Go Karts On The Street... Wtf

Oh I 100% believe this is a recipe for death and disaster anywhere but Japan. I also believe it won't be around in Japan in 12-24 months. Or if it is it will not be anywhere near as fun.

My guide tonight told us how many changes there have been to try to avoid major government intervention just in the 4 months he's worked there. For example, when it started the guides could get out of the carts to take pictures and stuff at red lights. Now they can't. Helmets are soon going to be required by the company as well. Don't get me wrong, I don't think that's a bad idea but it's less "MariCar" if you catch my meaning.

I am also amazed that they don't have four point harnesses and racing seats. Even back home in the US those are pretty standard on go karts these days and we only allow them on closed tracks. They actually don't have ANY restraint at present.

I'd also expect to see roll cages on them soon and the guide also mentioned that they were going to have to find a mechanical solution for the noise they make. To me that means they are most likely going to have to switch from a 2 stroke engine to a 4 stroke engine since you just can't make a 2-stroke very quite. That will mean more power which is good but also more expense. Additional costs are that they might need a stronger transmission, then a governor to limit the speed top speed since the 4 stroke engine will likely be more powerful and make speeding an actual possibility (which is isn't really today except on down hill straights).

Basically, they have a LOT of government scrutiny heading their way and most likely a LOT of overhead soon in cart upgrades to keep said government happy. If they can keep making a profit (assuming they currently do) through all that then they will probably exist years from now but much less fun. If they can't, well, I'd recommend trying this while you can.
 
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Kaspar said:
Long term expat here, certified weirdo... But it's always fun to see locals' reaction to foreigners doing weird shit in their backyard.
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I grew up on a spring break town. I saw a lot of crazy go down and it's always interesting.

Same when I see people wearing huge sombreros and drinking cheap tequila being followed by mariachis. It's just so surreal,
 
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Kaspar said:
As long as they bring you their money, let them play.
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I agree, I've always been pro tourism. Although when I go to a place I try to have a more "local" experience, but that's just my preference.
Having said that I did go to the robot show knowing it was a tourist trap, and I would totally get on those karts!
 
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Kaspar said:
Long term expat here, certified weirdo... But it's always fun to see locals' reaction to foreigners doing weird shit in their backyard.
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From my experience in the driver's seat:
  • Taxi drivers hate them
  • Regular road users are a mixed bag as some waved and thought it great fun and others clearly wanted us off their road.
  • Foreign pedestrians all thought they were pretty cool and took pics of us. Some even posed for selfies with us at the Shibuya crossing.
  • Local pedestrians are also a mixed bag. Since they have set courses some were clearly sick of seeing the things in their neighborhoods. Others still thought them a novelty and worthy of interest.
  • Kids love them. We passed this one family of a mother and two young girls just before a red light and the two girls came running up to us at the light to take pictures and video of us.
  • And at least one train passenger nearly wet herself with excitement when I waved at her on the Rainbow Bridge last night. I don't know if she was local or not. It was dark and the distance was great enough that I couldn't make out her ethnicity.
  • Bus drivers were surprisingly cool with them too. One of them even turned off his headlights when he stopped behind us so he wouldn't wash our our faces in the picture the guide was taking.
 
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wraithfive said:
From my experience in the driver's seat:
  • Taxi drivers hate them
  • Regular road users are a mixed bag as some waved and thought it great fun and others clearly wanted us off their road.
  • Foreign pedestrians all thought they were pretty cool and took pics of us. Some even posed for selfies with us at the Shibuya crossing.
  • Local pedestrians are also a mixed bag. Since they have set courses some were clearly sick of seeing the things in their neighborhoods. Others still thought them a novelty and worthy of interest.
  • Kids love them. We passed this one family of a mother and two young girls just before a red light and the two girls came running up to us at the light to take pictures and video of us.
  • And at least one train passenger nearly wet herself with excitement when I waved at her on the Rainbow Bridge last night. I don't know if she was local or not. It was dark and the distance was great enough that I couldn't make out her ethnicity.
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You're lucky, if I were driving next to one of those, I'd try to ram it in...
 
