A new chapter on the streets of Asakusa
On the streets of Tokyo’s Asakusa, a familiar figure calls out to tourists while guiding a two wheeled cart past the red lantern of Kaminarimon. She is Arisa Sekimori, 29, a rickshaw driver who first took the job to practice speaking with strangers. Eight years later, she has become her company’s first female manager and she is also a working radio DJ. What began as a way to sharpen her voice has become a calling that keeps her moving between the studio mic and the rickshaw handle.
Four days a week, Sekimori pulls visitors through one of Tokyo’s oldest neighborhoods, pointing out the history of Sensoji Temple and the best side streets for sweets. On other days she hosts radio programs, a platform she chased after hundreds of job interviews with television stations. She keeps no days off, a schedule that she says is powered by passion for both roles and by the connection she feels with riders who entrust her with their time and stories.
Early in her search for a broadcast career, a job coach suggested a simple exercise: go out and talk to people. Rickshaw work delivered exactly that. At first, she struggled to attract customers and to keep them engaged. Guidance from her company’s president helped her see that commentary, humor, and local knowledge are as important as leg strength. Once she stopped reciting facts and started entertaining, she found her rhythm on the streets and behind the microphone.
Sekimori’s path comes as more women choose rickshaw work in Asakusa. Companies report a steady rise in female drivers and guides. One large operator, Tokyo Rickshaw, says women account for about a third of its runners. The company counted just four women in 2020 and nearly 30 women, including trainees, out of about 130 runners in 2024. Social media has played a strong role, as videos of training sessions, day in the life clips, and live streams have shown that the job values communication as much as muscle.
Who is Arisa Sekimori?
Sekimori is small in stature, about 155 centimeters tall, yet she has built a reputation for skill and care. She once carried a passenger who weighed about 150 kilograms without incident. Technique matters as much as strength, she says. Balance through the arms and back, careful footwork, and reading the road can make a fully loaded cart feel steady. Her family was skeptical at first, but their doubts eased as they saw how much she enjoyed the craft.
Asked how a smaller driver handles heavy loads, Sekimori explains the mechanics she learned on the job.
There is a point where the rickshaw becomes lighter when you pull up on the handle while maintaining balance. Once you get the hang of it, women have no problem pulling a rickshaw.
Her week is simple to describe and hard to live. She pulls rickshaws most of the week, then spends the rest at the radio station she chose because it welcomed her commitment to the streets. She also mentors new hires, drawing on years spent figuring out how to turn a short ride into a memorable tour.
From rejection to radio mic
Before the studio doors opened, Sekimori says she sat for more than one hundred interviews across Japan’s broadcast industry. She was not hired. The setback pushed her to build her own platform. As a rickshaw guide, she learned to project, to time a story to a corner or a view, and to match the energy of a crowd. Those live lessons on the street helped her shine when the chance to host on radio finally arrived.
Why more women are pulling rickshaws in Tokyo
As tourism returns, young women have stepped forward in Asakusa, finding the mix of athletic movement, public speaking, and personal branding compelling. Training is structured and demanding, with senior drivers teaching technique, safety, and the basics of customer care. The results show up every morning when teams stretch, polish carts, and set out to meet visitors from around the world.
Ryuta Nishio, president of Tokyo Rickshaw, says that early hires and social media helped shift perceptions and encouraged applicants who had never considered the job before.
The first girl who joined was cool. Since we posted videos of her on social media, many girls have followed suit and joined us. Going forward I want to create a place where women feel comfortable to work and play an active role.
For some recruits, the decision to try rickshaw work began online and turned into a career after months of training. College student Yumeka Sakurai watched the new wave unfold on her phone, then signed up and trained until she could drive solo.
I have watched many videos of women training hard and becoming rickshaw drivers themselves. They gave me the confidence that I could do it too if I tried hard.
Another driver, Yuka Akimoto, says the first weeks were grueling and the cart felt heavy. She stuck with it and found a pace she could sustain.
I do not deny it was extremely hard at the beginning. I am not athletic and the cart felt so heavy.
As more women post their routes, their favorite snack shops, and behind the scenes clips, they build loyal followings. Visitors now request specific drivers by name, which helps earnings and gives new recruits a path to steady work.
What the work demands
Pullers in Asakusa cover about 20 kilometers a day, often in heat or rain. A standard cart can weigh close to 90 kilograms empty, and with passengers the total mass can approach 200 to 250 kilograms. Success depends on posture, efficient steps, and knowing when to rest. Drivers wear split toed tabi shoes that provide grip on wet streets and help with balance while trotting or walking in traffic.
