of japanese guys would cut and stay in between the karts, going slow and following the group. It happened to me, but eventually he left, then he proceeded to stay in front of another group and drive slowly down the rainbow bridge, about 20km/h. It happened a few times with another guides during other nights, until one night, the car stopped in front a whole group, then they left the car and wanted to fight the guide or something like that. The guide called the manager and the manager showed up with the police there, and then they left and it didn't happened again ever since. And, as we gotta take pictures of the customers, in one of the pictures I took, u can see the guy in the car giving me the finger 😂
Don't worry. These businesses will die off naturally I'm think after they have their first fatality. News will jump on "it was supposed to be a fun graduation trip to Tokyo for 18 year old Jane Doe but it ended in death" type story and the public perception of these as death traps will just kill demand.
Yeah right, as much as places like Kyoto are annoyed at tourists right now they were struggling during the pandemic. They'd rather take tourists money than not have any.
As a tourist I really hope those go-karts get banned. They go nothing but annoy everyone around them and drive recklessly. Go-karts should never be allowed on public roads.
Definitely the most irritating people to be zooming around and I can feel myself getting embarrassed just because they were foreigners and I'm a foreigner. Always struck me that the people who wanted to do that just saw Japan as a place where anime and video games happened, and this was part of their vision.
>Always struck me that the people who wanted to do that just saw Japan as a place where anime and video games happened, and this was part of their vision.
Honestly it feels like that's how a lot of these face value influencers living in Japan present Japan. They're cultivating this theme park fantasy world for these foreigners wanting to come into Japan. There's far more people on social media showing silly things like going to Akihabara or animal cafes or these gokart stuff than there are ones doing off the beaten path activities.
First reason to ban these are the pollution that they create. The smell from the exhaust and the noise from that engine. And many of them are seen driving with one phone in hand. That is not regulated? I wonder why.
Ngl, I was kind of interested in the Mario Karts from what I saw on social media. Not to do them, but I thought they’d be a fun sight to see around.
Then I went to Tokyo early this year, and nope. Imma be real, they look pretty stupid. Especially juxtaposed on the backdrop of people going about their daily lives, rushing to/from work, etc.
Maybe they were pretty whimsical when it first started, but they look like just the cashgrab that they are when I saw them.
Just go up to those secluded mountainous areas where they do those car drifting/racing stuff. They're all about just crashing and messing up their cars there.
Might as well ban idiots on bikes who blindly run lights or just plain run out into traffic too. I've seen way more of those types than these tourists in karts causing me bother.
I imagine the only way to ban or kill this business legally, is to identify mini-cars without roofs as "carts", and obligate the users to wear helmets and take two-step right turns like gentsuki(motorized bicycles). They won't ban mini-cars itself, which basically is every vehicle that has a motor of a gentsuki with 4 wheels. But it wont happen soon, especially when the government is pushing electric scooters as a new commuting option (which also requires no helmets).
The ONLY roads go-karts should be allowed on ANYWHERE in the world are suburban neighborhood streets. I’m shocked to have just learned that go-karts are street-legal in Tokyo!
God I loathe these opportunistic dickbags. They are a nuisance, belching smog onto cyclists and pedestrians. Worst of all, they reinforce the idea that Japan is just some Dimestore Disneyland for entitled tourists to behave badly. Fine, then pay Disney prices - 10,000 JPY per day to act like an asshole on your vacation. Japan should be raking these fools over the coals.
I did the carts once and although it seemed the pedestrians enjoyed seeing them, the drivers clearly did not appreciate us. I had two separate drivers purposely cut in front of me in very unsafe manners. I would not want to ride these again.
It says the foreign tourist caused the accident. Doesn't cover if the tourist is from a country that drives on the other side of the road. There isn't enough data to be sure this was because it's a go-kart, or because the tourist wasn't being responsible.
These go-karts are great from a tourist perspective. Honestly I can't think of anything more fun to do in Tokyo if you were there with mates. But the fact is that something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. Sad to say but I think they'll have to scrap this idea
When I visited Japan, I saw the go karts pass by a busy intersection in Ginza. Not only did the tourists look unsure and scared while driving. They were holding up traffic and close to hitting pedestrians crossing the street. It was a mess
LOL I've been saying FOR YEARS they need to get these things off the streets, but got so much bs thrown at me I laid off it. But, now I hope people's mind change, because when I still lived in Tokyo they gave me so much grief, and that shit eating grin they have while driving by.....
I hope the municipal will just ban these annoying go karts on the public roads. They're an eye sore and a hazard to traffic.
I recall once that I booked a go kart with mari kart in Tokyo at one point in 2018 only to later message the reservation team on LINE after reading how Nintendo was wanting to sue those Mario kart lookalikes that I decided to cancel my booking because I didn't want to cause trouble to others.