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Misslorena said:
I agree, I've always been pro tourism. Although when I go to a place I try to have a more "local" experience, but that's just my preference.
Having said that I did go to the robot show knowing it was a tourist trap, and I would totally get on those karts!
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I just don't like expats clinging to other expats without even trying to go local.... Saw it happen lots of time, still a mystery to me.
 
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Thanks wraithfive, you've inspired me to try this next time I'm in Japan :).
Applying for an international driving permit now. ($40 for a license translationo_O)
BTW, How are the brakes on those things?
 
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wraithfive said:
Oh I 100% believe this is a recipe for death and disaster anywhere but Japan. I also believe it won't be around in Japan in 12-24 months.
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They're a recipe for disaster here too - there's already been a handful of non-fatal accidents.

All it's going to take is the first time a tourist gets killed when one of those things slides under a truck, and they'll slam down on the whole business.
 
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Sudsy said:
All it's going to take is the first time a tourist gets killed when one of those things slides under a truck, and they'll slam down on the whole business.
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That's why I don't really care if they prohibited them now. Go-carts are great but they belong to a closed race track, not in the streets.
 
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Sudsy said:
They're a recipe for disaster here too - there's already been a handful of non-fatal accidents.

All it's going to take is the first time a tourist gets killed when one of those things slides under a truck, and they'll slam down on the whole business.
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I actually checked the accidents when I was looking them up before this, one was a person drove one into parked car and the other they drove it into the curb. Not really anything that I was worried about.
 
TapDat said:
Few weekends ago I saw a bunch of people dressed as Mario characters riding go karts around Tokyo. This is amazing where do I sign up.

Anybody have any details on this?
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I have seen them on two separate trips to Tokyo and got photos.

I don't even visit Tokyo often so these guys must be doing more than the typical 3 lap race like from the Mario Kart games lol.
 
TokyoJoeblow said:
I don't even visit Tokyo often so these guys must be doing more than the typical 3 lap race like from the Mario Kart games lol.
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If you spent any time in central Tokyo you cannot miss seeing them several times a day. No way they will avoid a major accident long anymore so if anyone wants to try go now.
 
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wraithfive said:
I actually checked the accidents when I was looking them up before this, one was a person drove one into parked car and the other they drove it into the curb. Not really anything that I was worried about.
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There have been more, they don't all make the news.
 
Sudsy said:
There have been more, they don't all make the news.
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Doesn't surprise me. Like I said I can't imagine them existing in their current form for much longer than 12-24 months. However long it takes for the government to apply so many regulations that they either can't make a profit or have to substantially change the carts so that it's no longer the same sort of experience. I'm still amazed that there just a low back seat and not harness at all. Every go cart I've ridden lately on a track has had at a full back racing seat with 4 point harness. I was really missing that when the girl behind me ran right into me at 15kmh at our first red light. Wasn't entirely her fault, she had never driven anything but a car and the hydraulic brakes have a very different feel and method of working to the cable brakes on these cart. I guess that qualifies as one of your unreported accidents come to think of it.
 
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wraithfive said:
the girl behind me ran right into me at 15kmh at our first red light. Wasn't entirely her fault, she had never driven anything but a car and the hydraulic brakes have a very different feel and method of working to the cable brakes on these cart.
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This is why it's just a matter of time until one of them slides under a truck. Unfortunately, those carts are low enough to fit under the safety rails container trucks run on the sides.
 
I have mixed feelings... I see these carts often enough and I drive vehicles of both the 4-wheel and 2-wheel variety.

These carts need more regulation and possibly a speed limiter would be a good first step. Speed is always going to be a factor when losing control or the impact against any stationary object.

It can be a fun way to tour parts of Tokyo, that's an upside. The safety issues could put a serious damper on someone's holiday.
 
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I hope they can put a "Death Race 2000" spectacle on here soon.
 
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just4fun said:
"Death Race 2000" spectacle
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MariCar riders are worth 50 points each because they're moving faster than pedestrians? Or 5 because they're a bigger target?
 
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Sudsy said:
MariCar riders are worth 50 points each because they're moving faster than pedestrians? Or 5 because they're a bigger target?
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Pokemon go players go to negative points of -1 each as their wayyy to easy to clip.......but if you get a group......+10
 
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+100 for anyone wielding a selfie stick. Public service bonus.

+200 if they're in Hachiko scramble.
 
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