The Cat Village in Taiwan
The cat village in Taiwan called Houtong has more than 100 cats. The village attract many tourists around the world.
Pancake Art, too adorable to eat
Keisuke Inagaki, a 48 year old chef who lived in an evacuee camp in the wake of the Great East Japan Earthquake and Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster that followed it, wanted to think of something to bring some joy into the lives of the children living in the camp. When he saw an American doing pancake art on TV, he started making them himself, and has continued, having now made 2,000 of them. His pancakes have become a hot topic on social networking sites and there is now a month-long wait for reservations at his shop. (February 18th, 2018)
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The Cave with a heart-shaped image
This cave was well known by the locals, but when a tourist posted pictures of it online in September of 2015, people started saying it looked like it was taken out of a Ghibli film. Now shops line the area around the parking lot, and buses have started coming there, bringing the place to life with tourist activity. (Filmed on 15th March, 2018)
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Lala, the climbing cat
There is a rock climbing gym in Okinawa, Japan, called Boulbaka2,
with an “employee” who has become quite the topic of conversation online. Her name is Lala (1 year old).It all started in October, 2016, when they were renovating and she jumped from a ladder onto the wall. When a video of her climbing the wall was uploaded to Facebook afterwards,
it got more than 7 million views, making her an instant online sensation. Lala came to the gym when she was
around 2 months old, in July of 2016. The gym’s owner, Mr. Goan saw Lala alone walking down the busy street in front of the gym and took her in. At the time, her right eye was badly damaged by ticks, but she has recovered fully and strolls about the gym freely every day now. She doesn’t climb much anymore, but even today she awaits customers as the manager of the gym... (Filmed on 20 March, 2018)
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Yumeka, the painting elephant
Yumeka is originally from Ichihara Elephant Kingdom in Chiba prefecture, Japan. About 20 years ago, the owner of the Elephant Kingdom watched a TV show about a painting elephant. Then he (the owner) knew that training elephants from early age makes drawing skill much better so he decided to teach baby elephant how to draw when he will have one. Then Yumeka was born.
The daughter of the kingdom’s owner told me that each elephant has different skills but Yumeka has been trained by same trainer from Thailand since she was 2 so they have a strong bond. And also Yumeka always looks happy when she was praised after drawing. These made her skills better and better.
The zoo sells her paintings, goods and also LINE stamps (Please download the pictures from the above link). And Yumeka will use the money to have her baby. So we could say she earns part of her birth fee by herself!
Yumeka is planning to go back to Chiba in this Summer hopefully after she gets pregnant.
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Funeral for robot dog AIBO
People and a monk are praying for robot dog, AIBO. After SONY stopped preparing service for their first AIBO there are many AIBO who have ''died'' so the owners send their AIBO to this temple and take the souls away before they are broke apart.
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Awashima shrine with thousands of dolls
In Kada, Wakayama prefecture, Japan, there is a shrine called Awashima shrine which has a huge collection of dolls donated by people across the country. According to atlas obscura (https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/a...), ‘’ There are a lot of Japanese superstitions about dolls, and a good number of people in Japan seem to find them a little mysterious or frightening, believing that they have souls or the power to influence human lives. There are a number of shrines and festivals wherein people dispose of their old dolls and toys - they feel that if they just threw them in the garbage, the dolls’ souls might come back to haunt them like ghosts.’’
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The artist painting a dragon's full body with one single stroke
Hitofude-ryu is a traditional technique passed down since the Edo period in Japan where the artist draws the entire torso of a dragon in a single stroke. Because of this, it has been used as a good luck charm for endless money, customers, and romantic relationships. Dragons that face upwards are said to bring luck while those that face downwards are said to protect. The dragon's scales appear when he presses down hard and light in small spurts. His personal touch is to add "bonji" characters of a god that matches the customer to the dragon's jewel. For example if the customer is in retail, He'll draw the bonji of a merchant god, or if they are sick and want to wish for good health, he draw the bonji of a healing god.
