Quick picks
Real drifting, passenger seat
① Wangun OG drift ride
¥55,000 per person on its own site, for 2 or more. On Viator you can also book it alone (¥120,000), or ¥70,000 each for 2 or more, with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
See it on Viator or book direct (no commission)
Drive it yourself
④ Matenro drift lesson
Pickup in central Tokyo and about 3 hours on track. On Viator ¥199,800 alone, down to ¥64,800 each for a group of 4 (weekdays), with free cancellation up to 24 hours before.
Car culture, no drifting
Daikoku car-meet night tour
A night drive to the Daikoku car meet with hotel pickup. ¥25,000 per person for 2 or more, ¥35,000 alone. It does not drift.
Viator prices from Viator's partner data and operator prices from their own sites, both checked on 27 October 2026. Viator links may earn me a commission; the other links do not.
On this page
The short answer
"Tokyo drift" is used for three different things. Only the first two put you in a car that really drifts, and both happen on closed race tracks, not on public roads.
- Ride only. A pro driver drifts the car around a closed track and you sit in the passenger seat.
- You drive. A lesson on a closed track, where an instructor teaches you to drift the car yourself.
- Daikoku car-meet tour. A night out at a famous car meet, riding in a tuned car. These tours do not drift. See the Daikoku guide.
The four drift tours at a glance
| Tour | Ride or drive | Track | Getting there | Group | From, per person |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Ride or drive | Minami Chiba, Chiba | Meet in Shinbashi | 2 or more direct; alone on Viator | Ride ¥55,000. Lesson ¥120,000 | |
Ride only | Minami Chiba, Chiba | Hotel pickup | 1 guest | ¥109,999 | |
Ride only | Ebisu, Fukushima | Hotel pickup, 12 to 16 hours | 1 guest | ¥200,000 | |
You drive | Minami Chiba, Chiba | Pickup in central Tokyo | 1 to 4 | ¥64,800 in a group of 4; ¥199,800 alone |
"From" is the lowest price I found for that tour, whether on Viator or booked direct. The details are in each tour below.
Where the tracks are
All four tours drift on closed race tracks outside Tokyo. Three use the same track in Chiba; one goes all the way to Fukushima.
- Tokyo StationMost tours pick you up in central Tokyo or meet you there.
- Daikoku PA, 26 kmCar-meet tours. No drifting. Reached only by car, from the expressway.
- Minami Chiba Circuit, 49 kmTours ①, ② and ④. About 1.5 hours by car from central Tokyo, according to the operators.
- Ebisu Circuit, 224 kmTour ③, a 12- to 16-hour day. By train: 2 to 2.5 hours of riding time (JNTO), see the Ebisu guide.
Distances are in a straight line from Tokyo Station, calculated from OpenStreetMap locations. Roads are longer.
What a drift day looks like
- Pickup in TokyoAt your hotel or a station, depending on the tour
- About 1.5 h driveTo Minami Chiba Circuit (operators' figure)
- Safety briefingBefore you go on track
- On trackRide: about 1 hour. Lesson: 3 hours
- Back in TokyoAbout 6 hours door to door for the private tours and lessons
A typical day for tours ①, ② and ④, from the operators' own descriptions. Times vary by tour and traffic.
The four tours, one by one
Wangun OG at Minami Chiba Circuit
Rideor driveMeet in Shinbashi
A Tokyo operator that runs both passenger rides and drift lessons. In the ride, a pro driver drifts the car with you in the passenger seat. In the lesson, you drive a Toyota Altezza yourself with an instructor.
- TrackMinami Chiba Circuit, Chiba. The Viator listing calls it "Japan Track"
- Time on trackRide: about 1 hour. Lesson: 3 hours
- Getting thereMeet in Shinbashi, Tokyo. The direct lesson includes hotel pickup in central Tokyo on weekdays
- GroupDirect ride: 2 guests minimum. On Viator you can book alone
Viator shows the seller as "Tokyo JDM experience". The tour name, car and meeting point match Wangun OG's own pages, so it appears to be the same operator. I have not had them confirm it.
JDM Drift Tours: private ride at Minami Chiba
Ride onlyHotel pickup1 guest
A private day trip for one person: pickup at your Tokyo hotel, a passenger ride with a pro drift driver at Minami Chiba Circuit, and the drive back. The operator's own site says guests do not drive.
- TrackMinami Chiba Circuit, Chiba
- TimeAbout 6 hours with 1.5 hours of track time (operator's site). Viator lists 6 to 8 hours
- Getting thereHotel pickup in Tokyo (Viator: Tokyo's 23 wards)
- GroupOne guest per tour (operator's site)
The price is the same either way, but only the direct booking gives any refund.
JDM Drift Tours: private ride at Ebisu
Ride onlyHotel pickup1 guest
The same kind of private trip, to Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima. It is a very long day.
- TrackEbisu Circuit, Fukushima
- Time12 to 16 hours (Viator); 13 hours or more (operator's site)
- Getting thereHotel pickup in Tokyo
- IncludedFuel, tires, tolls, entry and insurance (operator's site)
Direct is about ¥30,000 cheaper; Viator is easier to cancel. To go on your own by train instead, see the Ebisu guide.
Matenro Drift Racing: private drift lesson
You drivePickup in Tokyo1 to 4 people
A private lesson where you drive. An instructor starts beginners on donuts. No driving licence is needed, because you never drive on a public road. Matenro says drivers must be 18 or older.
