Akiba Kart Shinsekai — Local services in Osaka

This was a thrilling, intense and scary BUT FUN experience! It was A LOT of fun so I was glad to have experienced it once. I’m glad that I did it!

We encountered Yu and Sho (sorry if we spelled your names wrong) and they were the sweetest people ever! They do speak English so that was helpful for us. You do a waiver when you check in and make sure to come on time. We did the 1 hour tour and that was a good amount of time. It was cold at this time so make sure you have enough layers. I took one off thinking I would get warm but I got really cold as this was the 5pm - 6pm tour at the end of March.

Yu checked us in and he was so sweet and nice!

Sho was our guide and he was great! He had such great energy and a positive attitude. He’s definitely a person that laughs and enjoys life. He waited when he needed to, was a great guide, very supportive and made sure we were okay!

There are lockers where you can put your stuff and you can choose to put on a onesie costume or not.

They show you a video on how to drive their cars and they test run it with you. It’s fun and be careful, observe and follow the rules of the road. You do have a guide with you.

It was fun because there are areas where you can just go straight and go fast! Like REALLY FAST.

You want to keep up with the cart in front of you and the guide otherwise cars will cut you off. A bus cut us off even if there wasn’t that much space so just like regular driving, be smart about it and be careful. We got separated a few times and the guide will pull over and wait until you’re together. We had another group following us and they were helpful when we got separated and had to wait behind a big tour bus that was picking up a bunch of people.

It’s like driving where there are pedestrians and cyclists so watch out for them. People will take pictures of you as you go along the route so expect that.

It was an awesome experience overall and I’m glad that we did it and that we got to meet Yu and Sho!...

Forget Rainbow Road and Bowser's Castle. If you're craving the ultimate Mario Kart experience, ditch the video game and get your heart racing on the real tracks of Osaka! That's exactly what I did, and let me tell you, it was even more exhilarating than I could have imagined.

But this wasn't just any go-karting trip. This was a full-blown Mario Kart adventure, complete with themed costumes.

Byonghoon wasn't just there to make sure we followed the rules (although he did a fantastic job of that with his clear instructions and friendly demeanor). He was our hype man & photographer.

The tracks themselves were out of this world. We zoomed through neon-lit streets, past towering Dotonbori landmarks, and even under the iconic Tsutenkaku tower. It was like stepping right into the game, with every corner revealing a new surprise and every straightaway an opportunity to unleash our inner speed demon.

So, if you're looking for an unforgettable adventure in Osaka, look no further than this real-life Mario Kart experience. And if you're lucky enough to have Byonghoon as your guide, well, consider yourself a winner before you even hit the starting line. He'll make sure your experience is one you'll never forget!

Five stars out of five, with a bonus gold star for...

Best experience in Osaka!! Sotaro, our guide, was very welcoming and friendly. We had reserved a two hour drive in the evening to see the lights and liveliness of Osaka, and definitely would recommend if you have the time for an evening experience!

Sotaro kept us well informed and safe the entire time, from helping us with the safety video to ensuring we were all together as a group each time we approached either a red light, or if we had to make a turn in a somewhat busy intersection. (Forgot to mention we did this on a Friday night so you could only imagine how crowded certain areas where) everyone walking the streets and even driving by definitely enjoyed seeing us in costumes driving go karts in the road. You could tell how much he enjoys what he does and seeing us happy and smiling. He was constantly giving us information about what area we were in, and jumping out of his kart to take pictures of everyone in the group.

Another plus? He kept making sure we were okay and comfortable throughout the whole ride all the way until we made it back to the shop! Please if you’re reading this review debating on what to do - book the drive for two hours. You will...