7 Jul /14

Rickshaw

The word Rickshaw was first used in 1879 in H. Atkinson’s book, “Revised and Enlarged Edition of Exercises in the Yokohama Dialect” which provides a satirical reference of the Japanese language. It originates from the Japanese word jin-riki-sha made up of the three characters 人力車 (person, power, vehicle).

During the Tokugawa period (1603-1868), wheeled vehicles were banned and this forced travelers to pass through various barriers on foot where they faced inspection – a strategy mainly to protect rulers against the quick movement of attacking military forces. This ban was lifted at the start of the Meiji period (1868-1912) and so the jinrikisha, or rickshaw, was born.

They quickly became a popular mode of transport across Asia being adopted firstly in China, then in Singapore and also India. Despite the convenience for the passenger, rickshaw “runners” had to push themselves to the edge of physical endurance travelling distances of between twenty to thirty miles a day and in 1882 the San Francisco Chronicle wrote about a shirtless rickshaw runner racing like a deer through the streets. It was grueling work and although it presented an employment opportunity for the poor, many runners turned to opium to cope with the physical and mental strain.

After World War II, the use of man powered rickshaws declined with the world turning to automated forms of transport instead. Today, cycle rickshaws can be seen throughout the world and are a popular choice for tourists, although in places such as Shanghai, China, motorized rickshaws are still a convenient and cheap way to get to the supermarket.

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