He has a studio in Kyoto and paints each day. Since it requires a lot of detailed work and demands a lot of focus, he only paints between 3 and 5 images a day. He takes orders online and gets them from all around the world. When he goes abroad, he goes most often to art museums in Florida for small exhibits, performances, and galleries. He also goes to Mongolia and the Philippines. In the Philippines he does charities with a government official there, and they donate all the money from sales to charities.
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Man turns a spider crab into didgeridoo
A creative musician transforms spider crabs into incredible sounding didgeridoos. Not content with carving stunning wooden instruments, Kazuki Kitagawa decided to turn his hand to the crustaceans famous to Heda, Shizuoka prefecture, in eastern Japan. The 34-year-old turned the giant crab into a stunning 320cm long didgeridoo after taking inspiration from the seafood after moving to Heda in July 2016. Receiving his raw materials from a local restaurant, Kazuki unveiled his first spider crab didgeridoo in July 2017.
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Monkey park in Kyoto where you can feed 100 monkeys
There are more than 100 wild monkeys in Iwatayama monkey park in Kyoto, Japan. After 15-20 minutes hike, you will get to the top of Iwatayama and meet wild monkeys. Here you can buy fruits and feed the monkey. Funny thing is that people are inside of cage and monkeys are outside!! Don't look straight into monkeys eyes. It means fighting.
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Techno Temple
Gosen Asakura started using techno music to attract young followers. Syoonji temple, Fukui prefecture, Japan.
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This 89-Year-Old Grandma Takes Hilarious Selfies
We’ve said it once and we’ll say it again, <a href="https://rumble.com/v31ty4-turtle-freak-out-dance.html" target="_blank">age is nothing but a number</a> and this footage proves it. This is the story of Japanese lady that is closing in on her 90th year of life, but she has the spirit of a teenager. You don’t need your age to define you, and that is the best lesson she is giving the world.
A 89 year-old Kimiko Nishimoto started taking pictures when she was 72 years old. And now she is very famous after she started taking hilarious <a href="https://rumble.com/v4cokv-silly-grandma-loves-taking-selfies.html" target="_blank">selfies</a>. She was first introduced to selfies by her son and it’s been going on ever since. She admits to being very confused by the whole concept at first, but with time she has learned to be the mistress of selfies. We guess it’s never too late to start something.
In addition to her incredible skills with the camera Kimiko is extremely talented when using Photoshop. You’ve heard it right, she can do quite the magic with a few sets of layers and it would leave us all in awe. Some of us have a hard time adjusting an Instagram filter, while there she is creating masterpieces with a few clicks. She takes her photos using a remote control and they are incredibly unique and intriguing. We guess that talent knows no bounds. What are your predictions for the future? Can you see yourself learning something completely new when you’re 72 years old? Make sure you tell us what you think in the comments down below.
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Samurai Taxi Driver
Tatsuo Hisae works for Kyoto’s Rakunan Taxi service. He won a one million yen lottery and set the money aside for a trip around the world, which he had dreamed of since he was a child. When he finally went ahead with the trip and returned home, inspired by his many conversations all over the world, he decided to tie his hair up in the traditional samurai style and become a taxi driver. After being refused by over 10 companies he was finally hired a year later, and now drives the streets of Kyoto as a suit-wearing samurai.
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Curious Animal Cafe Where You Can Pet Otters, Chinchillas And Hedgehogs
Japan is known for this curious trend of animal cafes where visitors are allowed to pet the animals. Apparently, they took it to a whole different level by bringing small-clawed otters into the mix. The cafe already has 12 chinchillas and 50 hedgehogs, but the three newly-arrived otters completed the picture.
Cafes in Japan are engaged into a never ending quest to create the most unconventional cafes, so this shop in the trendy Harajuku district of Tokyo decided to push the limits by introducing small-clawed otters to their pet-loving customers.
This <a href="https://rumble.com/v3xtg5-harry-the-world-first-hedgehog-cafe.html">unique cafe</a> offers customers a chance to touch, hold or play with these furry creatures, along with several other animals. Visitors can interact with the animals after receiving instructions and some help from the staff. Customers can purchase chinchillas and hedgehogs, but the <a href="https://rumble.com/v3f1ml-adorable-otters-juggling-marathon.html">otters</a> are not for sale because they are designated as vulnerable on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List and their trade across borders is restricted under the Convention on the International Trade of Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, or CITES.
