TOKYOOn their recent honeymoon in Japan, Jason and Nicole Francis savored the temples of the ancient capital of Kyoto and unwound at a resort with a private hot spring. Later they dressed up as a lime-green dinosaur and an Italian plumber and sped through the streets of Tokyo in go-karts.
I picked Yoshi because I always pick Yoshi in the game, said Mr. Francis, a 35-year-old emergency-services worker in New Jersey, explaining his decision to don the dinosaur costume.
The game is Mario Kart, a racing challenge from Japans Nintendo Co. , introduced a quarter-century ago and now played on videogame consoles globally. A new business here takes advantage of Mario Karts popularity and loose regulations on go-karts to offer self-driving tours of Tokyo and other cities, with costumes of characters from the game provided. The company, MariCar, says it books thousands of trips a month and most of the customers are non-Japanese.
Its part of a tourism boom that is changing the face of the worlds third-largest economy. Many businesses are selling a slice of what foreigners perceive as authentically Japanese. But while visitors are enjoying thrill rides in city streets, plucking off cherry-blossom branches for souvenirs and taking selfies in rented polyester kimonos, some locals are not amused.
Groups of MariCar drivers have become a common sight in downtown Tokyo, zipping through the shopping district of Shibuya or across Rainbow Bridge in Tokyo Bay. U.S. military personnel based in Japan are among the customers. Videos of MariCar riders spotted in Tokyo have been posted online by visiting celebrities Kim Kardashian and Hugh Jackman.
Meanwhile, the company is battling a lawsuit by Nintendo accusing MariCar of copyright infringement. MariCar, which opened its first branch in Tokyo early last year, says it obtained an understanding from the videogame giant before launch. Nintendo declined to comment beyond its initial statement announcing the lawsuit, which called for a ban on the service and damages. The two sides made opening arguments in court in April.
https://www.wsj.com/articles/japan-...in-mario-costumes-driving-go-karts-1498057258