Guide · Drift
Ebisu Circuit drift taxi: price, height rule and how to book
A pro driver slides you around the circuit: $325 (¥50,000) per car, up to 3 riders, from 140 cm. Winter 2026-27 availability is unconfirmed.
The Ebisu drift taxi costs $325 (¥50,000) per car, not per person, takes up to three riders and has a minimum height of 140 cm. A professional driver drives, so riders need no licence. Book through the Fukushima prefecture booking site, and get a written yes before you plan a December to March date: winter 2026-27 availability is unclear right now.
This guide covers price, rider rules, booking, cancellation, language, travel and the winter question for Ebisu Circuit in Nihonmatsu, Fukushima. It sits under the Drift hub. The licence question for every drift ride is answered in Can you ride a drift taxi in Japan without a licence?
Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.
What does the Ebisu drift taxi cost?
The price is $325 (¥50,000) per car, with no per-person fee. Insurance is $3 (¥500) per person on top. Splitting the car changes the cost per rider.
| Riders | Car share | With insurance |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $325 (¥50,000) | $325 (¥50,500) |
| 2 | $160 (¥25,000) | $165 (¥25,500) |
| 3 | $110 (¥16,700) | $110 (¥17,200) |
The per-person columns are our sums from the car price. The booking page also sells an optional shuttle from Fukushima Station to the circuit: $120 (¥18,350) for 1 to 3 people and $180 (¥27,650) for 4 to 8, per booking. Train fares are not in our sources.
Who can ride, and what are the rules?
Anyone at least 140 cm tall can ride, and no licence is needed.
- Passengers need no driving licence. The listing names Team Orange D1 drivers as the drivers.
- The minimum height is 140 cm. The page states no minimum age.
- A car takes up to three riders. For groups of four or more, the notes describe rotating through the car or taking a second one.
- Helmet and seatbelt are mandatory.
- With a heart condition, ask your doctor first.
How long is the ride, and on which days?
The booking page lists 45 minutes. Its schedule has you at the East Course Office at 9:00, a briefing from 9:00 to 9:15, and a finish at about 10:00.
The taxi runs Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Wednesday is not offered, which matches the circuit’s Wednesday closure.
How do you book?
Book online, then confirm your date with the tour desk.
- Open the taxi’s page on the Fukushima prefecture booking site. It has an English version.
- Choose a date in the availability calendar. Each date is either instant-confirm or request-only.
- Phone or email the tour desk to confirm your date: 024-525-4024 (+81 24 525 4024 from abroad), 9:00 to 17:00. The email address is on the booking page.
- Arrive at the East Course Office at the start time.
The booking page states no lead time. An older circuit page asked for reservations at least one month ahead, so book early.
What is the cancellation policy?
Cancellation is free until 17:00 five days before your ride, then the fee rises.
| Cancel | Fee |
|---|---|
| Five days out | Free until 17:00 |
| Two days out | 50% until 17:00 |
| Later | 100% |
The booking page has no weather policy. Ask the tour desk what happens if snow or rain stops the ride.
How much English is spoken?
The listing says the experience is conducted in English with limited proficiency. Settle the date, the meeting point and your group size by email beforehand.
How do you get to Ebisu Circuit?
By train, the Shinkansen from Tokyo to Koriyama takes about 75 to 81 minutes. The JR Tohoku Line to Nihonmatsu adds about 20 to 25 minutes. From there a Fukushima Kotsu bus to Safari Park-mae takes about 28 minutes, or a taxi about 20 minutes. No bus timetable or fare is published in the sources used.
By car, it is about 275 km and 3.5 hours from Tokyo Station on the Tohoku Expressway, with tolls, and 15 minutes from Nihonmatsu interchange. Set navigation to Tohoku Safari Park. Driving yourself needs a paper 1949 IDP: see Can you rent a car in Japan in winter with an international licence?
Tokyo to Nihonmatsu takes about 2.5 to 3 hours each way, our estimate. With a 9:00 arrival, plan a night near Koriyama, Nihonmatsu or Dake Onsen.
Does the drift taxi run in winter 2026-27?
Unclear right now, and this page promises no ride. The sources point different ways.
| Source | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Booking page | Dates to 31 December 2027, no winter note |
| Circuit notice | Taxi paused about 20 December to about 31 March, written for the 2023-24 winter |
| Circuit 2025 notice | Taxi temporarily closed for 2025 |
| Circuit home page | Winter hours 9:00 to 16:30, closed Wednesdays |
The circuit’s taxi page is the 2024 edition and has not been updated since January 2025. Last known (2025-26): the operator’s booking page said the taxi could not be booked in the snow months, with reservations reopening around February or March for April.
To check your dates:
- Open the booking calendar and look for December to March 2027 dates. Note whether they are instant-confirm or request-only. An open slot alone proves little.
- Email or phone the tour desk and ask for a written yes for your exact date and start time.
The circuit also posts a monthly course calendar on its site, which is not a booking confirmation. The November 2026 calendar was posted on 22 October.
Before you book Pay, and buy train tickets or a hotel night, only after the tour desk’s written reply.
What else can you ride at Ebisu?
Sideways Hot Laps sells a passenger ride at the same circuit: $160 (¥25,000) per person for three laps, plus a $14 (¥2,200) gate fee that includes $3 (¥500) of insurance. It is booked through the same booking site. Passengers need no licence. Winter operation is unconfirmed.
If Ebisu is closed in winter, the snow option is Rusutsu snow drift in Hokkaido: rides from $71 (¥11,000) per person in groups of six or more, mid-December 2026 to late February 2027. To drive yourself, see Drift lessons in Japan for tourists.
Where next?
Return to the Drift hub for the history and the other rides.
Questions
$325 (¥50,000) per car, with no per-person fee, plus insurance of $3 (¥500) per person. Three riders pay about $110 (¥16,700) each before insurance, our sum.
No licence: a pro driver drives. The booking page sets a minimum height of 140 cm and states no minimum age. Up to 3 riders fit in one car.
Unclear right now. The booking page lists dates to 31 December 2027 with no winter note, while an older circuit notice (2023-24 winter) paused the taxi from about 20 December to about 31 March. Get a written yes from the tour desk before you pay.
Free until 17:00 five days before, 50% until 17:00 two days before, then 100%. The booking page states no weather policy, so ask the tour desk.
Yes, in English with limited proficiency, per the booking page. Settle date, meeting point and group size by email beforehand.