Did you ever have the chance to touch and play with otters, chinchillas and hedgehogs? In Japan you have the unique chance to spend time with animals while drinking your coffee. How neat is that?
This new shop opened in Harajuku, Tokyo and started a new trend, being the home to hedgehogs, otters and chinchillas, how lovely!
The otters and chinchillas are very friendly with humans, so unsurprisingly these cafés quickly became popular and attracted the attention of the public! Would you like to drink your coffee accompanied by animals?
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Woman Obsessed With Pet Goat Puts On A Mask To Become One
Tokyo resident Aya Shinozuka became really lonely and depressed when her beloved dog passed away. It was then when she encountered goat Shiropen while she was doing research on pets that can communicate with humans, other than dogs. Honestly, there were some tough times raising a pet goat, especially because there is very little information available, but her life was filled to the brim with goats before she knew it!
This woman became obsessed with her pet <a href="https://rumble.com/v3obu3-miraculous-male-goat-produces-milk-treated-as-gods-gift-in-india.html" target="_blank">goat</a>. She feeds him hay from a bucket, she gives him bath and she walks him around the neighborhood in a stroller. In a nutshell, she treats him like her own human baby! Not that much of a pet, but a baby!
Shiropen is an African type of goat called a pygmy goat. Aya took him when he was only one and a half months old and has lived with him ever since. Unlike dogs and cats, information about pet goats is hard to come by so Aya had to learn step-by-step about the process of raising a goat. She read a lot of special books and consulted with other pet owners on the way. There is no doubt that these two share a <a href="https://rumble.com/v3dqnb-teeny-tiny-goat.html" target="_blank">special bond</a>!
Owner says that goats can learn just as many tricks as dogs, and can communicate just as well with humans. That was the reason why Aya got interested in goats. Walks are important for Shiropen’s health so Aya takes him out when the weather is good, and they both enjoy having nice strolls.
The funny thing is this owner never paid too much attention to goats in the past, but after she got Shiropen, she got hitched to goats, and started buying goat related stuff like toys, books and goat related decorations and clothing. She even had a mask in a shape of goat imported from England. She puts the mask on and pretends to be a goat, imagining what it feels like! Is this crazy or yes! Talk about obsession!
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State Of The Art Robot Hotel Opens Near Disneyland In Japan
Henn na Hotel has been recognized by Guinness World Record as "the first robot-staffed hotel" in the world. The lobby images the age of dinosaurs, and at the front desk, you will be greeted by multilingual robots who will handle the check-in and check-out process for you. The dinos are robots, of course, and it’s the first act of a hotel stay that’s free of human interaction. The hotel is not only unique with the robot operation, but is made environmentally friendly, and offers comfortable stay with the newest model mattress.
One of the definitions of the Japanese word “Henn” is “to change,” which represents their commitment for evolution in striving for the extraordinary sensation and comfort that lies beyond the ordinary. The unique experience will take guests <a href="https://rumble.com/v33evk-hospitality-robot-being-tested-in-japan.html" target="_blank">one step into the future</a>. It goes without saying that the location of these hotels in resorts and theme parks highlights the novelty of them, and we think it will be quite some time before we see regular business hotels or the like manned by machines.
The hotel is the second robot-operated hotel to launch in Japan, and is located just outside the Disney theme park in Urayasu. The robot-hotel is planning on expanding around the world over the next five years, reports The Japan Times. During the opening ceremony for the hotel, the CEO, Hideo Sawada said “the goal is not about being strange, it’s about transforming and evolving.”
The gimmicky hotel received a lot of press attention in Japan and overseas, but it has proved to have staying power beyond its wacky concept. Certainly, the likes of Pepper in SoftBank stores and other places has also contributed to the ordinariness of <a href="https://rumble.com/v30pwj-japan-robot-show-2009.html" target="_blank">seeing robots in Japan</a> today.
