Akina Suzuki, 19, is one of a handful of women who have chosen to pull rickshaws in Tokyo, attracted to the male-dominated profession through social media, which in turn has given some of these female pullers a strong local and international following.
Puller Akina Suzuki, 19, drives a rickshaw around Asakusa district in Tokyo, Japan, June 18, 2023.Reporting and writing by Mariko KatsumuraRickshaw puller Yuka Akimoto breathlessly dashes down the streets of Tokyo under a scorching summer sun, two French tourists enjoying the sights from the back of her black, two-wheeled cart.
“I don’t deny it was extremely hard at the beginning,” she said, as the rickshaw can weigh up to 250 kg . “I’m not athletic and the cart felt so heavy.” Akimoto joined Tokyo Rickshaw two years ago after the pandemic dashed her plans to start a job at Tokyo Disneyland. The company, which mainly operates in the Asakusa tourist area, says about a third of their 90 pullers are now women, and they are seeking more female recruits.
In addition to being physically strong, rickshaw pullers must have extensive knowledge of Tokyo and know how to engage the tourists who mostly hire them for sightseeing. The most popular drivers make over 1 million yen a month, three times the national average, Tokyo Rickshaw said, adding that less than 10 percent of all applicants get offered a job.
Veteran puller Shiori Yano, 29, with nine years of experience, juggles the demands of the job and her family. Tokyo Rickshaw’s Nishio said sometimes he gets complaints that women should not be doing such physically demanding work. Female pullers also occasionally face sexual harassment or have their knowledge challenged by male customers, he added.
Misato Otoshi drives a rickshaw around Asakusa district in Tokyo, Japan, June 21, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato Shori Yoshida , 28, helps Riho Arai get ready for work, at the office in the Asakusa district, Tokyo, Japan, June 18, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato Rickshaw puller Aika Terayama, 20, drives a rickshaw around Asakusa district in Tokyo, Japan, June 18, 2023. REUTERS/Issei Kato
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