Street Kart Osaka — Attraction in Osaka

While in Osaka, I ended up going on the Mario Kart Osaka tour.  I picked up an International Driver’s Permit just to do this tour. It did come in handy though since [I needed to rent a car for a week in Okinawa].  The short answer is, it’s fun for like 10 minutes.

Booking the Mario Kart Osaka Night Tour

Cost: 9000JPY for a 2-hour Tour

Promo: Get 2000JPY if you leave them a review on Facebook…their expecting a good review

To make the booking, you go to their website and fill out a form or you can contact them via the Line app.  I went with Line since that was much easier.  They were quick to respond and had plenty of availability for our booking made on short notice.

The cost was the same for day and night, so we picked night since it worked out better with our schedules.  A big bonus to choosing night was that there was less traffic and we were able to move around faster.

Checking-In To MariCar Osaka

Google Maps somehow screwed us on the directions.  We got there, but to the backside of the building where there was no entrance.  The garage is located one street down off the main road. If Google Maps tells you otherwise, it’s lying to you.  It’s really frustrating when that happens since you have to take the time to walk around and that this was the 3rd time Google did that to me in 2 weeks.

Once you arrive at the garage, you check-in with one of the workers and start filling out the paperwork.  For non-Japanese residents, you’ll need to provide your passport and International Driver’s Permit.

After that’s done, feel free to pick a costume.  I went with the Goku tracksuit! It was SUPER comfortable and I want to buy one to use at the gym.

Driving Mario Karts Around Osaka

You’ll start with a breakdown of how the kart works then the road signals to follow from the guide.  After that, you start your journey.

When you’re driving around in a go kart with actual cars, it’s pretty scary cause you’re not sure if they see you.  I ran into a situation where a car merged in front of me and it split up our group.  With some quick driving skills, I got to cut loose and go full speed to catch up.  Full speed is 50km/h but it’s much scarier when you’re that close to the ground, the kart is shaking like crazy and you’re not wearing a helmet.

We took the tour in October 2017 and in Osaka, the nights were pretty cold.  Driving go karts fast without gloves on made my hands extremely cold.  Additionally, when you’re driving behind a go kart you’re going to get hit in the face with smog.  The facility told us to bring out passport and IDP, but didn’t tell us to bring gloves and a face mask.

Business tip: Sell gloves and face masks!  Or at least rent something out.  That would add income and improve people’s experience.

Mario Kart Osaka Tour Experience

The tour involved a lot of photo ops and very little tourism.  I’ve done lots of tours all over the world and enjoy them because I get a sense of the culture and history from a city.  Mario Kart Osaka provided no culture and history.  The biggest stop we took was at a restroom for a potty break and a government building for poorly lit photos.  We BRIEFLY stopped at Osaka castle but weren’t provided any time to get out of the car and look around.  As far as actual tour go, you’ll be happier just renting the kart for 20 minutes to drive around the city while going elsewhere for a real tour.

Getting 2000JPY Back For A Review

To get 2000JPY back for the tour, all we had to do was like their page on Facebook and leave them a review.  I left them a 5-star review but later updated it to 2 stars with points I laid out in this post.  I like the idea of the tour, but they still have a lot they...

Hands down an Amazing Experience!

Starting with the booking and communication, everything was very clear. I got ahold of them through Facebook and we kept in contact via FB messenger. They spoke and understood English which made it extremely easy for me to ask questions and get answers. Awesome jobs guys!

Driving go karts dressed as characters through the streets of Osaka with the coolest guys from MariCar was so so Dope!

Walking up to the location and seeing the go karts outside all lined up got me so excited but having one of the staff members at the entrance yelling and guiding me into the shop was a great welcoming. Immediately I was welcomed and introduced to all the staff and let me tell you every single one of those guys were on another level CooL! As people arrived we got a quick and easy breakdown of all the rules and regulations, we paid our dues, took lots of photos, videos, got to pick our costume for the ride, lockers are available at no cost to hold your belongings, and was shown our transportation for the main event ;)

As we drove off and cruised the streets of Osaka at times I felt like a celebrity, everyone had eyes on us, wanted to take photos and videos of us. It was such a blast crushing it in the busy areas but what was insane and gave me the adrenaline rush was when traffic was extremely light and we got to floor it and speed like race cars are suppose to.

During the 2 hour drive we had 3 small groups driving the streets but at a few locations we all met up and drove as one big group which was so much fun and hella exciting.

I highly recommend you give this a try if your are visiting the area or even living in this area. Make sure you tip your guide at the end, the highly deserve it.

Have Fun!

Ohhhh and FYi these guys are opening a location in Kyoto real soon, so...

Street Kart Osaka with Vivian: An Unforgettable Go-Karting Adventure

Street Kart Osaka provided an absolutely incredible experience! From start to finish, it was a blast. The staff, especially Vivian, were amazing - super friendly, caring, and made sure we had a safe and memorable time.

We were really impressed with how much we got to see. Zipping through the streets of Osaka in a go-kart was such a unique way to experience the city. We definitely recommend going for the earliest appointment, as Vivian suggested. There was way less traffic, which made driving the karts even more enjoyable.

One of the highlights was all the attention we got from people on the streets. Everyone was so into it! They were waving, smiling, and taking photos – we felt like celebrities! The Street Kart team also took tons of pictures of us throughout the tour, which was a great bonus.

This is a must-do activity in Osaka. It's pure fun and a memory we'll cherish forever. Thanks to Vivian and the whole team for making...