Many of the traditional tourist areas in Japan can be visited using a mode of transportation from the Meiji period - the rickshaw. The word rickshaw, which is used today all over the world, comes from the Japanese words jin riki sha 「人力車」 meaning “human power vehicle".
The first rickshaw appeared in Japan at the beginning of the Meiji Restoration, around 1868, when the old palanquins were replaced. Traveling by rickshaw was faster than by palanquin and, amazingly, it was also a lot cheaper than horse-drawn vehicles…
The rickshaw business survived until today, but just for entertainment. The today’s Japanese rickshaw drivers are good entertainers, experienced tour guides, they tell jokes and take photos… and manage to always keep a smile on their customers face… like you see in this photo taken in Kamakura:
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Yesterday’s Japan Photo:Tokyo Sky Tree’s mascot, Sorakara-chan |
