ITOSHIMA, Fukuoka -- A group of Kyushu University students has started renting tuk-tuks -- three-wheel motor vehicles widely used in Southeast Asia -- in a bid to promote tourism in Itoshima, Fukuoka Prefecture.
"We want visitors to fully experience Itoshima's nature with all their senses by using the vehicle, which allows for a feeling of openness," one of the students said.
The idea for the venture arose in 2011 when the university's student organization, iTOP, and the Itoshima municipal government invited university students nationwide to participate in a regional vitalization planning contest.
First prize was awarded to a team of Kyushu University students for their proposal to promote tourism in Itoshima using tuk-tuks, prompting iTOP to launch a new business based on the concept.
The student group initially envisioned students driving the tuk-tuks for a fee. To do so, however, the students would need to obtain a class 2 driver's license needed to operate taxis and other commercial passenger vehicles. The plan was shelved due to this requirement.
Though some members left while new members joined, some of the students remained committed to the idea and invested their own money, purchasing a second-hand vehicle for 700,000 yen in 2015.
After studying car rental businesses in other prefectures, they said that they decided to launch their own enterprise using tuk-tuks.
They established their own limited liability company, Itoshima no Tuk-tuk, this year with Shunya Iwanami, 22, as its representative employee. Iwanami, a member of iTOP, is a first year student at Kyushu University's Graduate School of Engineering.
The firm obtained a business license from the Kyushu District Transport Bureau's Fukuoka transport branch office, with 10 members comprising its management.
Itoshima has many popular sightseeing spots such as beaches and mountains, but it is difficult for tourists to move from place to place without a car.
The business started in late September and eight groups have rented tuk-tuks thus far. The students have received favorable comments from customers, with some saying they could feel the wind across their bodies as tuk-tuks do not have windows and doors.
"Users can experience exhilaration and will also come away with great memories of getting around," Iwanami said. "I want Itoshima to become a tourist attraction and prosper more."
The tuk-tuks can carry four people including the driver. Users must hold an ordinary driver's license, including licenses limited to automatic transmission cars.
The rental fee is 4,860 yen (about 43 dollars) for three hours and 8,640 yen for six hours, including tax and insurance. Vehicle reservations are required in advance. Rentals are mainly offered on Saturdays and Sundays at a venue near JR Chikuzenmaebaru Station on the JR Chikuhi Line.
The service is not offered during the cold season beginning in November and is scheduled to resume next spring.
For inquiries and reservations, visit https://tuktukitoshima.wixsite.com/tuktuk
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