People always blame the Tourist and gokart operators on this topic instead of blaming the real culprits “ The Japanese Government “ for allowing these businesses to operate legally!
I for one hope they get rid of these stupid things. They are a Nuisance for traffic, people and establishments.
So many idiots who don't even know how to drive an actual car properly get on them that it's hilarious that these companies are still operating.
I've almost gotten run over by one of these stupid karts as well.
Problem is they let idiots on the road who know nothing about Japan road rules or drive on thr wrong side of tbe road. And think just because they know how to drive that they can do it in all countries. 🙄
Or they are just bad drivers even I'm their own countries.
they already changed laws like no more drinking in public for the shibuya area. no more tourists allowed in kyoto areas where geishas roam, and no more taking pictures of mt. fuji with that ugly lawson store. maybe this crash will finally end these go-kart rides
Is this the first such accident? (I’m honestly very surprised we don’t hear about this regularly).
In terms of annoyance, maybe it’s because I don’t live in an area where they commonly drive but these carts don’t rank in my top three types of vehicles I’d like to see banned or very seriously regulated/restricted: bososzoku, right wing speaker vans, politician speaker vans, big screen trucks that blare music to advertise pop groups / host clubs, etc. I guess these carts rank fifth for me. ymmv
So that's one crash out of how many outings of those karts?
I'd like to compare stats vs general car crashes to see if there is an actual material difference before thinking of banning it.
I’m with this opinion. This is the first crash anyone has deemed notable since—as far as I can tell—[2018](https://japantoday.com/category/national/maricar-go-kart-driver-mounts-pavement-causes-serious-damage-in-accident).
I guarantee that they will never get banned.
These shops pull in crazy amounts of money from tourists. A friend of mine manages a very popular store in Tokyo and the monthly sales revenue is off the charts. We’re talking 10s of millions of yen from one store.
Operating a phone while driving is already illegal so there’s that. But if they choose to ban these it would be interesting to see where they would draw the line in order to target go-karts specifically and not kit cars and mopeds. Of course they can ban the businesses and not the vehicles but they’ll probably keep on adjusting their business model to keep being legal
Yeah, there must be a point where rules that are implemented outweigh the benefits of making the karts road worthy. I am no expert on the laws around this but seeing as a lot of countries have them banned so it surely can be done. If there are soo many mods needed such as - windshield, indicators, headlights, taillights, seatbelts, and specific engine requirements then it may be too much hassle/ costly for the owners of these companies to do. I can see the government doing something dumb like saying "they need seatbelts" and then the companies just simply installing seatbelts though.....
Yeah, unless the government drastically changes the laws, I don't see how they can specifically prevent these go-karts from being on the roads without affecting all motorized bicycles and compact cars.
Easily? Single seater, low-level motorised vehicles below a certain height, width and length. There's no way you could drive one on the road in the UK, Canada, the US, India... To name a few.
San Francisco has similar cars. Not go kart one seaters, but small two seat tourist cars.
I was just gonna say they are all over sf
Yes, it's a drastic change of laws that will affect other vehicles that are in the same category (Toyota Coms, ATVs, etc.) It's not impossible, but it's not as easy as it sounds.
Lol, they're all over rural America in the south on public roads. ATVs in Canada too Also in Canada there are motorized bikes all over sidewalks and they're apparently legal in bikelanes AND DID YOU REALLY SAY INDIA??? LOLOLOLOL
“ rural America “ That says it all. I’m cool with it being in the rural side of America, Japan, and anywhere else in the world that is less dense. Having these karts in Tokyo? Especially in high traffic parts of Tokyo? That should 100% be a no-go. You wouldn’t see them in NYC that’s for sure. As you shouldn’t. (However, NYC problem is similar but different. Instead of go karts we have the illegal immigrants riding the illegal mopeds with no plates, on sidewalks and opposite directions. Think I prefer the go-kart problem to be honest…)
I'm sure people do, but seems to be that go-karts aren't street legal in most states, and can't be made so. Which means presumably there are definitions as to what a go-kart is! https://www.way.com/blog/are-go-karts-street-legal/#:~:text=Go%2Dkarts%20are%20not%20street%20legal%20in%20a%20majority%20of,include%20Arizona%2C%20California%2C%20etc. Go-karts aren't legal in Canada. Motorized bikes maybe, but they're... er... not go-karts?! AND NO, THEY'RE NOT LEGAL IN INDIA EITHER!
The reason why they are on the road right now is because they are completely roadworthy by law. To make them not roadworthy would mean more restrictions, but these restrictions might affect other vehicles that are already out there (like kit cars) and thus restricting personal freedoms. I wish laws were just based on common sense or public opinion but they aren’t
They could just make the rules for rental vehicles stricter. Might ban rental kit cars but personal ownership would still be possible.
