kei-tra in Canada
the journal of Michael Werneburg
twenty-seven years and one million words
Toronto, 2015.02.24
I saw an honest-to-goodness Japanese "kei-tra" (kei truck) on Queen street tonight. Complete with folding-down sides and back, and left-hand drive steering column. "Kei" ("lightweight") class cars were becoming the big thing at the end of my time in Japan, perhaps reflecting the high cost of fuel and the worsening economic situation. They're small cars with engines under 660cc in size and are perfect for the tiny, crooked, go-nowhere roads of Japan's cities that would be a nightmare to drive in a Hummer or F-150. They're also priced right for just about any buyers – mostly well under the equivalent of $10,000.
I wish we had them in Canada, and wonder how this one found its way here.