Street kart tour,Mario kart tour.Credit:Shutterstock
The first thing people ask when it becomes clear that you are going go-karting in Osaka wearing a Super Mario onesie isn't"a onesie?"but rather"on the actual streets?".
Well,yes,on the actual streets,at night,in and out of actual traffic,in a red,custom-built go kart lit up like a disco ball,and with a throbbing nightclub soundtrack blasting out of the lead car. After all,we're in Japan,possibly the politest and nuttiest country in the world.
The MariCAR go-kart office is hidden away in a small industrial estate in the Fukushima-ku area of Osaka and is best reached by taxi. On arrival you sign your life away,choose your onesie (Super Mario,Luigi,Pikachu,you name it) and then get a short safety briefing and lesson from the tour leader on how to behave in traffic.
Namba Dotonbori area at nightCredit:SHUTTERSTOCK
It's a little intimidating at first but you soon realise it's all simple,common-sense stuff such as driving in a straight line behind one another,lining up in twos at traffic lights,obeying the usual road rules,not driving under buses or over pedestrians,that sort of stuff.
The MariCAR website is also very instructive:"MariCAR is in no way a reflection of the gameMario Kart. Therefore,when riding the go-karts none of the following will be allowed. 1. No racing each other on the streets. 2. Do not throw banana peels or any other garbage on to the streets. 3. Do not throw red turtle shells or any other objects to each other."
After this there's a quick orientation of the kart. This essentially consists of"here's the accelerator,here's the brake,there are no gears,yes,it's very low to the ground". And before you know it you're off.
Mario Car.Credit:Shutterstock
On the night I go out there are only two other people in our small convoy – a husband and wife team from Hong Kong with their two small (and too small) children in a support car. As soon as we hit the dark streets around the office tour leader Ume Chan fires up his mobile discotheque and Ed Sheeran'sShape of You starts up. The lyrics,looking back afterwards,are remarkably prescient:"Come on now follow my lead,I may be crazy,don't mind me."