Kei cars

When I first arrived in Japan, I couldn't get over just how narrow the roads were. In the tighter spots, cars travelling one way have to pull into open clearings to let cars from the opposite direction through.

Unless you drive a buzz box -

- like this.


Gets you from A to B ...


... at a top speed of 50kph!


This one's the popular Suzuki Wagon

And this is the Nissan Pino

They're called kei cars, short for keijidousha - light vehicle - and can be identified by their yellow number plates. Manufacture of the kei cars started after WW2 - offered as cheaper alternatives to regular cars to help rebuild the economy - and are still as popular now.

Kei cars are manufactured to strict regulations: the length limit is 3.4 metres, width limit 1.8 metres and is restricted to a height of 2 metres. The maximum displacement is 660cc with a maximum power of 47kW. Vroom, Vroom. Maybe not.

Until next car lesson,
Monica