Street Go-Kart in Shibuya: Licence Rules, Route and Cost
Driving a road-legal go-kart across Shibuya Crossing in costume is the most photographed hour in Tokyo, and the one people are most likely to be turned away from at the door. The paperwork is strict: a physical passport and an International Driving Permit in a specific format, with several countries excluded outright. This page covers the licence rules first, then the route, the price and what the hour actually feels like. For the guided walks, coaches and private cars, see how this compares with the other Tokyo tours.
About the Go-Kart Run
Full refund up to 24 hours before the start time
Choose a start time from morning through to night
Kart, fuel, costume and lead guide included
1949 Geneva Convention format, plus your physical passport
No exceptions, and the licence rules apply to every driver
Larger groups split, with a guide leading each one
The Licence Rules, Before Anything Else
What you must carry
These karts are road-legal vehicles on public streets, so Japanese driving law applies in full. Every driver needs two physical documents on the day: a passport and an International Driving Permit issued in the format of the 1949 Geneva Convention, from a government-authorised association in your own country.
Physical means physical. A photo on your phone will not do, and neither will a digital licence app.
Get the IDP before you leave home. In most countries it takes a day or two through a motoring association and costs very little, and it cannot be issued to you inside Japan.
Where the exceptions are
Two groups fall outside the standard rule, and both catch people out.
Drivers with licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium or Monaco do not use an IDP. Instead they need an official Japanese translation of their domestic licence from the Japan Automobile Federation, carried alongside the physical licence itself.
Drivers with licences from countries outside the 1949 Geneva Convention cannot legally drive in Japan at all. The operator names China, Indonesia, Mexico, Qatar and Saudi Arabia among them. If your licence was issued in one of those, this activity is closed to you regardless of what you book.
- Standard: physical passport plus an IDP in 1949 Geneva Convention format
- Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium, Monaco: physical licence plus a JAF translation
- China, Indonesia, Mexico, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and other non-signatories: not permitted to drive in Japan
- Minimum age 18, with no exceptions
Booking as a group
Book together in one reservation. The operator warns that group bookings made individually carry no guarantee that you will be put in the same session, which is an unhappy discovery at the garage.
Groups larger than six split into two, each with its own lead guide, so a party of eight still rides together in convoy. Six is the cap per guide, not per booking.
You also need to tell the operator in advance about any hearing or mobility impairment, since the guide gives instructions on the move.
The Route and the Hour
Where you drive
The garage sits at street level on Maruyamacho in Shibuya, behind neon signage. You pick a costume, get an introduction to the kart, and then follow a lead guide out into traffic.
The route runs across Shibuya Crossing, the busiest pedestrian intersection in the world, then up to Harajuku and along Omotesando, the wide avenue of flagship stores and boulevard trees that light up after dark.
The activity ends back at the meeting point. At one to one and a half hours it fits easily around anything else in the day, and start times run from the morning through to night. Night is the one to pick: the crossing, the screens and the Omotesando lights all work better in the dark, and the karts are lit.
What it feels like
Faster than people expect, is the recurring note in the reviews. The karts sit low, the traffic is real, and the first crossing takes concentration rather than nerve.
The other recurring note is the reaction of everyone else. Reviewers describe pedestrians waving, photographing and cheering, and more than one used the word celebrity. Whether that appeals is the main question worth asking yourself before booking.
It rates 4.9 from 3,878 reviews, and 99 percent of travellers recommend it, which for an activity this specific is a strong signal.
The Hour, Step by Step
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−30 min
Arrive at the garage
STREET KART Shibuya on Maruyamacho, at street level under neon signs. Bring your passport and IDP.
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Check-in
Documents and costume
Licence checked first, then you pick a costume. The ¥1,000 insurance fee is collected here.
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Briefing
Kart introduction
How the kart works, hand signals, and the rules for following the lead guide in traffic.
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Leg 1
Shibuya Crossing
Out into traffic and across the Scramble, with pedestrians photographing from every side.
