Get Your Motor Runnin’: The Hiroshima Toyopet Mobility Park

Jan 27, 2022

Get Your Motor Runnin’: The Hiroshima Toyopet Mobility Park

As a leader in exporting cars and vehicles worldwide, Japan is obsessed with cars of all shapes and sizes down to the humble go-kart. Whether you are a small child or an Italian plumber with a glorious mustache, go-karts are a fun way to spend the day. Well, the Hiroshima Toyopet Mobility Park is a great way to combine the fun of go-karts with an opportunity to teach your children about traffic safety.

What Kind of Place is This?

Originally called “Oshiba Koen Kotsu Rando” (Oshiba Park Traffic Land), this park is a place for parents and children to learn about the fundamentals of traffic safety together through the intense fun of go-karts.

How Can I Get There? How Much Does it Cost?

The park has 24 parking spaces for cars but can also be reached by a brief walk from the Oshibacho city bus stop or the Omiya city bus stop.

As for the cost, the park itself is free. Go-karts are ￥100 for a single driver and ￥200 to use a cart that can fit a driver and a passenger.

What is the Purpose of This Park?

Hiroshima city operates this park as a way for children to learn the vitals of traffic safety, an especially critical lesson for the public elementary school children who must walk to school together in a group. By letting children roleplay being both pedestrians and drivers, the city uses this park as a fun way to raise awareness on both sides. Plus, go-karts!

Is This a Go-Kart Track?

This is not a go-kart course in a traditional sense, and nary a tortoiseshell may be thrown at other drivers while operating a go-kart. Dotting the course are familiar Japanese road signs, and drivers can expect to go along a road with curves, tunnels, and hills. As the go-karts reach the speed of a bicycle, this is the perfect “baby’s first” course for people with very small children. Please also remember that you are expected to follow the traffic signals.

Who is Allowed to Drive?

Children in elementary grade 3 or higher and are taller than 120 cm can drive by themselves, but an adult must accompany smaller children in the driver’s seat.

What if All That Driving Makes Me Hungry?

While the park itself does not have any restaurants or stand food, visitors can bring in their own food, making this an excellent place for families with small children to spend the day having a picnic.

Is There Anything Other Than Go-Karts?

Yes! In addition to the go-karts, the park features playgrounds, swings, and a sandpit. Should your child end up not enjoying the go-karts, there is still a lot of fun to be had running, jumping, and climbing. The park features other sorts of markings popular with the smaller ones, such as railroad crossings.

Traffic safety can be both education and fun! If you find yourself at the Hiroshima Toyopet Mobility Park and have a great time, let us know how you spent your day in the comments!

Hiroshima Toyopet Mobility Park (formerly the Oshiba Park Traffic Land)

• Address: 1-50 Oshibakoen, Nishi-ku, Hiroshima-shi
• Opening Times: 9:00 until 17:00 every day*  *Please note the park itself is closed between 12/29 and 1/3, and the go-karts are not available on Mondays.
• http://www.midoriikimono.jp/transport_top.html
• Phone:  082-230-0260

Image: http://www.midoriikimono.jp