Japan DJ joins Tokyo’s growing community of female rickshaw drivers, improves speaking skills

A Japanese woman who became a rickshaw driver in Tokyo to improve her speaking skills has ended up falling in love with the job while realising her dream of becoming a radio DJ.

Arisa Sekimori, 29, has been a rickshaw driver in the city’s Asakusa old town for eight years.

She is a pioneer among the growing number of women rickshaw drivers in the area and recently became her company’s first female manager.

Sekimori also has another job. She drives a rickshaw four days a week and works the rest as a radio DJ, with no days off.

Arisa Sekimori, standing between the rickshaw handles, poses happily with some of her customers. Photo: IG@arisa _sekimori

She said she has a passion for both jobs, even though initially she became a rickshaw driver only to chase her dream of becoming a news announcer.