A 28-year-old Japanese man was arrested on Wednesday on suspicion of attempted arson after he tried to set fire to the property of a go-karting company, causing damage to three vehicles. The suspect, Yuga Matsuoka, admitted to the crime, saying that the noise of the engines “stressed” him out. He allegedly set fire to a container used for industrial waste on the premises. The flames then spread to three parked go-karts.
The incident occurred in the early hours of June 21. Matsuoka had reportedly just finished his shift, working in the warehouse next door. Fortunately, nobody was inside the building at the time. A security guard patrolling the area called the emergency services after he noticed the fire. It was quickly extinguished. As well as the damage to the go-karts, nearby walls were also burned.
Note Sent to Go-Karting Company a Month Before Arson Attack
According to NHK, the company, which owns around 70 go-karts, received a letter in English in May from someone threatening to “set karts aflame if engines are turned on after tomorrow.” The note was placed on top of one of the parked vehicles. Police are now investigating whether the letter is linked to the arson attack.
Street karting tours first appeared in Tokyo around 2011 and quickly became popular with tourists looking for a unique way to see the city. The first company, MariCar, was officially founded in 2015. Two years later, Nintendo filed a lawsuit for intellectual property infringement against MariCar, which lent character costumes such as Mario, Peach and Luigi to its customers. It was forced to pay ¥50 million in damages.
A Hit With Tourists, a Menace to Locals
The firm ceased using Nintendo-themed costumes and rebranded as Street Kart. Today, there are several go-karting companies offering tours in Tokyo. Though a big hit with tourists, they are generally unpopular with locals in the city due to several significant concerns. These include safety issues, disruption to traffic and noise disturbances. Between January and August last year, there were seven personal injury accidents and 18 property damage accidents involving go-karts. Last October, a company was charged by the police for renting out karts to unlicensed foreign tourists and letting them drive on public roads.
