There are quite a lot of rental and personally owned electric kick scooters (e-scooters) in Tokyo.
Rentals are still acceptable, but awareness regarding personally owned ones is extremely lax, and I believe enforcement will be significantly strengthened, so please be careful.
They get confused with special-exception electric kick scooters, which is very troublesome.
You should be prepared for a court appearance and fines of tens of thousands of yen…
About Electric Kick Scooters (e-scooters) BY Police
What is a Special-Exception Electric Kick Scooter
Those that meet the standards for vehicle size and structure (such as maximum speed of 15 kilometers per hour or less), andare being rented out according to an approved new business activity plan,and are electric kick scooters operating on roads within the area specified in that planwhere the relevant new business activity is being conducted.*Basically, rentals.
Electric kick scooters are classified as “vehicles”
Electric kick scootersare classified as “vehicles” under the Road Traffic Actand are categorized into vehicle classifications based on the rated output of the electric motor.
Electric kick scooters witha rated motor output of 0.60 kilowatts or lessare classified asmotorized bicycles under the Road Traffic Act (Class 1 motorized bicycles under the Road Transport Vehicle Act).
If the rated output exceeds 0.60 kilowatts,they are classified asordinary motorcyclesor similar vehicles under the Road Traffic Act, depending on the output.
Therefore, the following are mandatory:
A driver’s license is required, you must use the roadway, and helmet use is mandatory, among other requirements
A driver’s licenseappropriate to the vehicle classification under the Road Traffic Act is required.
When using public roads, you must use the roadway (you cannot use the sidewalk), wear a helmet, and follow the traffic rules according to your vehicle classification.
(Unlicensed driving Penalty: Up to 3 years imprisonment or a fine of up to 500,000 yen)
It must be equipped with braking devices (brakes), front lights (headlights), and rear-view mirrors, among other equipment
Equipment appropriate to the vehicle classificationunder the Road Transport Vehicle Act is required.
The structure and equipment of braking devices, front lights, rear-view mirrors, and other components must comply with safety standards appropriate to the vehicle classification, orthe vehicle cannot be operated.(It cannot be operated on roads, including sidewalks and roadways.)
(Operating a vehicle in poor maintenance condition Penalty: Up to 3 months imprisonment or a fine of up to 50,000 yen)
You must have a compulsory automobile liability insurance (or mutual aid) contract
Under the Automobile Liability Security Act, a contract for automobile liability insurance or automobile liability mutual aid must be in place, or the vehicle cannot be operated.
(Operating without insurance Penalty: Up to 1 year imprisonment or a fine of up to 500,000 yen)
A license plate (registration plate) must be attached
A license plate (registration plate) appropriate to the vehicle classification under the Road Transport Vehicle Act must be attached.
These have become widespread in a rather ambiguous manner, and users end up suffering the consequences.
As for sales, if you buy online, you probably won’t even read these kinds of warnings.
It’s understandable that people think the general public’s usage patterns are normal.
Rather than it being a buyer’s problem, it’s inevitable that without proper sales practices and rules like licensing, it becomes a lawless zone.
A court appearance in Sumida takes a day, fines are tens of thousands of yen, and if you’re unlucky, you’ll have to pay for training and waste time—nothing but painful consequences remain.
Without a license in the first place, enforcement is difficult, and since drivers face low risk from fines and points, I think implementing at least a minimal licensing system would improve things to some extent, but what do you think?
