Most visitors see one version of Tokyo per day.

DOKS saw three in two hours. He booked the 2-hour Shibuya / Tokyo Tower go kart course from our Kanda branch — from ¥26,000 per driver — with a 4:30pm start. That timing turned out to matter more than anyone planned.

DOKS (@doks.cr) is a French-speaking creator with 200,000 followers on Instagram, who also builds an audience on TikTok, Twitch and Snapchat. His feed moves between Japan, Korea, sport and everyday life — so when he came to Tokyo, a viewing platform was never going to be enough.

Instagram Link：

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DbWB8WpMOOv/

“I have to say, the experience was absolutely incredible. I had such an amazing time during the tour — it was really a unique and unforgettable experience!” — DOKS

The Ride at a Glance

・Course: Shibuya / Tokyo Tower (West Tokyo Landmark Tour)

・Departs from: JAPANKART Kanda branch, Chiyoda City, Tokyo

・Duration: 2 hours

・Price: From ¥26,000 per driver (approx. US$175 at current rates)

・Landmarks: Shibuya Crossing, Omotesando, Tokyo Tower, Imperial Palace, Tokyo Station

・Required: A valid driving licence plus an International Driving Permit, or an official Japanese translation of your licence

・Minimum age: 18

・Included: Character costume, GoPro body mount, landmark photos taken by staff

・No licence: Ride along free in the rear support vehicle, costume included

What Happens Before You Drive

JAPANKART runs street kart tours from five locations — four in Tokyo and one in Osaka. The karts are developed in-house and have been through several model changes over about ten years of running these tours, with strengthened springs to cut vibration on the road.

The tour does not start with a kart. It starts with a rack. Costumes are free and included, and picking one is the first real decision of the day — DOKS and his two friends each took a different character. You can also bring and wear your own if you would rather come as something specific.

There is a free snack basket while you wait, then the serious part: a safety video, followed by a hands-on walkthrough at the kart itself. Our staff cover the ignition, the controls, the seating position and how the group formation works — in English, in person, before anyone moves.

What You Need to Bring

・A valid driving licence recognised in Japan

・A valid International Driving Permit (IDP) in the 1949 Geneva format, or an official Japanese translation of your licence, depending on the country that issued it

・Your passport

・Comfortable clothes — no high heels, long scarves, or loose flowing skirts

Drivers must be 18 or older. Japan recognises a Japanese licence, a 1949 Geneva Convention IDP, or a designated-country licence accompanied by an official Japanese translation. (Japan National Police Agency)

Carry the original IDP booklet together with your licence — not a digital copy or an unofficial online permit. (Tokyo Metropolitan Police Department)

Check the requirements for your country before you book: japankart.com/licence

We cannot make exceptions on documents. If you arrive without them, the booking cannot be refunded — so please check before you travel.

Can You Drive a Go Kart Through Shibuya Crossing?

Yes. Shibuya Crossing is part of the Shibuya / Tokyo Tower route, and riders cross and turn through it in normal traffic, with a lead vehicle in front and a support vehicle behind.

A lead vehicle runs ahead with a “kart convoy” sign, a support vehicle covers the rear, and at busy junctions staff in hi-vis vests step out to guide the formation through.

The first few minutes are the nervous ones. The kart sits low, the road feels fast, and you are concentrating. Then it clicks — and you start noticing that people are waving at you.

Shibuya Crossing is the most photographed intersection on earth, and virtually all of those photos are taken by someone standing still. From a kart you cross it and turn left through it in traffic, and for about thirty seconds you are not looking at Shibuya — you are part of what several hundred people are looking at.

You do not need to film any of this. A GoPro body mount is included, and our staff shoot professional photos at the landmarks along the route, then hand over the files at the end — at no extra charge.

What Is the Best Time of Day to Book?

A late-afternoon start is the single best decision you can make. A 4:30pm booking puts Shibuya Crossing in daylight, Tokyo Tower at dusk as the illumination comes on, and the return leg in full night.

That progression is the reason this route is worth two hours. Shibuya is at its busiest while the light still holds. By the time the group reaches Tokyo Tower the sky has gone deep blue and the tower — 333 metres of illuminated steel — is already lit, and there is a photo break at its base: the one point on the route where you climb out and are not driving.

The last stretch is pure night: office towers lit floor by floor, headlights on the asphalt, ordinary cars pulling up alongside you at the lights. Same route, third version of the city — and three completely different sets of photos from one booking. Our Kanda branch runs until 22:30 daily, so evening slots are always on the table.

Is a Go Kart Tour in Tokyo Worth It?

At ¥26,000 for two hours, this is not a filler activity — it is the thing you build the day around. And that is the right way to book it. 

You are not sightseeing from a kart; for two hours you are part of what the city is looking at, on a route no other tour can give you: Shibuya Crossing from the driver’s seat, the base of Tokyo Tower as the lights come on, an office district at night. The photos are taken for you, so you finish the day with the footage as well as the memory.

It is not for everyone, and two things are worth knowing before you book.

Dress warmer than you think — you are outside and moving for two hours, and layering under the costume makes a real difference in the cooler months. And because the group rides in single file, you will notice the exhaust from the kart ahead at low speed; it clears once you are up to pace.

Most people leave Tokyo with photographs of the city. 

Far fewer leave with the memory of having driven through it — in daylight, at sunset, and after dark, in a single ride.

Follow DOKS

Instagram (Full) Link：

https://www.instagram.com/reel/Db3G5ALMScY/

Now that you know the route, here is the full run — the shop, the costume, Shibuya, the tower. Two hours of Tokyo in a single clip.

・Instagram: @doks.cr

・All links (TikTok, Twitch, Snapchat): linktr.ee/doks.cr

Merci to DOKS and friends for riding with us, and for letting us share the footage.

Final Takeaway

A 2-hour Shibuya / Tokyo Tower go kart tour from Kanda costs from ¥26,000 and takes you through Shibuya Crossing, Omotesando and Tokyo Tower on public roads, with a lead and support vehicle the whole way.

Bring your licence and a 1949 Geneva IDP, book a late-afternoon slot, and you will see the city in daylight, at dusk and after dark in a single ride.

Book the Shibuya / Tokyo Tower course: japankart.com/west-tokyo-landmark-tour

Driving on a licence issued outside Japan? See our country-by-country licence guides: japankart.com/blog