JDM Travel Guide

How to Get to Ebisu Circuit's Drift Taxi from Tokyo (Without a Tour)

PRThis page contains affiliate links. If you book through them, I may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. Facts come from the circuit's official booking page, Fukushima's tourism site, JNTO and the city of Nihonmatsu. Last checked: 21 October 2026 (tour details from the operator's site: 26 October 2026). I have not visited the circuit myself; this is a research-based guide.

The short version

You sit in the passenger seat while a pro drift driver takes you around Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima. No license or experience needed. JNTO says the drivers are D1 drivers from Team Orange.

Check that bookings are open before you plan the trip. The two official pages did not agree when I checked. One page says "Bookings can now be made", but on 22 October 2026 the booking screen said bookings were currently suspended. I do not know which is more recent. [VERIFY: re-check the booking screen and update this note]

¥50,000per car, up to 3 passengers (about ¥16,700 each when full)
+¥500passenger insurance per person, not included in the price
140 cmminimum height
2–2.5 hof riding time each way from Tokyo by Shinkansen, local train and bus (adding up JNTO's times), plus waits between them
9 / 11 / 14start times (o'clock). Closed on Wednesdays
Englishbooking page in English; the circuit says its English is limited, so keep messages simple

What you actually get

The official page lists a 3-course drifting experience and a rented helmet. Sessions start at 9:00, 11:00 and 14:00. It runs every day except Wednesday. The page's own timing is unclear (it mentions a 15-minute safety briefing and a 45-minute session, but also an overall duration of 45 minutes), so ask the circuit how long your slot lasts.

How to get there from Tokyo by public transport

  1. TokyoTohoku Shinkansen to Koriyama, 1h21 (JNTO) to 1h39 (fare guide). Allow for the slower one.
  2. KoriyamaJR Tohoku Line to Nihonmatsu, about 20 minutes (JNTO)
  3. NihonmatsuFukushima Kotsu bus to Safari Park-mae, about 28 minutes (JNTO). The city says about 30.
  4. Ebisu CircuitCall 0243-24-2972 before you rely on the bus. I found no timetable or taxi time.

Shinkansen fares: a fare-guide site lists about US$57 for a reserved seat and US$54 unreserved from Tokyo to Koriyama, one way, and warns the figures are indicative. Check the live fare when you book. The official page also sells a taxi shuttle between Fukushima Station and the circuit: ¥18,350 for 1 to 3 people, ¥27,650 for 4 to 8.

Rough cost for a day trip

Group Drift Taxi (per person) Shinkansen, round trip (per person, indicative)
1 person
¥50,000
about US$108 to 114
2 people
¥25,000
about US$108 to 114
3 people
¥16,700
about US$108 to 114

Add insurance (¥500 each), the local train, the bus or taxi, and food. The Shinkansen column is a rough conversion of the fare-guide figure, not a quote.

Cancellation

On the official page: free until 17:00 five days before; 50% until 17:00 two days before; 100% after that. Check the weather forecast before the 50% deadline.

DIY or a tour from Tokyo?

Go DIY if you are comfortable with trains and want the cheapest way in.

Take a tour if time is tight, you do not want to coordinate transfers, or you want a guide. One Viator listing, "Drifting experience with private transport from Tokyo, Ebisu Circuit", is priced from US$1,486.57 per person for a private tour of about 12 to 16 hours, including hotel pickup in Tokyo's 23 wards and the circuit admission ticket. It is a passenger ride: the operator's own site says guests do not drive, and the Ebisu tour takes one guest (checked 26 October 2026). Viator listed free cancellation up to 24 hours before (21 October 2026), while the operator's own site lists a full refund only 7 days or more before, 50% from 7 days to 48 hours, and nothing after that (26 October 2026). Check the terms on the page where you book.

## A warning about "Tokyo drift" tours Not every tour with "drift" in the name involves drifting. One Viator night tour titled "Tokyo Drift" even lists drifting and racing as not included. Look for *closed circuit* and a clear description of what the car does. See my [comparison of Tokyo drift tours](/en/tokyo-drift-tours-that-actually-drift.html).

What to wear

The official page does not say. As a precaution, long sleeves, long trousers and closed shoes are a sensible choice; this is my suggestion, not a rule from the circuit. A helmet is provided as a rental.

Book the official Drift Taxi

Fukushima Travel: Drift Taxi Experience

Sources: Fukushima Travel (booking page), JNTO [VERIFY: URL], City of Nihonmatsu [VERIFY: URL], GoAsia fare guide [VERIFY: URL], Viator listing (linked above), the tour operator's own site [VERIFY: URL].