Jinrikisha

From around the mid-19th century the jinrikisha was developed and utilized in Japan for over 100 years. At its peak, about 200,000 were in use. Afterwards they were exported to other Asian countries. At present the vehicles are making a comeback as a means of getting around in Kyoto, Kamakura, Asakusa and other tourist sites around Japan, where the jinrikisha pullers also serve as guides. Recently models assisted by electric motors have been developed, but these strike me as really absurd.