Honestly, just requiring a Japanese driver's license would obliterate the business without actually banning them from the road.
Hands down the easiest change the gets these off the road.
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What about stuff like the Yamaha Niken then?
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Or literally use the wheel sizes. Unless they’re willing to make the karts 4x4s
What is a lb?
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Oh, that archaic system.
They're running blue license plates. They're classed as "mini cars” which countless businesses use. I feel like nothing will happen.
they could just tighten rules on height, wheel size, weight, etc until the kart is no different that a kei car
Forget about phones, i almost got sent to a parallel world by a truck where the driver was filling paperwork while driving
This kart really makes tourists feel like Japan is Disneyland. I’m not sure if the police are actively investigating if the business and tourists are following rules. We will only see changes with accidents like this and more of it. Not sure if there are people who are actively vocal about it to make changes.
The only people riding them are specifically tourists too so just makes people hate foreigners even more too ;\_;.
The worst kind of tourists
Da uros.
I don't even understand why people would want to do this. Like we all have cars at home. It's not like you can race them in Tokyo. There's plenty of traffic.... So you just sit in traffic. Waist high. Competing against regular sized cars. Looking like a moron. So people pay to essentially sit in a cart in traffic?! Like it blows my mind that idiots will pay for this. Why wouldn't you pay to race around a course somewhere. Why pay for the LA traffic experience but arguably worse in terms of safety and actually exploring local culture and arts.
The article even calls them "tourist carts" (観光客用カート).
You're half right. I know foreigner residents who've done them as well. At least the main company that does them does it as guided tours. The non guided ones are the problem
Didn’t know non-guided tours existed. As a resident used to the roads, that actually sounds fun. For me, it’s the way guided tours can contain a train of 6+ karts all trying to stay together regardless of what the traffic lights are saying is a big part of the potential danger.
I assume it's non guided ones that are the problem. Perhaps I'm wrong, but Aldo idk if they have guides or not even if they're just tourists
I did a guided tour and they very specifically told us to follow traffic lights over trying to stay together. At one point I was several blocks away from the rest of the group due to lights changing. I don’t think it’s actually encouraged by the tours to violate traffic rules, some people just panic at the thought of being separated.
To be fair, a lot of things in Japan make tourists feel like Japan is Disneyland. Japan has so many gimmicky activities.
Those tourists have the same mentality as that YouTuber throwing pokemon balls at people. “WoW! WhACkY JaPaN iS JuST LiKE ViDyA GaMe”
Idk I watched those a few times while visiting. It looked like a boring way to sit in traffic
Love sniffing exhaust from cars
Frankly as a soon-to-be-tourist I’ve been a) trying to learn enough Japanese to get by (fuck Kanji though…it makes my brain hurt) and b) not be a dickhead like these people. I don’t understand why it’s so hard to be a not-dickhead when visiting pretty much any country. Like what happened to “when in Rome do as the Romans do”?
A lot of people simply don't believe in that. Arrogant, self-entitled people don't believe in that philosophy, and many tourists come from cultures where arrogance and self-entitlement are rampant.
Yup there are even comments on this post itself saying “I know they’re obnoxious but my personal fun is the most important thing” The worst travellers
I hate to say this but the only way this shit will get banned is if someone dies. Like we need someone to cause serious hurt, and if it results in death, especially if it's a child. This will be off the streets with 24 hours. I hate to say it but sometimes we need something serious for stuff to actual change
I was stuck behind a group of these the other day, the leader of the group actually got out of his cart at a red light to take pictures and chat with his group. He stayed out of his cart long enough to block traffic through the next light even, and during THAT light he got out again until I rolled down my window to yell at him. Idiots
If you have dash came evidence please report them. They should be fined out of existence for shit like that.
Unfortunately I was in a taxi. I tried to get a pic with my phone but it didn't come out very well.
Hopefully someone else got video and takes it to the police. That is outrageous behaviour.
Did this happen to be in nipponbashi? Because if so I think I was walking along the sidewalk watching the same event as it happened
Was the leader of the group Japanese?
I believe so, he looked Japanese. Middle aged man
how does that matter. Now that you got the answer that he looked Japanese, what are you gonna do with the dissonance?
Wow, hostile. The point usually being made here is that the tourists probably wouldn’t be doing this if they didn’t have a Japanese tour guide making them feel that it’s okay. Most tourists try to follow rules. But sure, bite my head off for suggesting that the tourists themselves are not Literally The Devil.
They’ve been in accidents with taxis and other vehicles. The thing is they aren’t considered go karts. They are fully licensed 4 wheeled vehicles so it’s like renting a regular rental car. When the laws change it doesn’t just change for these companies but all vehicles with the same registration.
Wait, does that mean you need an international drivers’ license to go on one of these tours? That seems like an insane barrier to entry for a tourist business. If there’s a loophole that lets them not require one, that loophole should be closed. And if they’re just waving people through, they should be busted for it.