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The Monkey Business In This Japanese Bar Will Make You Go Bananas
People come from all over the world to meet the famous waitress at this bar called Kayabuki. She is unique and very special and most importantly she is paid in bananas. The waitress is this 17-year-old monkey called Fuku-chan who helps pass out napkins, beer and other things to customers.
It all began when Kayabuki’s owner handed a napkin to Yacchan, the first monkey who become waiter and he brought it out to the guests. Fuku-chan started imitating Yacchan when she was 3 and has continued ever since. The bar also has several other baby monkeys and customers can take pictures with them. When work is over they get paid in bananas. How adorable!
Kaoru Otsuka, owner of this bar, introduced the idea of monkeys serving customers like waiters. This <a href="https://rumble.com/v37nbn-monkey-business-chimp-drinks-from-bottom-of-water-bottle.html">monkey business</a> attracted global attention and before he knew it, his little bar became a hit and has been going strong for 29 years.
Are you running a restaurant and can’t afford to hire waiters? Well, you could take a cue from this Japanese restaurant in Utsunomiya, Tochigi prefecture, Japan which hired monkeys for the job. In an attempt to make them look more human they dressed them up in cute, little uniforms!
The Kayabukiya Tavern looks like any other traditional-style Japanese 'sake-house' restaurant.
However, once you walk into the modest premises it quickly becomes apparent that human <a href="https://rumble.com/v3440i-hilarious-joke-blonde-waitress-confused-by-truckers-order.html">waiters</a> have been replaced by adorable monkeys.
This Japanese restaurant has changed the face of customer service by employing monkeys to help with the table service. Actually, the monkeys are even better waiters than some really bad human ones.
Originally, owner kept the monkeys as household pets, but once he realized they were capable of working in the restaurant he gave them this role to play.
Watch how amazed these guests are when they call out for more beer and get served by one, personally delivered by the monkey! It’s amazing how it understands human words!
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Oya Museum, like a huge underground shrine
Egyptian pyramids. Indiana Jones. Even an underground shrine. Did you know that there is a place that people describe like this in Japan?
About a 30 minute bus ride from the center of Tochigi prefecture’s Utsunomiya city lies Oya Museum, a place where you can learn about Oya stones, which are known for being used by the American architect, Frank Loyd Wright, when he designed the old imperial hotel. The highlight of the museum is the remains of an around 20,000 square meter (140m x 150m) mine 30 meters underground, in which you can fit an entire baseball field.
In this unique space, littered with machines and where the walls are lined with markings left by mining equipment, BMW test drive events and Omega watch presentations have been held. An X Japan promotion video was filmed and a live Enya performance was televised there as well. Movies and television dramas have also been filmed there, and many weddings are held every year in an area that is not open to the public currently.
Since April of 2013 people have been allowed to take pictures inside, and information about it is spreading on social networking sites. In 2016, 340,000 people came to visit the museum.
Although it’s a popular place to bring the family or go with a date, the average temperature is around 8 degrees Celsius, so don’t forget a jacket if you go.
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The 95-year-old man's Rainbow Village
Rainbow Village, located in the suburbs of Taichung, Taiwan, has undergone a massive transformation thanks to a 95 year old man named Huang Yong Fu. He was born in Hong Kong, and fought in the Second Sino-Japanese war as a member of the Chinese Nationalist Party, when he came to Taiwan with his regimen in 1949. Then, years later he settled down in this village and began painting around 2008. At the time the region was to be a part of a redevelopment project, but village fans, seeking to protect the village which had become famous for its paintings, gathered support online and sent numerous e-mails to the mayor of the city, so the mayor came to visit the village personally. Then things changed quickly, and rather than destroy the village, they moved to help preserve it. Mr. Huang Yong Fu goes out whenever he can to greet and talk to tourists, and the village makes an effort to support philanthropic work by donating a portion of the money it makes from souvenirs to charitable organizations.
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Ancient Art Of Knife Massage Helps Taiwanese Stay Sharp
Taiwan is as famous for massages as it is for its delicious food. But did you know that there is a massage style that uses knives and is actually very popular? Knife massages originated in China and date 2,500 years back. Taiwan is now one of the few places where unusual kind of massages are given to those who are brave enough.
