Shinjuku & Shibuya Street Go-Kart Tour with Photos Tokyo

Nishi-Shinjuku and the start of the ride

The kart shop sits in Nishi-Shinjuku, the skyscraper district west of Shinjuku Station, close to Shinjuku Central Park. It is about a 20-minute walk from the station, and you should arrive 20 minutes before your start time to check documents, pick a costume and get your helmet. A 15-minute safety briefing covers the controls, hand signals and the rules of driving in convoy on Japanese roads, where traffic keeps to the left.

Starting here makes sense: the wide avenues of West Shinjuku give you a few minutes to get used to the kart before the busier streets. Around you rise some of Tokyo's tallest office towers and hotels, and the route returns here at the end of the tour. If you are searching for a go kart in Tokyo that includes both Shinjuku and Shibuya in one ride, this route covers both.

Shibuya Scramble Crossing

Shibuya Crossing, in front of Shibuya Station, is often called the busiest pedestrian crossing in the world: when the lights change, hundreds of people at a time step out from every direction at once. Giant video screens, department stores and the statue of the loyal dog Hachiko surround it, and it is one of the most recognisable scenes of modern Japan.

Driving through it in a kart, low to the ground and surrounded by the city's energy, is the highlight of this Shibuya go kart route. Your guide picks the line and the timing, and photo opportunities around the area are part of the plan, so you do not need to worry about your camera while driving. Shibuya is at its liveliest in the afternoon and evening, but even a morning ride gives a strong sense of scale.

Yoyogi Park and Harajuku

Between Shinjuku and Shibuya, the route passes Yoyogi Park, one of Tokyo's largest city parks, laid out on the site of the former athletes' village of the 1964 Olympic Games and next to the forest of Meiji Jingu shrine. Its tall trees and wide paths offer a green break between the city's commercial centres, and the roads around it are among the most pleasant parts of the drive.

Next comes Harajuku, famous for youth fashion, colourful street style and the tree-lined Omotesando avenue, often compared to a Tokyo version of a grand boulevard. Driving through Harajuku in costume tends to draw smiles from people on the pavement. Your guide will point out the main streets as you pass, so you know where to come back to explore on foot later in your trip.

Kabukicho and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building

Back in Shinjuku, the route passes Kabukicho, the entertainment quarter known for its neon signs, restaurants and theatres, which takes its name from a kabuki theatre that was planned there after the Second World War. Even in daylight it is a dense, vivid part of the city, and it makes a striking backdrop for photos.

The tour then heads to the area of the Tokyo Metropolitan Government Building, the twin-towered city hall designed in the late 1980s and completed in 1991, whose free observation decks on the 45th floor are a popular way to see the skyline. After the ride, you can walk there from the shop to look down on the streets you have just driven. The tour ends back at the shop in Nishi-Shinjuku.

Driving documents: what you must bring

To drive legally in Japan you must bring your original domestic driving licence, an international driving permit in booklet form issued under the 1949 Geneva Convention, and your passport. Licence holders from Switzerland, Germany, France, Belgium, Monaco and Taiwan need an official Japanese translation of their licence instead of an international permit, together with the original licence and passport.

Without valid documents you cannot drive and the booking cannot be refunded, so please check your documents before booking; send us a photo on WhatsApp if you are unsure and we will check with you.