If the thrill of blasting through Tokyo in a real-life Mario Kart is on your list, you might want to reconsider.
For diehard Mario lovers or those seeking an adrenaline rush, the appeal is obvious. Who wouldnโt want the chance to make their favorite game a reality? Speeding in a go-kart amidst Tokyo’s sparkling lights sounds exciting. It sounds awesome to everyone…except the disgruntled locals.
(Note: “Mario Kart” is a fully owned trademark of Nintendo.)
A unique experience
Street Kart, formerly known as MariCar, boasts the experience of a lifetime. Their website greets you with scrolling logos where theyโve gotten press: CNN, BBC, even National Geographic.
Billing itself as a โmust-haveโ experience, rentals include a communication wristband to chat with your friends, action cameras, and even Bluetooth speakers. There are seven locations in Tokyo, with tours lasting up to two hours for the ride.
The so-called “Mario karts” are custom-made with Japanese local laws in mind, but truthfully, thatโs not much of a boast. A legal loophole made the recreational service possible; go-karts are considered the same as scooters or four-wheel cars. Since scooters don’t require seatbelts, go-karts didn’t originally either.
Legal battles and “Mario Kart” rebranding
But despite the overwhelming amount of praise for the activity, things havenโt gone exactly smoothly. The beloved tourist attraction has faced significant litigation from a well-known corporate giant.
Formerly offering the chance to dress up as characters like Mario or Luigi, the company, once known as MariCar, unsurprisingly faced Nintendo’s wrath twice. In 2017, the gaming giant cited copyright infringement for renting character costumes and using their likenesses.
The play on words (โMariCarโ being a pun on โMario Kartโ) also raised concerns. Nintendo worried that potential accidents caused by people in their charactersโ garb would damage their brand. Nobody wants to imagine Princess Peach causing a ten-car pile-up in front of Hachiko, especially not Nintendo.
Predictably, the Tokyo District Court ruled in Nintendoโs favor and ordered MariCar to pay Nintendo 10 million yen (USD $62,000) in compensation. The court also banned the rental of Mario-themed costumes.
Surprisingly, the street kart company managed to keep the name after the lawsuit. Still, they had to rebrand away from the “Mario Kart” image. The go-kart company even added bilingual text that read โUnrelated to Nintendoโ onto their vehicles. (They raced down that loophole as fast as they could.)
Neither company felt satisfied with the outcome. In 2020, MariCar sought to appeal and Nintendo echoed the move. Despite the bilingual signs, the issue remained unresolved, and both companies pushed for another court hearing.
Predictably, Nintendo triumphed again, upholding the previous decision and boosting MariCar’s damages payment to 50 million yen (USD $310,000). That seems like a hefty bill, but nothing deep enough to put the controversial attraction down for good.
Lockdowns and financial setbacks
For a while, annoyed locals thought their prayers would finally be answered. Profits tanked during the global health crisis lockdown in Japan due to foreigners being unable to enter Japan.
Desperate, Street Kart attempted a fundraising campaign to keep themselves afloat, aiming for a goal of two million yen. They received a sad 11,569 yen (USD $71). Netizens were unsurprised, and some commented that Street Kart ought to have tried appealing to a foreign audience instead of a local one for sympathy cash.
That unsuccessful campaign convinced netizens that the “Mario kart” experience was finally over. Local Tokyoites were never keen on the companyโs existence to begin with. Why should they donate money to a company that is nothing but a menace? The fundraiser proved to be a complete failure, resulting in the return of all donations, suggesting that the company had perhaps finally reached its end.
Revival and adaptation
Alas, it survived.
Rechristened Street Kart, the company found a loophole post-lockdown. They now offer recognizable but not copyright-infringing costumes. Instead of Waluigi, you can don a superhero costume, resembling something youโd snag at the last minute from Spirit Halloween.
Resemblances to Spider-Man are purely coincidental in this adventure of a lifetime, one that can either be thrilling or end in tragedy. Driving on Tokyo streets becomes significantly more dangerous due to the low visibility from a go-kart. Having an international driverโs permit or even a Japanese driverโs license doesnโt guarantee much in the way of safety, either.ย
Most complaints from Japanese locals are about safety. In 2018 alone, MariCarโs customers caused 50 accidents, with 43 involving foreign drivers. The most infamous incident that year was a hit-and-run involving a Taiwanese tourist and a 19-year-old Japanese local. Fortunately, the young man escaped with no fatal injuries.
Before that, there was one in April that year involving a tourist from Singapore who crashed into a Roppongi storefront. Since these incidents, more have piled up. The most recent one took place on June 4th between a taxi and one of the karts.
The future of “Mario karts”
Given everything, itโs unsurprising that locals could live without the spectacle. With Japanโs borders open and the yen at a record low, โReal Life Mario Kartโ remains popular with foreign tourists.
Meanwhile, opinions from Japanese locals havenโt become more positive. Comments on social media about the controversial activity range from surprise that the company survived the lockdown to increased concern about safety.
Most netizens agree itโs only a matter of time before something serious happens, and they fear nothing will get better until it does. Although no one appears to be fervently hoping for a fatality, people seem convinced that itโs inevitable.
However, not even the lockdown could stop Street Kart from persisting. Given their popularity, with bookings needed months in advance to even attempt to reserve a spot, Street Kart is not stopping soon.
If youโre committed to a real-life Mario Kart experience, itโs probably best to stick to the Universal Studios Japan attraction. While it might not provide the same adrenaline rush, you can rest assured that the only harm it’ll inflict is on your wallet.
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Sources
About Street Kart Tokyo Bay. Street Kart Tokyo Bay
ใใชใซใผใจๆฆใ ไปปๅคฉๅ ใ่ไฝๆจฉๅทกใ่จด่จใง้ฃๅ. Nikkei
Hit-and-run involving Mario Kart driver could spell game over for popular Tokyo attraction. New Straits Times
Japanese firm takes Mario karts off the streets after Nintendo lawsuit. BBC News
Street Kart company famous for Super Mario karts ends crowdfunding campaign with dismal support. Sora News
Go-kart driver crashes into taxi after ignoring road sign in Tokyo. Japan Today
ใใชใซใผไบๆ ใ็ทๆง้ๅท ไปปๅคฉๅ ่จด่จใงๆณจ็ฎ้ใใไธญ. Sankei News