Knife massages are attracting hardcore spa enthusiasts to have cleavers chopped across their faces and bodies in a bizarre new wellness trend. This cutting edge mania sees customers 'relaxing' as sharpened cleavers are pressed in rhythmic motions all over them, with nothing but a thin piece of material separating their skin from the blade.
Hsiao Mei Fang, the owner of Ancient Art Of Knife Therapy Education Centre, in Taipei, <a href="https://rumble.com/v3raqz-2017-kite-festival-in-taiwan.html" target="_blank">Taiwan</a>, has been performing the strange procedure for more than 13 years and says that they have created an original new knife therapy treatment.
'Everything has a Yin and a Yang, so instead of using one knife we use two. We don’t take kitchen knives but use special ones for the therapy,' Fang explains. People often think that this therapy is just 'for fun' but after having the therapy they see real results and recommend it to friends. At first they are scared because similar knives for cutting chicken and pork meat are used, and customers are afraid of being cut like that too.
The customers all fully clothed and emerge without a scratch. We couldn't help but admire the bravery of those who willingly submitted to a blood-free treatment. Driven by sheer curiosity, would you sign up to <a href="https://rumble.com/v3lv5v-going-under-the-knife.html" target="_blank">go under the knife</a>?
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This Man Travels The World Only To Put His Head Into Comic Foregrounds
Tomoyuki Shioya is obsessed with comic foregrounds and has traveled all over the country, even outside of Japan to places like Taiwan and the United States, just in order to take pictures with them. His collection of photos nears 3,000.
In the beginning he would take <a href="https://rumble.com/v4fsln-mystery-pictures-appear-along-niagara-falls-street.html" target="_blank">pictures</a> with the comic foregrounds when he happened to be at a tourist spot, but one day he saw one that was getting thrown out and asked the shop owner if he would take a picture of him in it, prompting the shop owner to say: “Well, if people get this much joy out of it, I’ll put it back up.”
Tomoyuki decided he wanted to have more experiences like that and started seeking out “head in the hole” photo boards to take pictures with. He always walks around with a tripod and camera and will take <a href="https://rumble.com/v4fh5f-photographer-travels-the-world-taking-pictures-of-the-dogs-he-meets.html" target="_blank">pictures</a> using the timer feature on his camera no matter how crowded the space. Tomoyuki says that he has never felt embarrassed by his hobby. In time, his activities caught the media’s attention, and he has now appeared on television and in events, as well as held exhibits of his pictures and written a book. He says that he wants to continue taking pictures at comic foregrounds until the day he dies. You could see his pride as an aficionado, and he even seemed pretty cool to us.
Chimpanzee on the Loose?!
On February 7th, 2017, Tokyo’s Tama Zoological Park held a practice drill for what to do in the event an animal escaped from its enclosure. It is a drill held once a year alternating between Tama Zoological Park and the Ueno Zoo, and the scenario was a chimpanzee fleeing from its keepers. Though the chimpanzee was a costumed staff member, there were those among the unknowing park visitors who thought a chimpanzee had actually escaped as they watched it harass the drill participants, who were equipped like it was the real deal with tranquilizer guns. Altogether 80 people, from police officers to fire fighters participated in the drill.
The person who dresses up as the animal is typically a new staff member. This time the chimpanzee keeper, Mr. Yosuke Taguchi played the part. In the past there have been drills for lions, snow leopards, and orangutans, and a chimpanzee, milu deer, red panda, and hermit ibis have actually escaped before.
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The Museum That Displays Charming Stone Faces
They say that you can meet Elvis Presley and John F. Kennedy in Saitama Prefecture’s Chichibu City, two hours northwest of Tokyo, Japan. The Chichibu Museum of Rare Stones exhibits many unusual rocks, including a popular display of more than 700 that resemble people’s faces. Almost all of them has a name, with some of them resembling popular Japanese entertainers, anime characters, and even Elvis Presley and the like. Each one captures their characteristics really well. The Japanese have even invented a term that is applied to stones that resemble human facial features – “jinmenseki”.
