Osaka Go Kart Tour in Funny Costume: Drive Dotonbori & Tsutenkaku

Drive through Osaka's busiest streets in costume and watch strangers stop to wave

An Osaka go kart tour puts you behind the wheel of a single-person kart dressed in a rented costume, driving past Dotonbori, Minami and Tsutenkaku Tower for one hour. You'll need a valid international driving permit or Japanese license (based on the 1949 Geneva Convention), and you must arrive 20 minutes early. Go kart rental, costume, fuel and insurance are included. The tour may be rescheduled at no charge if heavy rain cancels it.

Step-by-step itinerary

Osaka Go Karting Tour Highlights

• Start at meeting point
• Drive go kart in costume
• Pass through Dotonbori area
• Pass through Minami district
• See Tsutenkaku Tower and local food

The experience

What makes this different from a bus tour is that you're the one steering. You rent a single-person go kart dressed in a costume of your choice (borrowed from the facility or bought cheaply at the nearby Don Quixote shop), and drive through Osaka's most recognizable neighborhoods for one hour. The route takes you past Dotonbori and Minami, where the itinerary notes that crowds will wave and shake hands as you pass, then to Tsutenkaku Tower, where you can see the landmark and the local food restaurants clustered around it. The whole thing is built around the fact that you're visible and unusual, not hidden inside a vehicle.

The only hard requirement is a valid driving license. You need either an international driving permit based on the 1949 Geneva Convention (card and digital licenses don't count), a Japanese license, or a Japanese SOFA license. If you hold a license from Belgium, France, Germany, Monaco, Slovenia, Switzerland or Taiwan, you can use an official Japanese translation from the Japan Automobile Federation or your country's embassy in Japan instead. You must be at least 18, between 150 and 190 centimeters tall, and weigh under 100 kilograms. Arrive 20 minutes before the scheduled start time. The facility provides a live guide in English or Japanese.

Go kart rental, costume rental, fuel and insurance are all included in the price. If heavy rain forces a cancellation, you can reschedule on another date at no charge, or request a full refund if no alternative date works. The tour does not include hotel pickup, food or drinks.

What’s included

• Go kart rental for one person.
• costume rental with no additional charge.
• fuel surcharge.
• insurance fee.

Before you book

Days and timesEvery dayDepartures at 10:00 and 20:00

AgesAdult (18 to 60 years) · Under 18: can't be booked

GroupUp to 10

Live guideEnglish and Japanese

Meeting point and pickupNo hotel pickup: you go to the meeting point. Ends back at the starting point.

Cancellation and refundsFree cancellation up to 24 h before the start. After that, no refund.It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund.

Prices and times updated today

Good to know

Low physical effortPublic transport nearbyNot recommended during pregnancy

Operated by AKIBA KART OSAKA

Is this one for you?Take the wheel in costume and become the street spectacle: strangers stop and wave at you, not the other way around. You'll need a valid book-type international driving license based on the 1949 Geneva Convention (card and digital licenses don't work in Japan).

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Top questions

What languages is the tour guided in?

Live guide in English and Japanese.

What happens if it rains?

It may be canceled due to bad weather. If that happens, you're offered another date or a refund. Free cancellation up to 24 h before the start.

What neighborhoods will I drive through on the Osaka go kart tour?

The route passes through Dotonbori and Minami, two of Osaka's most crowded shopping and entertainment districts, then continues to Tsutenkaku Tower, where you'll see the landmark and the restaurants surrounding it.

Do I need to bring my own costume or does the tour provide one?

The facility provides costumes to borrow at no extra charge. You can also buy inexpensive costumes at the nearby Don Quixote shop if you prefer to wear your own.

What kind of driving license do I need to book this tour?

You must have a valid international driving permit based on the 1949 Geneva Convention, a Japanese driver's license, or a Japanese SOFA license. Card and digital licenses are not accepted. If you hold a license from Belgium, France, Germany, Monaco, Slovenia, Switzerland or Taiwan, you can use an official Japanese translation from the Japan Automobile Federation or your country's embassy instead.

How long is the go kart tour and what's included in the price?

The tour lasts one hour and includes go kart rental, costume rental, fuel and insurance. Hotel pickup, food and drinks are not included.

What are the age and physical requirements to drive a go kart on this tour?

You must be at least 18 years old, between 150 and 190 centimeters tall, and weigh under 100 kilograms. The tour is not recommended for pregnant travelers.