Answer - Get answers
Can you ride a drift taxi in Japan without a licence?
Depends
Yes, a passenger needs no licence. Ebisu in winter is unconfirmed: check first. Rusutsu offers snow drift rides.
Short answer
Yes on the licence: a passenger needs none, because a pro driver drives. The Ebisu booking page lists only a 140 cm minimum height. The ride costs $325 (¥50,000) per car for up to three riders.
Winter is the open question. 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. Whether it runs from December 2026 to March 2027 is unclear right now, so get a written yes before you pay and treat an open calendar slot as a hint, not a promise.
Why is winter unclear?
Three Ebisu sources disagree. The circuit’s own drift taxi page carries a notice that the taxi pauses from about 20 December to about 31 March, written for the 2023-24 winter and not updated since January 2025. A Fukushima tourism article says the taxi runs April to November. The booking page shows dates to 31 December 2027 and no winter note.
What to do instead
Check first:
- Open the availability calendar on the Fukushima prefecture booking page and look at your dates.
- Email or phone the tour desk and ask for written confirmation of your date.
- Pay after you have the reply.
Price, booking and cancellation are in the Ebisu drift taxi guide. For snow, Rusutsu Resort in Hokkaido sells drift ride-alongs for the 2026-27 season, mid-December 2026 to late February 2027 (dates may change). A 4-minute ride costs $110 (¥17,000) each for 1 or 2 people, $90 (¥14,000) for 3 to 5, $71 (¥11,000) for 6 or more, and $175 (¥27,000) in a GT-R or GR Yaris. Book by 17:00 the day before. Want to drive instead? See the drift lesson answer.
Conditions
- Ebisu taxi: $325 (¥50,000) per car, plus $3 (¥500) insurance each. Three riders pay about $110 (¥16,700) each before insurance.
- 45 minutes, up to 3 riders, 140 cm minimum height (Rusutsu: 140 cm too).
- Helmet and seatbelt are mandatory. Heart conditions: ask your doctor first.
- Cancellation is free until 17:00 five days before, 50% until 17:00 two days before, then 100%.
- Dollar figures use about ¥155 to US$1 and are rounded; you pay in yen, so check the rate.
To verify Ebisu from December to March, and Rusutsu dates and prices on its snow driving page.
Before you book Email the tour desk before you buy a train ticket.
Quick answers
Do I need a driver's licence to ride in a drift taxi?
No. A pro driver drives. The Ebisu booking page lists a 140 cm minimum height and up to 3 riders per car, and no passenger licence.
How do I find out if the Ebisu drift taxi runs in winter?
Look at the booking page calendar, then ask the tour desk (email on the booking page, or 024-525-4024, 9:00 to 17:00) for a written yes. An open calendar slot alone proves little.