What does jinrikisha mean?
A jinrikisha is a small, two-wheeled vehicle pulled by a person walking beside it, especially one used traditionally in Japan. Its English name is now chiefly historical or literary, appearing in travel writing, memoirs, and descriptions of old city streets. The word often evokes the sights and sounds of pre-automobile Japan, although similar hand-pulled vehicles have long been used in many Asian countries. In its most characteristic form, a jinrikisha has a lightweight covered body for one or more passengers, two large wheels, and shafts connected to a puller. Because the more general English word “rickshaw” can refer to hand-pulled vehicles in several countries, “jinrikisha” is especially useful when the Japanese type or cultural setting is intended. Outside historical and literary contexts, modern Japanese transport usually includes taxis, buses, trains, and bicycles, so the term has a strongly nostalgic quality.
nounA light, two-wheeled vehicle used in Japan and other parts of Asia, normally pulled by a person walking alongside it. The term is chiefly historical in English and is often used to evoke pre-automobile Japan.
- A small, two-wheeled vehicle pulled by a person on foot, especially one used in Japan.
"They toured the old city streets in a jinrikisha drawn by a patient rickshaw puller."
"The jinrikisha threaded its way through the crowded market while passengers watched street vendors from either side."
"Her grandfather recalled taking a jinrikisha through Kyoto before buses became commonplace."
The regular plural is formed by adding -s; the final -a is retained.
"Several jinrikishas waited beneath the station awning."
Its Japanese name literally means “human-powered vehicle”—an apt description of a small carriage whose engine was its puller.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does jinrikisha come from?
The word was borrowed from Japanese 人力車, read jinrikisha, meaning literally “human-powered vehicle.” Japanese 人 (jin) means “person” or “human,” 力 (riki) means “power,” and 車 (sha) means “vehicle.” The English form appeared in the nineteenth century through Asian-language intermediaries, and it is related to “rickshaw,” which was transmitted through Hindi and ultimately linked to the same Japanese source.
Related word forms
How jinrikisha is actually used
In modern English, the word is chiefly historical or literary and often carries nostalgic associations with traditional Japanese streets and pre-automobile travel. It is more specific than the broader term “rickshaw.”
Easily confused with jinrikisha
A jinrikisha specifically denotes the Japanese style of small, two-wheeled, hand-pulled vehicle, whereas rickshaw is the broader English term for this type of conveyance.