I Had 48 hours to Master Rickshaw Pulling in Yufuin
Hello, I’m your host Hiro and I’m with these awesome rickshaw pullers in Yufuin Welcome to Explore Oita Japan [Explore Oita Japan] Yufuin is a hot-spring resort town located in Yufu City, Oita Prefecture The town is backed by the iconic volcano Mt. Yufu standing tall at 5193ft Yufuin is elegant all year around
But truly showcases its beauty during autum The town will also impress you with a wealth of premium food, souvenir shops, cafes and museums In Yufuin, you can try some unique rides to go around town such as EV mini buses, horse carriages or hand-pulled rickshaws
This hand-pulled rickshaw used to be a method of transportation in the 19th century which has almost vanished from the world Probably only in Japan you could still try them I’m going to meet Mr. Nakamura the leader of the rickshaw group in Yufuin
Not only will I be able to see the work I’m going to practice and at the end, I’ll have a test Exciting, isn’t it? Let’s go! Nice to meet you I’m Hiro a host of Explore Oita Japan – Thank you for your time for this – Thank you
I’m going to teach you the basics of rickshaws and how to operate them – I mean, how to handle them – OK First, we open the cover to make it easier for guests to get in OK And then place the blanket on your shoulder – Please – Thank you – Let me fasten the seat belt – OK Here. Wrap it around your upper body to keep warm – Now, we’re ready to go – Ready to go? Wow Guests might get a bit scared when you lift the cart
So look straight at them while lifting it up slowly Because we don’t have mirrors please be sure to visually inspect and confirm the direction of travel before moving Honestly, you don’t need to pull too hard – Can I run at full speed? – Sure. Now, he’s going to run at full power – This is 20%? – Goodbye! Are you running at about 80% power now? It’s almost at full speed The Soto sect, Kozenin Temple – This is Unagihime Shrine – Right The deity enshrined in this shrine is the goddess called Unagihime Because she was a deity Over 1000 years ago, she led this town as a deity When joining this kind of tour you’ll be able to hear amazing stories about these beautiful places
This hill is going to be a heartbreaker Fireflies fly around along the river in this town At nights in May the landscape with no street lights and guardrails makes fireflies look even more beautiful This is the most intense part – Oh, phew… – Oh, no… And it’s long as well
He’s using his waist, his hip The atmosphere of these narrow paths that you’re seeing right now is exactly what Yufu City aims to preserve Now this is going to be a little bit of stamina training Mr. Nakamura is behind me to help and give me advice on how to pull a rickshaw
Firstly, I have to look right and left Safety first I’ll start now – Great – Let’s go Watch out. I need to make a brief stop here as there is an approaching car Lower the steering bar slightly to make it easier – Like this? – Exactly Oh, yes Look left and right
Oh my gosh! Great. It’s powerful I’m pulling around 25% About 25% You’re doing great Be mindful here This slope is quite steep Hup! Lower the steering bar and push it up Yes, like that And that’s how you do it Well, this is a really tough job but honestly, it’s a nice experience
And the view is amazing as well Unfasten the seat belt and do it like this – Thanks – Please watch your head – Thank you – Thank you What score would you give me on this? – 30 points – It was 30 points I’ve got only 30 points but you know what?
I did my best and I still have a couple more hours of training So I think I’ll get better and do excellent work What are you doing? I’m putting on the rickshaw uniform Today is the final day It’s going to be cold as well We have the traditional uniform
So it’s quite different from just wearing normal pants I like your socks Thank you It’s polka dot But I have to change these unfortunately I have to make it tight so that it doesn’t slip I’m wearing the whole uniform now I’m ready This is my final test Let’s go
The day has finally come – How are you? – Great, thank you It’s cold and raining today – Is it going to be fine? – No problem OK then, I will do my best – Are you comfortable? – Yes OK Now, it’s time to go How long does training usually last? – For about 2 weeks to 1 month – Of course The training encompasses not only cart-pulling skills but also a broader range of knowledge including guiding expertise and the skill of capturing beautiful photos Plus, there is physical fitness training included
While it’s only your second day, I’m genuinely impressed by how well you can handle pulling the cart – Really? – You can also do a rearview check A car is approaching Oh, this is hard It looked easier What we see right in front of us is Mt. Yufu It’s covered with clouds today though We’re going to stop here Mr. Nakamura once pursued a career in acting He came to love this rickshaw profession because he can have opportunities to entertain people He said the feeling is the same whether it’s a theater full of people or having two guests on your rickshaw I’m parking now Beep, beep OK Then, lower the bar The test has just finished Thank you for the past 2 days I’ll get right to it What is my score? In terms of pulling performance I’ll give you 75 points Yes! 75 points for pulling performance… How would you rate my performance as a guide?
