Tokyo go-kart operator caught allegedly letting tourists drive without licenses

TOKYO, Oct. 12 (Xinhua) — Japanese police have referred to prosecutors their case against the manager of a Tokyo rental go-kart business for allegedly allowing foreign tourists without valid driver’s licenses to drive go-karts on public roads, local media reported.
The referral without detention on Sept. 3 by the Metropolitan Police Department was due to the belief that the manager, a man in his 40s, merited indictment because of the potential to cause a serious accident, Kyodo News reported on Friday, citing investigative sources.
The rare enforcement action alleges the manager of the company in Tokyo’s Ota Ward rented go-karts to two foreign tourists who did not possess valid international driver’s licenses in April, allowing them to drive on public roads, the report said.
One of the two tourists was involved in a property damage accident after colliding with a parked vehicle on the roadside, leading to the discovery of their unlicensed driving. They were arrested on the spot on suspicion of driving without a license, it added.
The case was sent to the prosecutors’ office with a special request for indictment.
Under Japan’s road traffic law, go-karts are classified as regular automobiles that require a valid driver’s license to operate. Only international driver’s licenses issued by a country under the Geneva Convention are valid for driving in Japan.
Some 3,300 people have rented go-karts after the company started the business around the fall of 2023. Its rental records showed nearly 50 people may have driven the vehicles without a proper driver’s license, the report said.
The popularity of go-kart experiences among overseas tourists in Tokyo has soared in recent years, highlighting concern over safety and compliance with this tourist attraction. ■