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Leg 2
Harajuku
North through the district where Tokyo street fashion starts.
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Leg 3
Omotesando
The wide boulevard of flagship stores and lit trees, different in every season.
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Finish
Back to the garage
The run ends where it started. Total time on the road is one to one and a half hours.
Where the Karts Go
Costs, Clothing and Who Should Skip It
What you pay
The $56.29 covers the kart, its rental fee, the fuel surcharge, the costume and the lead guide, plus all taxes and handling charges. A full-coverage insurance fee of ¥1,000 per person is collected at the garage.
Hotel pickup, food, drinks and gratuities are not included. There is no reason to tip; Japan does not run on it.
- Included: kart, fuel, costume, lead guide, taxes
- ¥1,000 insurance fee per driver, paid at the garage
- Not included: hotel pickup, food, drinks, gratuities
- Confirmation arrives within 48 hours, subject to availability
What to wear and who should not go
Flat closed shoes, and no long flowing skirts or dresses. Both rules exist because of the pedals and the low chassis, and the garage enforces them.
The operator does not recommend the activity for travellers with back problems, heart problems or other serious medical conditions, or for pregnant travellers. A moderate level of physical fitness is expected, and the activity is not wheelchair accessible.
Weather is the other variable. One reviewer describes being offered a reschedule or a full refund when conditions were poor on the day, and choosing to ride anyway.
- Flat closed shoes, no long skirts or dresses
- Not recommended with back or heart problems
- Not recommended for pregnant travellers
- Not wheelchair accessible
- Tell the operator in advance about hearing or mobility impairment
Questions About Go-Karting in Shibuya
Can I use my home country's driver's licence?
Not on its own. You need a physical International Driving Permit in the 1949 Geneva Convention format alongside your physical passport. Licences from Switzerland, Germany, France, Taiwan, Belgium and Monaco are the exception: those drivers carry the licence plus an official Japan Automobile Federation translation instead of an IDP.
Which countries cannot drive go-karts in Japan?
Anyone whose licence was issued by a country outside the 1949 Geneva Convention. The operator names China, Indonesia, Mexico, Qatar and Saudi Arabia among them. Those licences cannot be used to drive in Japan at all, with or without an IDP, so the activity is not open to holders of them.
How much does street go-karting in Tokyo cost?
$56.29 per person for one to one and a half hours, covering the kart, fuel, costume, taxes and a lead guide. A ¥1,000 full-coverage insurance fee is collected at the garage. Free cancellation applies up to 24 hours before the start time, and booking confirmation can take up to 48 hours.
What is the minimum age for the go-kart tour?
Eighteen, with no exceptions, since these are road-legal vehicles on public streets and every driver needs a valid licence. There is no passenger option, so under-18s cannot ride along. Groups cap at six drivers per guide, and larger parties split into convoys with a guide each.
Do you actually drive across Shibuya Crossing?
Yes. The route goes across the Scramble, then north to Harajuku and along Omotesando before returning to the garage on Maruyamacho. Reviewers describe crossing it several times and being photographed constantly by pedestrians. Evening slots are the ones to book: the screens, the neon and the Omotesando lights all work better after dark.
What should I wear?
Flat closed shoes, and nothing long or flowing. Long skirts and dresses are not permitted around the pedals and low chassis. A costume is provided and included in the price, worn over your own clothes, and you pick it at the garage during check-in.
What Drivers Say
Be on time and prepared!!!! Show up 30 minutes early and with your international drivers license. The FUN is REAL!!!! Take lots of pics and have fun! Wave, laugh and smile at everyone. FOLLOW THE RULES AND DRIVE SAFE
Awesome! We had such a fun time driving through the streets of Shibuya. The karts were faster than what I was expecting, which was great though. It's worth the price just for the experience of it! The staff was extremely friendly and helpful.
What a great experience. There were five people in our group, and the guide, Salah, was absolutely amazing. I was initially nervous about driving throughout the streets of Shibuya; however, it was truly fun and everyone really enjoyed it.