This is one of the coolest experiences I have ever had while traveling: driving through the streets of downtown Tokyo in go-karts, just like a real-life game of Mario Kart. I wish every single city in the world offered this. Anyone who grew up playing the game will get a huge kick out of it. Upon arriving at a small shop, you sign a waiver and get suited up in your choice of generic cartoon character onesies, which are not official Nintendo characters due to copyright purposes.
During our orientation, our group leader explained that driving these go-karts on the street is perfectly legal as long as you follow all the rules of the road that regular cars and motorcycles must obey. We had to keep up with the speed of traffic, signal properly, and stay close together so we weren't a nuisance obstructing traffic. The guides were also incredibly strict about safety, meaning no phones were allowed out at all while driving. Fortunately, the group leader took a photo for us, which is the one posted in this article.
You would not believe the looks we were getting from the public as we drove through Shibuya Crossing, the famous, bustling intersection you always see in movies about Tokyo. Because of how intense it can get, I probably would not recommend doing this unless you are a confident driver. It is definitely a bit intimidating to have full-sized cars and trucks driving immediately next to you at 50 km/h when you are sitting so low to the ground in a tiny go-kart. Everyone is responsible for operating their own vehicle, so you can’t just be a "passenger princess" along for the ride.
The roughly hour-long tour was fairly expensive, but I think it was very much worth the money. I paid full price and was not gifted this experience, so this is my completely unbiased opinion. I highly recommend it to everyone I know who is visiting Japan. I would gladly do the same tour again—or try one in a different city—if the opportunity ever arose. Honestly, I just wish I could do this exact type of tour through Vancouver's Stanley Park Seawall.