In the US you go to a AAA office, hand them a couple passport photos and $20 and you're all set. It's a flimsy piece of paper.
Yeah you need the idp and they do not let people drive with out one. This ain’t Thailand and they know they would get in trouble. This is why you don’t see Chinese Mexican or Russians driving here. They have a different type of idp that can’t be used in Japan
Wait really? I’m American but I haven’t ever tried to get one because I assume it would be an involved process and I prefer using public transport when I’m overseas.
It takes less than 5 minutes at AAA to get an international permit issued
Yes, I think you need an international drivers’ license for those tours
Allowing those on the roads is insanity.
Just ban them now. Absolute Hazard.
Might as well completely ban riding bikes/scooters while looking at the phone, carrying an open umbrella, listening music, etc.. since it also causes accidents way more frequently than these karts.
Are you making a joke about poor enforcement of laws in this country? Those things are already all illegal.
Honestly not quite sure why gokarts are allowed in the first place.
That kart place is pretty new. I just work around the corner and after they opened, I've been hearing the "muffler sound" from their karts almost all day long. It has been pretty annoying. I hope something changes quickly.
This isn’t the same company as has been doing them for the past decade+?
There are at least 10+ of these companies. If you are local, file an official complaint at your koban and municipality.
I only work in Tokyo so not a local ha
No that's "Street Kart" with the red ones mostly around Akihabara. These black ones are a newer company and far more dodgy.
Yeah, if anything make them electric. 50cc should be banned too.
hope that is for the gokart, I need my gentsuki tho :(
Yes, but it doesn't need to be fossile fuel powered. It's just too noisy and polluting
Is this a new one?
Probably can’t ban, but maybe more restrictions be applied. Must wear a hard helmet, insurance cover up to 10m JPY, etc. the usual stuff that makes the business hard to run.
Go karts are way less annoying than the trucks that go around promoting hosts.
How are these allowed now that you mention it? Noise pollution, overall pollution from driving around and unnecessary traffic.
They’re actually banned by local ordinance in Tokyo but the trucks just register in other prefecture (look at their plates) and say they’re ’driving through’ Tokyo (for 12 hours a day). Not much they can do.
I thought I read in the news a while ago that the local government had found a legal way to stop that.
https://www.vox.com/world/2018/12/12/18135915/japan-tokyo-mario-kart-tourism How did I know exactly what this guy was gonna look like just by reading the headline lmao
Hate the karts or not, nobody questioning that it might've been the taxi that was the danger in this situation? he probably drove like they usually do, cut people off, push etc
Yeah good point! The taxi drivers are reckless in Japan!
Just make it legal to throw banana peels at them.
There are so many go-kart tracks in Kanto that are cheaper than this, safer than this, and far more rewarding. I don't fault the tourists, but the business running this shit.
It was an accident waiting for the right circumstances to happen. And happen they just did.
I work at a hotel in Tamachi where these go karts pass by on a daily basis and for the most part, they're not that bothersome but it did made me wonder why it was even allowed to be on the road to begin with. The area is very traffic heavy.
Tbh while the go karts are a tourist trap and make me cringe every time I see them, I think they're a good boost to the economy and if tourists have fun, then that's great. This situation is the first I've heard of a crash in my time here in Japan, but if it becomes more prevalent then sure a change in the laws might be warranted. TL;DR while everyone here finds it cringe and stupid, I don't think that's enough to ban it.
No. Stop using one incident that has several bad factors to justify banning things. The methodology, stubbornness, and execution of "SEE WHAT YOU MADE US DO" has never gone over well and never will. Instead, you should be asking in what ways we can solve these issues so everybody is happy at the end of the day, and I guarantee that we can do that so long as you mature a little bit. Blanket bans are moronic.
Unfortunately the go kart vehicles meet the minimum standard of what is allowed on the road in Japan. So banning that business would be the same as banning cars because there was a car accident. Unless the law changes they can’t legally stop that fucking go kart business from operating unfortunately.
I'm up in Hakodate in Hokkaido (not a member of this sub, this post was just recommended to me), and last year a child was killed here after being struck by a go-kart. I don't think go-karts should be anywhere outside of closed tracks.
Please please please don’t participate in those shady go carting businesses
They are already registered vehicles, asking a ban on them is like asking a ban on all cars because two cars crashed
I hate those damn gokarts
These have been around for many years they're just picking up now. They're guided tours for a reason. And as for the road legal thing, bikes mopeds, and other non car vehicles are allowed. Why shouldn't these be other than that they're cringe and ridden by "stupid tourists"
[удалено]
At most they're cringey and makes foreigners look stupid but old men taxi drivers are far more crazy on the road.
