Breaking News English

Japan cracks down on electric rideable suitcases

Rideable Suitcases - Level 0

Rideable suitcases are causing problems in Japan. They have a top speed of 13 kph. People are riding them around airports and train stations. Japan says the suitcases are motorized vehicles. This means riders need a helmet, a driver's license, and insurance. The suitcases must have a mirror and indicator lights.

Rideable suitcases are now popular with celebrities. K-pop stars have posted online videos of themselves riding their luggage. Companies have rules for the suitcases. British Airways said they must have removable batteries. A transport expert said strange new types of transport will continue to come out.

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Rideable Suitcases - Level 1

New suitcases are causing problems in Japan. They are rideable. Travellers can sit on them. They have a top speed of 13 kph. People are riding them around airports and train stations. However, Japan's laws class the luggage as a motorized vehicle. This means the rider needs a helmet, a driver's license, and insurance. The suitcases must have a rear-view mirror and indicator lights. Japanese airports have asked tourists to pull the suitcases and not ride them.

Electric luggage has been around since 2016. Rideable suitcases are now popular with celebrities. K-pop stars Blackpink have posted online videos of themselves riding their luggage. Companies have rules for the suitcases. British Airways will allow them on airplanes if the batteries can be removed. A transport expert said: "Unexpected new forms of transport will continue to emerge." He added that we will need more new laws.

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Rideable Suitcases - Level 2

Slowest

The latest advance in suitcases is causing problems in Japan. It is a rideable suitcase that travellers can sit on. They have a speed of up to 13 kph. The speedy luggage is growing in popularity. People are riding their suitcases around airports, train stations and streets. However, the luggage is classed as a motorized vehicle in Japanese law. This means the rider needs a helmet, a driver's license, and insurance. The suitcases must be registered, and have a rear-view mirror and indicator lights. Japanese airports have asked tourists to pull rather than ride the suitcases.

Electric luggage has been around since 2016. One company that made them had a slogan. It was "the carry-on that carries you". The rideable suitcases are now popular with celebrities. K-pop stars Blackpink and singer Katie Perry have posted online videos of themselves riding their luggage. Companies also have rules for this new way of getting around. British Airways will only allow them on airplanes if the batteries can be removed. A transport expert said: "Unexpected new forms of transport will continue to emerge." He added that new laws will always be needed.

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

11 online activities    |    8-page printable   (PDF)

Rideable Suitcases - Level 3

The latest advance in suitcase technology is causing problems in Japan. Many suitcases are now rideable. Travellers can sit on them, and travel at a speed of up to 13 kph. The motorized luggage is becoming increasingly popular. However, it is becoming a nuisance in some parts of Japan. More and more people there are riding their suitcases around airports, train stations and Tokyo streets. The problem is that the mobile luggage is classed as a motorized vehicle under Japanese law. This means they can be ridden on roads only. The rider needs a helmet, a driver's license, and insurance. Laws require the suitcases to be registered, and have a rear-view mirror and indicator lights. Airports in Osaka and Nagoya have asked tourists to pull rather than ride the suitcases.

Electric luggage has been around since 2016. Back then, a company called Modobag produced them. The company's slogan was "the carry-on that carries you". In the past year, the rideable luggage has become popular with celebrities. K-pop stars Blackpink, singer Katie Perry, and media personality Paris Hilton have all posted online videos of themselves riding their suitcases. Companies are also trying to make rules for the new way of getting around. British Airways will only allow them on airplanes if the lithium batteries can be removed because the batteries are a fire risk. Kyodo News spoke to transport expert Dr Takeru Shibayama. He said: "Unexpected new forms of transport will continue to emerge." He added that new laws will always be needed.

SPEED READING

Speed 1    |     Speed 2    |     Speed 3

MORE

25 online activities    |    27-page printable    |    2-page mini-lesson