Tokyo needs more than Mario karts to amuse tourists

Tokyo needs more than Mario karts to amuse tourists
(Image: Getty)
Bloomberg
By Gearoid Reidy They’re the scourge of Tokyo’s streets: bright-red go-karts driven by foreign tourists waving and clad in cartoon costumes.The providers of these personal transporters, colloquially known as Mario karts, once dressed riders as characters from Nintendo’s Super Mario Bros before putting them on the roads. Now, after a company lawsuit that went all the way to the Supreme Court, some websites warn that their street karts are “in no way a reflection” of the video game maker. But the damna...

More Tourism

Wellington's blue sky boondoggle
Infrastructure

Pattrick Smellie: Wellington's blue sky boondoggle

Is the capital's airport serious, or is Infratil just trying to pump value?

Pattrick Smellie 22 Nov 2024
Turin is a chocolate lover’s Italian dream
Tourism

Turin is a chocolate lover’s Italian dream

City’s gourmet specialties include an upscale version of Nutella.

Short-changing water investment affects 90,000 NZers
Policy Turning the Tap

Short-changing water investment affects 90,000 NZers

Boil notices for drinking water persist for years in some parts of the country.

Zack Newman 22 Oct 2024
Against the odds, London pubs now among city’s top eateries
The Life

Against the odds, London pubs now among city’s top eateries

Great food and drink make businesses viable in a way that traditional pubs are not.

Bloomberg 20 Oct 2024