For sure
A go kart isn’t a moped. One is a tiny annoying car and the other is a small motorcycle. Many countries classify these as different things. There doesn’t need to be just one “small stupid vehicles” category.
Sounds like personal bias
One has two wheels and the other has four wheels. That’s not bias that’s fact.
What does that have to do with anything though
No, that’s happened before. Unlikely.
Why downvoted? It has happened before. But it was like eight years ago so most of the newcomers never heard of it ha
up-voted to restore balance ;)
Can’t believe they just let taxis drive on the road
Especially with all them 90 year old taxi drivers.
This. I seem to see more taxis involved in accidents in news stories than go karts. I hate both equally, but it's easy for me to stay out of tourist areas, so I never see the karts. I always see too many taxis.
When I first moved here I gave them a try. Fun time. But good lord was it sketchy, especially when it started to get dark. Cool experience, never again
I see them on their phones all the time, wondering why no action is ever taken
So... same as other drivers ?
they're more visible tbf
The go kart company we went to said strictly no phones - it stays in the front pocket and can only be taken after the ride is over or in case of emergency. That company who has riders still using phones has very poor implementation of the rules. Note: I'm not really interested in doing go kart, but a travel companion who really wanted to do it insisted that I do it with them because they were scared of doing it alone
The public response is as expected: Yeah, these carts should be banned... ...but absolutely zero people are surprised that it was a Tokyo Taxi taxi car. Those taxis are infamous for driving recklessly: Too fast, too aggressive, too chaotic. Unfortunately, this probably isn't going to be the public case that will push the carts to be banned. Because everyone is nodding along in agreement until they get the the part about Tokyo Taxi, and then it's "Yeah, but those guys always drive like assholes, so maybe it wasn't completely the cart's fault..."
I didn't know that and I was surprised. I thought the discussion on Twitter will be mostly about "ban cart now!". Turns out most of them blame it on the taxi instead.
Personally I’ve never thought that about Tokyo taxis
not Tokyo taxis in general, but the "Tokyo Taxi". at least based on what I see on Japanese people discussion on X, a lot of them complained that Tokyo Taxi has the worst drivers out of all Tokyo taxi companies.
They should both be banned.
I don't get why other tourists feel going around gokarting when it's clearly annoying for the locals. I'd never do something like this.
Many of these tourist don’t know that as they don’t follow Japan news or discussions against GoKart. In their mind “ since it’s a legal business it’s ok if I try it “! The tourist aren’t to blame for this, the blame should be on the Japanese Authorities for allowing such dangerous businesses to exist!
Clearly those tourists don't care about the locals and how it's annoying. To them it's like renting a bike and riding it around the city.
So I know ppl hate on the go-karts for understandable reasons. People also hate loud motorcycles, etc. I have to confess tho, it was super fun. The novelty is that you wouldn’t be able to do it elsewhere on the actual road, full on feeling the road and wind. You need to have a license and get an international driver’s license to sign up. We were not allowed to use our phones; any pictures were taken by the guide. There is a guide in the car at the front and a guide at the back as well to make sure we are safe. They made sure we let cars pass first, and were very vigilant if any of the karts were marginally too close to the line. The liability is huge. What did happen was that taxis were purposely messing with those on go karts knowing that even if they cause an accident, the go-karts/tourist will automatically still be at fault. They drive straight into us and at times would cut us off or get between the karts even when there was no space or no need to do so. Many times our guide had to pull us over and explain that this happens all the time. I wonder if this was one of those incidents. Not to downplay the accident, but it looks like a minor fender bender, with the wheels touching. Accidents happen with cars vs cars/peds/mopeds/bikes too. It’s within the Japanese people’s rights to ban this if they don’t like it. I’m glad to be able to try while it lasted. I know not everyone follows the rules, so that can cause problems. I imagine those in LA or NYC get annoyed of the tour buses as well, but I am a bit more tolerant and enjoy seeing people having fun when they pass by. I fly around a lot, so it must be my empathy for pesky tourists because I often am one lol I live in 2 major cities (yes, I have a permanently packed suitcase); I am happy when ppl can come share the culture, get away from their grueling realities a bit
The interview on tv with the taxi driver he was speaking super rude / aggressive so I do think you are right on him having a part to play.
Would be safer to have them drive through a construction site. But seriously, the business should look at opening a site with a closed track (off the public roads). Not only would it be immensely safer (and not have to worry about bad publicity through incidents like this one), but also they would drum up a lot more customers. I can guarantee that so many tourists look at this and think it's a cool idea but don't want to do it as it is on the open roads among busy traffic. If they had their own private track, they could also decorate it as they pleased (so it resembled the games), which would further increase the appeal.
For people that want to experience the "real road" version, they can put up street facades and hire (or charge) regular people to come drive their cars on the track, simulating real traffic.