Performance as a guide… – I’d say 60 points – Oh no! 60 points I was stumbling over my words but it’s okay But I really appreciate the amazing experience today – Good work – Thank you so much For the past 2 days in Yufuin I had a great time with Mr. Nakamura
And now I have a huge respect towards rickshaw tour guides Every time I come to Yufuin it’s always a different experience It’s definitely worth your time Thank you for watching Explore Oita Japan and see you next time [Explore Oita Japan]
*Subtitles are available in Japanese, English and Vietnamese. Please enjoy the video with subtitles on.
In this video, we’ll introduce the life of a rickshaw driver from Yufuin Town, one of Oita Prefecture’s leading hot spring regions.
【Contents】
0:12 Introduction to Yufuin
0:46 Introduction to Rickshaws
1:29 Rickshaw Riding Experience
4:04 Training Session
5:54 Test Day
EXPLORE OITA JAPAN【The Official YouTube Channel of Oita Prefecture】
~ Ultimate Guide for Onsen Capital Prefecture Oita ~
We will showcase Oita’s unique tourism attractions for your next trip to Japan.
Please subscribe to our channel!
https://www.youtube.com/@ExploreOitaJapan/featured
Yufuin Town is famous for its therapeutic hot springs. Surrounded by mountains centered on Mt. Yufu, visitors can soak in high-quality hot springs amongst nature free from the clamor of urban life, making it a popular getaway for a refreshing break. This time, our host was tasked with something a bit different from normalーthe role of becoming one of Yufuin’s iconic rickshaw drivers!
Rickshaws allow tourists to see hidden gems often not found in guidebooks or online under the guidance of a local expert. These dashing rickshaw drivers know the locality inside and out, and will take you around Yufuin Town with nimble maneuvering and friendly chatter. We met up with Mr. Nakamura, a veteran rickshaw driver from EBISUYA, a sightseeing rickshaw company with over 30 years of history, who acted as our trainer on the streets of Yufuin Town. First up, our host hopped in the rickshaw to experience the actual tour routes and guidance from the driver.
With Mt. Yufu in the background, they wove their way through secret spots scattered around the calming hot spring streets. The driver took our host to historical temples and shrines and through rural scenery unchanged since ancient times, spotting birds along the way.
Once the tour was over, it was time for our host to try steering the rickshaw for himself. Donning the traditional uniform, he began to pull. It was time to get excited!
After receiving a comprehensive full day’s worth of training, the time for the rickshaw test finally came! How will Mr. Nakamura rate our host’s efforts? Will he deem him worthy of a Yufuin rickshaw driver?
See the conclusion by watching the video! And please come and experience the charms of Yufuin Town featured in the video too!
*Special permission was granted for the rickshaw experience in this video.
——-
Yufuin Hot Springs Tourism Association Official Website▶︎https://www.yufuin.gr.jp
EBISUYA Rickshaw JAPAN▶︎https://www.ebisuya.com/en/
大分県観光情報公式サイト / Discover Oita▶︎https://bit.ly/37fTNKx
テッパンおおいた / Teppan Oita▶︎https://bit.ly/2T4LtoU
Explore Oita▶︎https://bit.ly/2HjcFNJ
Weibo 日本大分县旅游局▶https://bit.ly/34XtXJB
大分縣觀光資訊官方網站▶https://bit.ly/2TmDELr
오이타현 관광정보 공식사이트▶https://bit.ly/357H0ag
Tourismoita Instagram▶︎https://bit.ly/347b6vg
Tourism OITA Facebook▶︎https://bit.ly/37hEn8w
#Japan #Kyushu #Oita #ExploreOitaJapan #Tourism #Travel #Experience #Activities #Food #HistoryCulture #Accommodation #Rickshaw #Yufuin