Asuka Village to pilot electric mobility to combat overtourism

BRJ Co., Ltd. and Asuka Village will launch a pilot project on October 14, 2026, to combat overtourism and improve local mobility in the Asuka-Fujiwara no Miyako World Cultural Heritage area. The initiative aims to address traffic congestion and manners issues caused by increasing inbound tourism while preserving the local living environment.

The project features a sharing service for 20 three-wheeled electric seatboards, designed for long-distance sightseeing. These vehicles will be available at three hubs: Kintetsu Asuka Station, Ishibutai Kofun, and the Nara Prefectural Manyo Cultural Museum. To ensure safety, the vehicles utilize geofencing technology to prevent entry into restricted areas and will not operate at night.

Supported by the Japan Tourism Agency, the program also includes multilingual signage and digital mapping to educate tourists on local etiquette and prevent littering. The trial is scheduled to run through February 10, 2027.