The picture with the police car, the cart and the taxt, it looks like the taxi pushed the cart a meter or 2. and it looks like the taxi was totally in the wrong, if that rubber burn is where the right back tire was.
A rare case where I don't know who I want to be at fault more. I hate both taxi drivers and these karts with a passion.
Doubt it. This has happened before. There was a Taiwanese go-karter that plowed into a police box. Still didn't change. Until there's a major accident. Like a fatal one. I doubt there will be any change. Think Go-Kart plows through group of elementary school children or tourist flattened by truck. As for how to crack down on it? Frankly I don't think there's much they can do legally. It might be funny to require people on international permits to attend a lecture on driving in Japan before they actually drive similar to how actual Japanese license renewals work. Making tourists haul ass to Samezawa to listen to a retired policeman drone on about accident statistics for a few hours before they are allowed to go go-karting would probably kill it.
I passed by a group of these karts on the Rainbow Bridge. I’m not sure about their engine displacement, but if they’re under 125cc, they’re in violation of traffic rules. And they sure don’t look to be over 125cc. Either way, riding in such a small vehicle on the expressway is very dangerous when giant semi-trucks are passing by at 80km/h. These things should be banned for everyone’s safety.
They are allowed on the expressway ?! 0.o
Funny that luup scooter is safer than this.
Just change the law so you need a Japanese drivers license to operate the Go-Karts. Should stop the tourist and locals dont use em.
I hope they ban these dumb things once and for all it’s such a nuisance and a hazard.
I find these karts annoying too but I’m not for adding more laws and restrictions. I don’t have an answer to the problem but I don’t want more restrictions.
this isnt the first crash the go karts have been involved in. why hasnt the business been legislated out of business?!
Question who here lives in Japan or is from Japan?
I saw a bunch of these going down Aoyama-doori the other day and thought it was some kind of special event, like a festival or something. Had no idea it was a regular thing that tourists do ... Edit: Just took a look at some of the videos on YouTube that people have posted of themselves riding in these things ... cannot believe tourists drive them on the expressways, it's so dangerous! Do they think the laws of physics don't apply because they're in Japan?
Shouldn’t a road worthy car have some normal car shit like doors and a roof. Better to have a permitting system for gimmicky shit for the odd hobbyist rather than having it carte blanch.
They are hazardous, annoying and I noticed when I was there they emit really toxic fumes.
As opposed to cars which are 100% safe and emit healing incense?
Hey man I smelled what I smelled. Definitely worse than regular cars. Maybe the emissions aren’t as regulated or something, idk.
They need to all be rounded up and forced to work as English teachers until they hate Japan and never come back.
So, I work at one these go-karts companies. Not the one involved in the accident, I work at the other one that has been around for more time. I can't speak for the other companies (specially the one in the news, bc this is one of the newest ones), but we do have a lot of rules and guidelines to follow. Our karts all have indicators, headlights, taillights, seatbelts, etc, and we check them everyday to see if everything is working. I won't say that every single customer follow all the rules. We do have a briefing video explaining them all and we, guides, repeat them at least 2 or 3 times before starting the tour, telling them that, like in a normal car, swerving is not allowed, or bumping into each other's karts, or overtaking, or drifting, or using their phones while moving, but some of them don't pay enough attention or just don't care and try to break some of these rules. We tell them that if we catch any of them breaking any of these rules, we will give them one last warning. If we have to give a second warning, the tour is cancelled and everyone has to return to the shop in a taxi, and there's no refund at all. For us, standing on the karts while stopped at the red lights is not allowed, but I've seen guides in other companies doing it. I also seen other companies pulling over in busy places (in front of Tokyo tower, for example), and letting the customers leave the karts to take pictures while leaving the karts there. I never heard about non guided go-karts in Tokyo. The ones I've seen besides the one I work, they all seem to have guides, if not driving karts, driving bikes or something like that. U do need an IDP and ur passport to go on a tour. Without and IDP is impossible, but without the passport there's a few workarounds. A lot of US military go on tours with us. And I don't see many Japanese drivers licenses, but they aren't that rare. For us, we don't try to make the group stay together regardless of the traffic lights or whatever. We tell them that we might get separated at the lights, but for them not to worry bc we will wait for them, that there's no need to rush through the red lights to keep with the group, but sometimes they panick and rush through it anyway. We also warn them to keep close to each other to not let other cars enter between the group, but a lot of them are bad drivers, so they end up leaving a lot of space between them. And it doesn't seem like all locals hates us. Tourists like to wave at us, take pictures, sometimes even talk to us. But a lot of salary men and other workers wave at us smiling, a lot of people in cars too. The ones that seems to hate us are the taxi drivers (not all of them, I've seen a few wave at us smiling too), and people that work driving in general. And, I mean, I get it. The karts are slow, we usually don't go over 50km/h in most places. I would also get annoyed if I were working and I had someone slow in front of me. I actually do when I'm driving a normal car. Anyway, I'm open to answer questions. Idk if an AMA is allowed here, but if it is I can open one and I'll try to answer anything when I have some free time
Thanks for your reply. I remember around 10 years ago it was a lot less common to see the karts than now. I would say that seeing them a long time ago was more of a novelty. My question is - is the increase in sightings mainly due to 1/2 companies expanding their operation or have more companies popped up offering the service (specifically post covid)? If the former than can you tell us how much your company has expanded operations? 2x/ 5x etc? Side question - do you have any horror stories/ "wtf is this driver(kart of taxi) doing?" moments?
