Despite the American perspective of Japan as a technologically forward-thinking nation, new types of motorized vehicles have been heavily restricted in the land of the Motocompacto. This time, electric suitcases are the vehicles in question. Luggage doubling as motorized scooters have become popular in the region and tourists have been bringing them to Japan and breaking the law.
In Japan, electric suitcases are classified as motorized bicycles, as if they were mopeds. The law requires people riding electric suitcases to have a driver’s license and wear a helmet, according to the Guardian. Now, I don’t think a typical tourist is going to get an international permit and put on a helmet just to pudder around an airport terminal or a downtown sidewalk.
Observers point toward a recent surge in tourism for causing the increased presence of electric suitcases in Japan, the Independent reports. Over one million more people traveled to the country over the first six months of 2023, compared to the first six months of 2019.
Kansai International Airport in Osaka advised travelers not to ride motorized suitcases on its premises. However, the law isn’t being enforced with a light touch. A Chinese woman studying abroad in Japan was referred to prosecutors for riding an electric suitcase on an Osaka sidewalk in late March. It’s not clear whether this clampdown will continue or change how self-propelled luggage is regulated.
Japan changed its laws to adapt to changing times before. The country removed a similar restriction for electric scooters in 2023. However, the reclassification did lead to a 400-percent increase in traffic violations by e-scooter riders. I guess you couldn’t commit a traffic violation if you couldn’t be out on the road at all.