Suzuka and Motegi are about 5,500 miles away from me, ie, across the Pacific. Moreover, they are both roughly about 4 hours away from Tokyo by pubic transportation. Yet, I’ve done more laps at these tracks than the indoor karting facility about 5 miles from my house! Maybe I am as crazy as my friends say, however, the format of these facilities have a definite draw that is both enjoyable, challenging and easy to access in that no reservations are needed. In a few words I would describe it as Malibu Grand Prix on steroids.
Both go-kart tracks are owned by the Honda Corporation, part of the amusement park which serve as an adjunct to these famous full size race race courses. They are open almost daily regardless of the race schedule. Of the 2, Suzuka is the more developed with the sort of rides one expects at a place like this, such as roller coasters, merry-go-round, etc. Motegi currently only has motorized rides, such as motorcycles, drift kart for the younger kiddies. However, despite this, both have the aforementioned “real” go-karts for the older kids. What’s nice is that if you are too young to have a driver’s license you can work your way up.