The rocks were all gathered over a 50 year period by the museum’s first director, Mr. Shoji Hayama, at the nearby Arakawa River. The current director is his wife, Ms. Yoshiko Hayama, She was formerly the chief curator of the Museum of Rare Stones and she took over the position held by her husband who passed away in 2010 – a <a href="https://rumble.com/v3keop-father-and-son-keep-family-tradition-alive.html" target="_blank">family tradition</a> literally set in stone. Ms. Hayama said that the museum, which opened its doors 27 years ago, was like an extension of her husband, as she explained the stones’ various characteristics. An avid collector, the late Shozo Hayama spent 50 years collecting rocks that looked like faces. His only requirement was that nature is the only artist. It seems she has truly inherited Mr. Hayama’s passion for the stones.
There is, at the moment, such a large number of <a href="https://rumble.com/v3b3ys-raccoon-help-mama-by-pulling-rocks-from-her-shoes.html" target="_blank">rocks</a> on display that some do not even have names. Therefore, the owner is known to sometimes invite visitors to give names for rocks.
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Japanese Whisperer Teaches Beluga Whale To 'Talk'
One Japanese researcher has taught a beluga whale to “talk” by using sounds to identify three different objects, offering hope that humans may one day be able to have conversations with sea mammals. The high intelligence of whales and dolphins has made them a popular target for research. So, meet Nack, the beluga that ''talks'' at Kamogawa Sea World in Chiba prefecture, Japan.
Nack’s home is one of the leading <a href="https://rumble.com/v3b48d-aquarium-in-okinawa-japan.html" target="_blank">aquariums</a> in Japan, a two-hour drive from Tokyo station which holds around 11,000 organisms on display, starring the talking beluga whale. Nack was caught in Canada in 1988, 28 years ago.
Among dolphin species, beluga’s distinctive characteristics are their pure white color and lack of back fin, though they are scarce. If you touch one, you will notice right away that they are very soft. It is thought that they got like that because they live in freezing cold water. At the end of his forehead it has a hole for breathing which is called an air sack. By drawing sound between the air sack and spiracle, it whistles like a human. <a href="https://rumble.com/v39ui3-there-is-chilled-out-and-there-is-this-beluga-whale.html" target="_blank">Beluga whales</a> are very intelligent, friendly and they enjoy being trained in this way.
Seven years ago, with the cooperation of the aquarium, Tokai University professor Tsukasa Murayama started training Nack after he became dissatisfied with hand-signals currently used to communicate with dolphins and whales and taught the beluga to imitate human speech as part of his research. Now Nack has his special performance.
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You Can Now Ride A Go-Kart Through The Streets Of Tokyo
Gliding across the streets of Tokyo in a go-kart. No one would have believed it, but now tourists, both foreign and Japanese, are talking about just such a thing. Akiba Cart, near Akihabara station, is providing the service.
Because the <a href="https://rumble.com/v36o4f-go-kart-rubbish-bin-hack-make-science-fun.html" target="_blank">go-karts</a> are treated as miniature cars, all you need is a normal driver’s license to ride them, making them widely available to anyone, and you don’t have to use a seat belt or wear a helmet either. Many of their patrons wear costumes when they ride the karts, and once they are on the road they become the center of attention. Due to this, they are used not only by tourists, but also in event promotions and advertisements.
The founder of the company, Daisaku Koyama, came up with the idea for the service. He says he was inspired by the French prankster, Remi Gaillard, who made a video depicting <a href="https://rumble.com/v39o1r-relive-your-childhood-with-human-sized-mario-karts.html" target="_blank">Mario Kart</a> on real roads. He decided he wanted to start “a safe service where you can ride unusual vehicles," and started the company in April of 2013.
The service, which was brought about through sheer coincidence, is now breathing new life into Tokyo’s tourist scene. Just drop by in Koyama’s underground lair, pick a costume of your own desire (you can choose from a wide variety of plush costumes, Like Mario and Luigi, Buzz Lightyear, Batman or your favorite Pokemon), grab that go-kart and go, go, go!
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