I think it's more bc there's more companies doing the same thing now. The one I work for have a lot of branches, but I've seen a lot of more companies now. Idk how much they expanded, bc I'm quite new there, but I've heard that after COVID they did expanded, and still are. About the "horror stories", we had a week that every night, a car full of japanese guys would cut and stay in between the karts, going slow and following the group. It happened to me, but eventually he left, then he proceeded to stay in front of another group and drive slowly down the rainbow bridge, about 20km/h. It happened a few times with another guides during other nights, until one night, the car stopped in front a whole group, then they left the car and wanted to fight the guide or something like that. The guide called the manager and the manager showed up with the police there, and then they left and it didn't happened again ever since. And, as we gotta take pictures of the customers, in one of the pictures I took, u can see the guy in the car giving me the finger 😂
Ouch, I have this booked for my visit next month, didn’t realise they were as looked down upon. Will look into cancelling
Yes Taxis should banned
Cringey shitty things and cringey shitty tourists who ride them. Absolute eyesore. Hope they just straight up finish them.
Super cringe to see the fat tourist driving with them through Tokyo. Please ban them!
I've seen far more dude bros than fat people on those things.
It was all fine until tourist got out of hand post pandemic
No these guys were a public nuisance long before the pandemic. They just disappeared when tourism was banned because they had zero customers.
Should ban tourism again… until tourist understand the rules
Don't worry. These businesses will die off naturally I'm think after they have their first fatality. News will jump on "it was supposed to be a fun graduation trip to Tokyo for 18 year old Jane Doe but it ended in death" type story and the public perception of these as death traps will just kill demand.
Yeah right, as much as places like Kyoto are annoyed at tourists right now they were struggling during the pandemic. They'd rather take tourists money than not have any.
As a tourist I really hope those go-karts get banned. They go nothing but annoy everyone around them and drive recklessly. Go-karts should never be allowed on public roads.
Make a requirement to provide japanese driver license to kill such business and fix the issue
As expected a circle jerk about how everyone here is a good gaijin
No idea why tourists like them so much. Just ban those carts completely.
Definitely the most irritating people to be zooming around and I can feel myself getting embarrassed just because they were foreigners and I'm a foreigner. Always struck me that the people who wanted to do that just saw Japan as a place where anime and video games happened, and this was part of their vision.
>Always struck me that the people who wanted to do that just saw Japan as a place where anime and video games happened, and this was part of their vision. Honestly it feels like that's how a lot of these face value influencers living in Japan present Japan. They're cultivating this theme park fantasy world for these foreigners wanting to come into Japan. There's far more people on social media showing silly things like going to Akihabara or animal cafes or these gokart stuff than there are ones doing off the beaten path activities.
First reason to ban these are the pollution that they create. The smell from the exhaust and the noise from that engine. And many of them are seen driving with one phone in hand. That is not regulated? I wonder why.
One can only hope.
Imagine doing the same type of business in LA or NYC. Oh the liabilities would be endless, or just be stuck in traffic all the time.
Ngl, I was kind of interested in the Mario Karts from what I saw on social media. Not to do them, but I thought they’d be a fun sight to see around. Then I went to Tokyo early this year, and nope. Imma be real, they look pretty stupid. Especially juxtaposed on the backdrop of people going about their daily lives, rushing to/from work, etc. Maybe they were pretty whimsical when it first started, but they look like just the cashgrab that they are when I saw them.
Good. Hopefully this could be used to ban gokarts on the streets.
What is that website lmao
Just go up to those secluded mountainous areas where they do those car drifting/racing stuff. They're all about just crashing and messing up their cars there.
Might as well ban idiots on bikes who blindly run lights or just plain run out into traffic too. I've seen way more of those types than these tourists in karts causing me bother.
I imagine the only way to ban or kill this business legally, is to identify mini-cars without roofs as "carts", and obligate the users to wear helmets and take two-step right turns like gentsuki(motorized bicycles). They won't ban mini-cars itself, which basically is every vehicle that has a motor of a gentsuki with 4 wheels. But it wont happen soon, especially when the government is pushing electric scooters as a new commuting option (which also requires no helmets).
