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Japan puts the brakes on electric suitcases amid tourism boom

Japan puts the brakes on electric suitcases amid tourism boom






This photo taken on July 3, 2024, shows a boy riding an electric suitcase down a street in Osaka’s Dotonbori district. (Kyodo)

TOKYO (Kyodo) — The growing popularity of portable suitcases with electric motors, designed to transport people quickly through airports and train stations, has alarmed Japanese authorities, amid a rise in incidents of foreign visitors using them illegally on public roads.

Japan currently considers electric suitcases, which are particularly popular in the rest of Asia, as motorized vehicles that can only be driven on the road with the required safety equipment and a driver’s license.

Two major Japanese airports have already asked travelers not to use them within their facilities. Meanwhile, police are urging domestic retailers to warn customers about strict laws regarding the use of taxis, fearing that foreign visitors are unfamiliar with the rules.

A Chinese woman became the first person to be brought before Japan’s public prosecutors in June for driving without a license after she was caught on a sidewalk in Osaka with a three-wheeled electric suitcase.

In early July, a young boy from Indonesia was seen riding an electric suitcase through crowds of pedestrians on a street in Osaka’s Dotonbori district, one of Japan’s busiest shopping areas. His family was shocked to learn that riding such devices on the road is illegal in Japan, but that they can be used anywhere in Indonesia.

An electric suitcase has a built-in battery and an electric motor and can travel about 10 kilometers per hour. Those sold in Japan cost about 100,000 yen ($640).

Under Japanese traffic law, the cases are classified as “motorized bicycles,” a category that includes mini-motorcycles with 50 cc or smaller engines. As such, they must be registered and equipped with a rear-view mirror and turn signals. Riders must also wear a helmet and carry liability insurance.

Tokyo’s Narita Airport reported that some people using terminal buildings complained of passengers whizzing past them on electric suitcases. Chubu Centrair International Airport in Aichi Prefecture and Kansai International Airport in Osaka are advising passengers not to wheel these suitcases into their buildings.

In recent years, advances in motor and battery technologies have led to the emergence of new mobility devices. Japan has seen a sharp increase in accidents involving electric scooters since a revision to the Traffic Law in July 2023 allowed their use without a license.

“There will continue to be unexpected new forms of transportation,” said Takeru Shibayama, a senior scientist at the Institute of Transport at the Vienna University of Technology.

Given the range of vehicles that fall under the motorized bicycle category in Japan, the country should discuss “whether to introduce a new classification” for electric bicycles, Shibayama added.