Japanology Plus - Season 9 - Eps 13: Keitora: Tiny Trucks
40% of the motor vehicles in Japan are ultra-compact "kei" cars. These light vehicles are maneuverable, practical and cost-efficient. Tiny "kei" pickup trucks, known as "keitora," are especially common in rural Japan. They're perfect for narrow unpaved countryside roads. Our guest, motoring journalist Maruyama Makoto, shows us how "keitora" usage is diversifying in modern Japan. And in Plus One, Vinay Murthy makes a dry landscape garden on the back of a tiny truck.
About Japanology Plus

Title: Japanology Plus
First Air Date: 2014-04-03
Last Air Date: 2025-05-22
Status: Returning Series
Rating: 6.4/10 (from 5 votes)
Language: EN
Seasons: 13
Total Episodes: 335
Network: NHK WORLD-JAPAN
Genres: Documentary, Talk
Production Companies: NHK, NHK Educational
Synopsis
Host Peter Barakan delves into various aspects of Japanese culture; exploring practices, history, and modern innovations in such areas as ramen, rice, sushi, geisha, bonsai, and so much more. Local experts discuss their passions at fascinating length, and American Japanophile Matt Alt experiences the food, practices, and cultures in each episode in depth. Viewers will finish each half hour episode with a new understanding of an area of Japanese life through demonstrative videos and explanations, all delivered respectfully and true to the Japanese way of life.
Cast

Peter Barakan
Self - Host