Training and technique
Companies run multilayer training that can take a few months to a year, depending on fitness and mastery. Trainees practice starts and stops, turns on narrow lanes, and emergency drills. They study routes, history, and etiquette so they can answer questions and stage photo moments at gates and bridges. Many speak at least basic English, and the best are natural hosts who can shift tone for families, couples, or solo travelers.
Pay and hours
Earnings vary with skill and bookings. The highest earning drivers can make more than 1 million yen a month (about 6,700 dollars) during peak seasons. Many companies pay on a commission based model. It is competitive to get hired, with some operators accepting fewer than one in ten applicants. Hours can be long on weekends and holidays, and runners plan hydration, stretching, and meals carefully to avoid injury.
Misato Otoshi, a senior puller and company public relations lead, says women bring their own strengths to the job, including an eye for food finds and friendly conversation that helps visitors relax.
Some customers say that female pullers are easier to talk to. Their knowledge of new sweets shops and local eateries adds a special touch to the experience.
Otoshi and other senior staff coach new recruits on both form and stagecraft, from projecting the voice to building a short narrative that makes an alley or temple feel alive.
Challenges on the streets
Women in the trade still encounter skepticism. A few customers question their strength or test their local knowledge. Occasional harassment happens, and managers say they step in quickly when staff report problems. Companies stress that standards are the same for everyone, and many women push to be evaluated solely on performance.
Asked about expectations for staff, Nishio says the company applies the same yardstick to every runner.
We treat both male and female pullers completely equally. The women say they want to be treated the same as the men, and in fact many of them are way tougher.
Veteran puller Shiori Yano, who returned to the job after having a child, describes both the appeal and the strain. She works full days and then hurries to pick up her daughter and make dinner.
This job looked flashy from the outside but I have had some hard times, including when I was rejected in favor of a male driver.
To support staff, teams often pair rookies with experienced runners for the first weeks, and some women now serve as trainers, a signal that the career path is opening up.
Tradition meets modern Asakusa
The word rickshaw comes from the Japanese term jinrikisha (human powered vehicle). After restrictions on wheeled transport were lifted in the late nineteenth century, the two wheeled cart spread quickly in cities. In twenty first century Tokyo the vehicle has a different role. It is part ride, part guided tour, and very much a stage for local storytellers.
Asakusa is the heart of this scene. Riders roll past shopfronts selling ningyo yaki cakes, cross the Sumida River on photogenic bridges, and pause under the lantern of Kaminarimon before the long approach to Sensoji Temple. Drivers take photos, share snack tips, and, when a rider requests it, sprint for a short stretch through the crowd.
For many new runners, the pull of this place is personal. They want to speak English with visitors, learn history, and test themselves in the streets.
Riho Arai, a young driver who debuted in Asakusa, says compliments from riders are the best fuel to keep going in the heat.
I wanted a job where I could use my English skills. People’s gratitude, like when they say, ‘I am so glad you were our guide’ is what keeps me motivated.
Training length varies. Some are ready in two months, others take most of a year. Either way, new drivers say the first day with real passengers, when the ride is smooth and the smiles are genuine, makes the effort worthwhile.
What it means for work culture in Japan
The growth of women in rickshaw work reflects shifts in how young people in Japan think about jobs, status, and schedules. For some, a street role that blends fitness, hospitality, and self promotion can be more appealing than a desk. Social media lowers barriers by letting applicants see the work up close and by giving them role models who look like them.
Tourism recovery has also expanded chances to speak languages and to build a direct relationship with customers. Companies that invest in training, safety, and inclusive management can attract talent that might have gone elsewhere. In that space, Sekimori stands out because she shows how skills learned with a cart can translate into confidence with a microphone.
Her two jobs share the same core. Both ask for voice control, timing, and empathy. Both require the patience to learn from mistakes and the grit to show up again the next morning. That is why her story is resonating well beyond one neighborhood.
At a Glance
- Arisa Sekimori, 29, splits her week between rickshaw tours in Asakusa and hosting radio shows
- She has worked on the streets for eight years and became her company’s first female manager
- She started rickshaw work to improve speaking skills after more than one hundred broadcast job interviews
- Women are a growing share of runners in Asakusa, rising from four in 2020 to nearly 30 out of about 130 in 2024 at one major operator
- Pullers cover about 20 kilometers per day and handle loads that can approach 200 to 250 kilograms
- Top earners can make more than 1 million yen per month (about 6,700 dollars), with a competitive hiring process
- Social media helps recruit and lets drivers build personal followings and repeat customers
- Women still face skepticism and occasional harassment, but companies say standards are equal and many women now train new staff
- Asakusa tours center on landmarks such as Kaminarimon and Sensoji, blending tradition with modern storytelling