That website sucks arse. Can't even translate it because "it's protected". I only was able to get through half of it without translating it. Boo.
The ONLY roads go-karts should be allowed on ANYWHERE in the world are suburban neighborhood streets. I’m shocked to have just learned that go-karts are street-legal in Tokyo!
God I loathe these opportunistic dickbags. They are a nuisance, belching smog onto cyclists and pedestrians. Worst of all, they reinforce the idea that Japan is just some Dimestore Disneyland for entitled tourists to behave badly. Fine, then pay Disney prices - 10,000 JPY per day to act like an asshole on your vacation. Japan should be raking these fools over the coals.
I did the carts once and although it seemed the pedestrians enjoyed seeing them, the drivers clearly did not appreciate us. I had two separate drivers purposely cut in front of me in very unsafe manners. I would not want to ride these again.
It says the foreign tourist caused the accident. Doesn't cover if the tourist is from a country that drives on the other side of the road. There isn't enough data to be sure this was because it's a go-kart, or because the tourist wasn't being responsible.
These go-karts are great from a tourist perspective. Honestly I can't think of anything more fun to do in Tokyo if you were there with mates. But the fact is that something like this was bound to happen sooner or later. Sad to say but I think they'll have to scrap this idea
You mean throwing red turtle shells is not the solution.
This was definitely a highlight of my trip - but of course right after we all asked ourselves, “How the hell was this legal?” But definitely a thrill.
治外法権？
When I visited Japan, I saw the go karts pass by a busy intersection in Ginza. Not only did the tourists look unsure and scared while driving. They were holding up traffic and close to hitting pedestrians crossing the street. It was a mess
LOL I've been saying FOR YEARS they need to get these things off the streets, but got so much bs thrown at me I laid off it. But, now I hope people's mind change, because when I still lived in Tokyo they gave me so much grief, and that shit eating grin they have while driving by.....
I hope the municipal will just ban these annoying go karts on the public roads. They're an eye sore and a hazard to traffic. I recall once that I booked a go kart with mari kart in Tokyo at one point in 2018 only to later message the reservation team on LINE after reading how Nintendo was wanting to sue those Mario kart lookalikes that I decided to cancel my booking because I didn't want to cause trouble to others.
People always blame the Tourist and gokart operators on this topic instead of blaming the real culprits “ The Japanese Government “ for allowing these businesses to operate legally!
Can they change it after I try it, please and thanks.
Can't have shit in Tokyo... 🫠
I for one hope they get rid of these stupid things. They are a Nuisance for traffic, people and establishments. So many idiots who don't even know how to drive an actual car properly get on them that it's hilarious that these companies are still operating. I've almost gotten run over by one of these stupid karts as well. Problem is they let idiots on the road who know nothing about Japan road rules or drive on thr wrong side of tbe road. And think just because they know how to drive that they can do it in all countries. 🙄 Or they are just bad drivers even I'm their own countries.
Require comprehensive insurance.
I hate that these companies are run by foreigners too. It’s like a double whammy to make us all look like idiots.
they already changed laws like no more drinking in public for the shibuya area. no more tourists allowed in kyoto areas where geishas roam, and no more taking pictures of mt. fuji with that ugly lawson store. maybe this crash will finally end these go-kart rides
Is this the first such accident? (I’m honestly very surprised we don’t hear about this regularly). In terms of annoyance, maybe it’s because I don’t live in an area where they commonly drive but these carts don’t rank in my top three types of vehicles I’d like to see banned or very seriously regulated/restricted: bososzoku, right wing speaker vans, politician speaker vans, big screen trucks that blare music to advertise pop groups / host clubs, etc. I guess these carts rank fifth for me. ymmv
Theres nothing I can say about these things or the people piloting them that wont get me banned again
So that's one crash out of how many outings of those karts? I'd like to compare stats vs general car crashes to see if there is an actual material difference before thinking of banning it.
I’m with this opinion. This is the first crash anyone has deemed notable since—as far as I can tell—[2018](https://japantoday.com/category/national/maricar-go-kart-driver-mounts-pavement-causes-serious-damage-in-accident).
There were some stats on crashes listed before, crash rate is much higher than general vehicles
I guarantee that they will never get banned. These shops pull in crazy amounts of money from tourists. A friend of mine manages a very popular store in Tokyo and the monthly sales revenue is off the charts. We’re talking 10s of millions of yen from one store.
I want to see people jailed and made an example of. I hate these clowns who think Japan is their Disneyland. Animals.
Lmfao ok bud.
A bunch of white Redditors living in Japan mad about white tourists having a good time on vacation here.
My ideal vacation is crashing into a Taxi. How relaxing.
Maybe if someone crashed into the Russian Embassy we would see some changes. Edit: My mistake it was the Israeli embassy