- TrackMinami Chiba Circuit, per the Viator listing. Matenro's own page does not name it
- CarMazda MX-5 for beginners; bigger cars for experienced drivers at extra cost
- Time3-hour lesson, about 6 hours with the drive
- Getting therePickup within about 5 km of central Tokyo, otherwise Tokyo Station
The group totals are almost the same either way; Viator has the easier cancellation. Full details: self-drive lessons compared.
Which one should you pick?
- Two or more of you, want to ride, lowest price: ①, the ride booked direct with Wangun OG (¥55,000 each).
- On your own and want to ride: ① on Viator (¥120,000, meet in Shinbashi), or ② (about ¥110,000 with hotel pickup; book direct if you want any refund).
- You want to drive: ④ for hotel-area pickup and a lower price per person in a group, or the lesson in ①. See self-drive lessons compared.
- You want Ebisu Circuit itself: ③, or the official Drift Taxi once bookings reopen (see "Other options" below).
- You want the car culture, not the sliding: a Daikoku night tour. See the Daikoku guide.
How to tell if a tour really drifts
- Does the listing say "closed circuit" or name a track? In the listings I checked, the drifting happens on closed tracks. A tour that only visits public roads or a parking area should not be expected to drift.
- Does it say you ride with a professional drift driver? Look for "passenger ride" or "side-ride".
- Does the description say what the car does? One Viator night tour is titled "Tokyo Drift" yet lists drifting and racing as not included, so the name tells you nothing.
- Read the one- and three-star reviews. For a Daikoku tour, look for reviews from guests who expected drifting or speed, or whose visit was cut short by a police closure, and see how the guide handled it.
- Check what is included. Transport, insurance, helmet, photos and food differ by seller. When two pages disagree, trust the operator's own page and ask.
Other options
These are here for reference. I earn nothing from them.
- Official Ebisu Drift Taxi. Ride with a pro driver at Ebisu Circuit for about ¥50,000 per car (up to 3 passengers, plus ¥500 insurance each). You get there yourself. Bookings were suspended when I checked on 27 October 2026. See the Ebisu guide.
- Samurai Car Japan, private drift session. Passenger rides with a pro driver at a private circuit near Tokyo, which the operator names only after you book. ¥200,000 per group for up to 2 guests (one guest pays the same), plus ¥50,000 for each extra guest. About 90 minutes on track and about 6 hours door to door, with hotel pickup in Tokyo's 23 wards and a 10 am start; everyone must be 18 or older. You book by WhatsApp or Instagram message. The page does not state a cancellation policy, so ask before you pay (Samurai Car Japan, checked 27 October 2026).
- Uber Drift. According to news reports, Uber Japan ran a ¥30,000-per-group drift experience at Mobara Twin Circuit with professional drivers as a limited-time offer from 3 June to 1 July 2026, booked through the Uber app (Uber's press release on PR TIMES, Advertimes, both in Japanese). I could not confirm whether it has been offered since then.
- Other Viator listings. Viator also has a Matenro ride-along with a replica police-car chase and a drift experience at Ebisu from another seller. Each had only 3 reviews on 27 October 2026, so I have not compared them here.
FAQ
Is drifting legal in Japan?
On a closed race track, yes: all four tours on this page drift on closed circuits. On public roads it is a crime. Police arrest people for street drifting (Kuruma News, in Japanese), so a tour that only drives on public roads will not drift.
Do I need a driving licence?
Not to ride: in tours ①, ② and ③ you sit in the passenger seat. For the lessons in ① and ④, both operators say you need no licence or International Driving Permit, because you never drive on a public road.
Is there a minimum age?
Matenro (④) and Samurai Car Japan say 18 or older. Wangun OG says a minimum age applies but does not give it, so ask before you book.
I am travelling alone. Which tours can I book?
① on Viator (¥120,000 for the ride), ② and ③, which are built for one guest, and ④ (¥199,800 alone). The direct ride with Wangun OG needs at least 2 guests.
Which tours pick me up at my hotel?
②, ③ and ④. For ①, you meet in Shinbashi; Wangun OG's direct lesson adds weekday hotel pickup in central Tokyo.
Can I cancel?
It depends on where you book. On Viator, ①, ③ and ④ give a full refund up to 24 hours before, but ② is non-refundable. Booked direct, Wangun OG allows free cancellation up to 72 hours before, JDM Drift Tours refunds in full 7 or more days before, and Matenro up to 1 week before. Details are on each tour card.
Book
- ① Wangun OG on Viator: drift ride or lesson
- ② JDM Drift Tours on Viator: private ride at Minami Chiba (non-refundable)
- ③ JDM Drift Tours on Viator: private ride at Ebisu
- ④ Matenro on Viator: self-drive drift lesson
- Daikoku night drive with hotel pickup (no drifting)
Sources: Wangun OG ride and lesson, JDM Drift Tours, Matenro Drift Racing (all checked 27 October 2026, JDM Drift Tours' cancellation terms 26 October 2026), Headout (20 October 2026), Viator's partner data (27 October 2026), Fukushima Travel, Samurai Car Japan, Uber / PR TIMES. I have not taken these tours myself.
More guides
Keep reading
- Daikoku PA for Visitors: Car Meet Nights, Closures and ToursHow to see the Daikoku car meet legally, what it looked like on the nights I went, why it closes, and which tours drift (none of them).
- How to Get to Ebisu Circuit's Drift Taxi from Tokyo (Without a Tour)Train route, real costs and booking steps for riding a pro drift car at Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima, plus when a Tokyo tour is worth it.
- Self-Drive Drift Lessons near Tokyo, ComparedWhere you hold the wheel yourself: prices, cars, age limits, pickup and cancellation terms for drift lessons near Tokyo, booked direct or through Viator.