The short version
- What it is: You sit in the passenger seat while a pro drift driver takes you around Ebisu Circuit in Fukushima. No license or experience needed.
- Group size: Up to 3 passengers per car.
- Price: about ¥50,000 per car on the official booking page [VERIFY]. Split three ways, roughly ¥16,700 each. Passenger insurance (¥500 per person) is not included.
- Minimum height: 140 cm.
- Getting there from Tokyo: about 3 to 3.5 hours each way by public transport.
- Booking: the official page takes bookings in English, but staff English is limited, so keep messages simple.
What you actually get
The Drift Taxi runs on the circuit's courses with a professional driver. Start times on the official page are 9:00, 11:00 and 14:00, and it runs every day except Wednesday [VERIFY]. A helmet is provided. The price covers tires, fuel and the driver's time.
How to get there from Tokyo by public transport
- Tokyo Station → Koriyama Station on the Tohoku Shinkansen (about 1h 20m).
- Koriyama → Nihonmatsu Station on the JR Tohoku Line (about 20 min).
- Nihonmatsu Station → the circuit: taxi (about 20 min), or a Fukushima Kotsu bus. Sources disagree on the stop name and ride time (about 15 to 28 min) [VERIFY with the circuit before relying on the bus].
Total: about 3 to 3.5 hours each way. Tokyo–Koriyama is roughly ¥6,000–9,000 one way [VERIFY]. The official page also sells a taxi shuttle from Fukushima Station: ¥18,350 for 1–3 people, ¥27,650 for 4–8 [VERIFY].
Rough cost for a day trip
| Group | Drift Taxi (per person) | Shinkansen round trip (per person, approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 person | ¥50,000 | ¥12,000–18,000 |
| 2 people | ¥25,000 | ¥12,000–18,000 |
| 3 people | ¥16,700 | ¥12,000–18,000 |
Add insurance (¥500 each), local taxi and food. Estimates only [VERIFY].
Cancellation
On the official page: free until 17:00 five days before, 50% until 17:00 two days before, 100% after that [VERIFY]. Trains are cheap to rebook; the ride is not, so check the weather.
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. The listing says you "try" donut turns, figure-eights and spins, which suggests you drive, but it never says so outright. Ask the operator before booking if you want to ride as a passenger instead. Cancellation is free up to 24 hours before (as listed on 21 October 2026).
- [LINK-GYG] Ebisu Circuit drift tours from Tokyo
- Viator: Ebisu Circuit Drift Experience (private, from Tokyo)
A warning about "Tokyo drift" tours
Not every tour with "drift" in the name involves drifting. Some are car-meet visits to Daikoku Parking Area where you ride in a tuned car but do not drift. Look for closed circuit and passenger ride with a professional driver in the listing.
What to wear
Long sleeves, long trousers, closed shoes. Helmets are provided [VERIFY on the official page].
Book the official Drift Taxi
Fukushima Travel: Drift Taxi Experience
Sources: Fukushima Travel (booking page, Ebisu Circuit guide), JNTO, Rome2rio.