Japan’s low-tech rickshaws enjoy general patronage as much as its superfast bullet trains. The job of pulling the carriage though is more challenging as the runners must be strong. The rickshaw, at 90 kilos, is heavy in itself and the puller should be able to tow it with two passengers or up to 250 kilos.
Misato Otoshi, 31, is among the rickshaw runners in Tokyo’s Asakusa area. Otoshi chose the job after working as a TV personality, actor and teacher, passing the rigorous training with the rickshaw service Rise Up after two tries.
As one of the few female rickshaw pullers, the pretty Otoshi is a favorite of tourists, with some foreigners visiting Japan just to ride her carriage after viewing her YouTube channel and seeing her Instagram posts, Yomiuri reports.
Otoshi chose the job as it pays well. It costs 5,000 yen for two passengers on a 10-minute ride, according to Yomiuri. And if the passengers are impressed, they might pay more. A female university student made a million yen pulling a rickshaw as a sideline, Rise Up president Ryuta Nishio told Yomiuri.
Meanwhile, Charlie Cavey, 46, has been a busker for 25 years and has no plans of quitting his bread and butter.
The guitar musician’s unique performance on the streets of Cambridge, England keeps him popular, counting celebrities like Irish singer Sir Bob Geldof and pro boxer Tyson Fury among his fans. People also contract him for weddings, Metro reports.
The father of two starts performing after he is wheeled by two crew members to his spot along the street.
“They can hear me but can’t see me so they always stop and try to work out where I am. They’re always shocked when they discover I’m in a bin,” Cavey told Metro.
Cavey does the trick of performing from inside a dustbin by taking a yoga posture and passing the neck of his guitar through the side opening of the can. His left hand sticks out of the bin, but it gets numb when exposed to the frost and snow.