Rickshaw Pulling: Tokyo's Classic Tourist Experience
A traditional mode of transport in Tokyo that has now become a classic tourist attraction is reshaping itself to keep the industry alive following the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic saw global tourist numbers evaporate.
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00:00 [MUSIC PLAYING]
00:06 Dashing down the streets of Tokyo
00:08 to show the passengers the beauty of the city,
00:10 rickshaw pulling was invented in the 1860s in Japan
00:13 as a cheap form of transport.
00:16 Back then, the job was an easy entry into the Tokyo market
00:19 for men newly moved to the city.
00:21 [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
00:22 [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
00:31 But the industry was hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic.
00:35 [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
00:36 [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
00:37 [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
00:54 During the pandemic, rickshaw companies
00:56 still managed to do business with a simple goal,
00:59 to make their customers happy no matter how many they have.
01:03 This is when more women started taking up the two-wheeled carts.
01:06 [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
01:20 These new female pullers brought a new business.
01:23 Many passengers feel they are more approachable.
01:26 [SPEAKING JAPANESE]
01:51 They may have big smiles as they pull the carts,
01:54 but the job is not as easy as it looks.
01:58 A rickshaw can weigh up to 250 kilograms with passengers on it.
02:02 And for anyone, it is really hard to pull.
02:04 These rickshaw drivers need to go at least 10 kilometers each day
02:07 with passengers.
02:08 And during peak seasons, they need to go further.
02:11 They pull the sweat no matter the weather.
02:14 In the summer heat and during wintry rain and snow,
02:17 they work as long as it is safe to do so.
02:20 And sometimes, the passengers make their work even more
02:22 stressful.
02:23 A lot of foreigners, they come to ride.
02:26 And most of them, they have really good respect.
02:29 Sometimes, they think it's the rickshaw service.
02:35 It's a car that human pulls.
02:39 They think it's something else.
02:41 We're not a taxi.
02:44 We're not a horse.
02:45 We're not a car.
02:48 Today, there are hundreds of rickshaw pullers
02:50 pulling their passengers through Japan's streets.
02:53 Hopefully, the industry is as resilient as they are,
02:56 and tourists will be able to catch a ride
02:58 on these human-powered vehicles for years to come.
03:01 Kamoshi and Sanichi for TOWIN+.
03:04 [BLANK_AUDIO]