Rickshaws and Bicycles in Japan

There are still debates regarding who invented the rickshaw, but it is known that the first rickshaws appeared in Japan around 1868, at the beginning of the Meiji Restoration. After a few years the rickshaws completely replaced the palanquins, becoming the main transportation mode in Japan - it is estimated that by 1872 over 40000 rickshaws were operating in Tokyo...

But a competing transportation method appeared soon - around the same time, the foreigners brought to Japan the first bicycles and tricycles. The bicycle proved to be a hit, so in 1892 the first "made in Japan" modern bicycle appeared at the Miyata Gun Factory. The factory was owned by a gunsmith, Eisuke Miyata, who wanted to use his knowledge for a new, fast growing business - the steel tubes used to build bicycles were produced with the same technology used to build guns...

Today, the competition between these two transportation methods is long gone and the rickshaws are just for atmosphere... but I love when I see them still "competing" with the bicycles, at least in the tourist areas, like in this photo from Asakusa...