{"id":537,"date":"2026-08-10T13:59:43","date_gmt":"2026-08-10T13:59:43","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/?p=537"},"modified":"2026-08-10T13:59:45","modified_gmt":"2026-08-10T13:59:45","slug":"our-new-kei-truck-has-arrived","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/2026\/08\/10\/our-new-kei-truck-has-arrived\/","title":{"rendered":"Our New Kei Truck Has Arrived"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list vk_block-margin-lg--margin-bottom\">\n<li><a href=\"#topic01\" title=\"\">Life with a Kei Truck<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#topic02\" title=\"\">The Outgoing Truck: Mitsubishi Minicab Truck GD-U62T<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><a href=\"#topic03\" title=\"\">The New Arrival: Suzuki Carry 3BD-DA16T<\/a><br><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\" id=\"topic01\">Life with a Kei Truck<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>My husband and I spend from May through October living between two homes, maintaining his family house in Hokkaido during that stretch. It's out in the Niseko area \u2014 genuinely deep in the mountains. In a place like that, there's one thing you absolutely cannot live without: a vehicle. And not just any vehicle \u2014 you need something with real cargo capacity, like a truck.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That's where the <strong>kei truck<\/strong> (\u8efd\u30c8\u30e9\u30c3\u30af) comes in \u2014 the same category I introduced in my earlier post about kei cars. I've heard these little trucks have been gaining popularity overseas too, especially for farm use. Even our mountain property already had one: a 1999 model that had been doing the job for years. It had finally deteriorated enough that we decided this year was the time to replace it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-lg--margin-bottom\">Today I want to introduce both the old and new kei trucks side by side.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"topic02\">The Outgoing Truck: Mitsubishi Minicab Truck GD-U62T<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"specs\" class=\"wp-block-heading vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\">Specs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Item<\/th><th>Detail<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Model year<\/td><td>1999<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Engine<\/td><td>3G83 (3-cylinder SOHC)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Drivetrain<\/td><td>Part-time 4WD<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Transmission<\/td><td>3-speed automatic<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Displacement<\/td><td>657cc<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fuel<\/td><td>Gasoline<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fuel economy<\/td><td>14.2 km\/L<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Max output<\/td><td>35kW (48PS)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Max torque<\/td><td>62 N\u00b7m (6.3 kgf\u00b7m) at 4,000 rpm<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"how-it-drives\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How it drives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Honestly, there was never anything seriously wrong with how this truck ran. But the cost of keeping up with Japan's vehicle inspections (shaken) and required maintenance kept climbing \u2014 the older a car gets, the more parts need replacing based on age or mileage, and the bills add up fast. So we went ahead and deregistered it from public road use, and now it stays strictly on the property.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>We still use it constantly for moving things around the land and hauling supplies. The property sits in a mountain valley, and the terrain inside our land is almost entirely steep slopes. It makes a bit of an odd noise these days, but it's still running just fine for what we need it for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped vk_block-margin-xl--margin-bottom wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"541\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi02-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Mitsubishi02\" class=\"wp-image-541\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi02-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi02-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi02-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi02-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi02-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi02.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Mitsubishi Minicab Truck<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"542\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi03-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Mitsubishi03\" class=\"wp-image-542\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi03-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi03-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi03-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi03-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi03-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi03.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"540\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi01-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Mitsubishi01\" class=\"wp-image-540\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi01-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi01-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/mitsubishi01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"topic03\">The New Arrival: Suzuki Carry 3BD-DA16T<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"specs-2\" class=\"wp-block-heading vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\">Specs<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table vk_block-margin-0--margin-top\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Item<\/th><th>Detail<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Model year<\/td><td>2026<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Engine<\/td><td>R06A, water-cooled inline 3-cylinder<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Drivetrain<\/td><td>Part-time 4WD<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Transmission<\/td><td>4-speed automatic<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Displacement<\/td><td>658cc<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fuel<\/td><td>Gasoline<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Fuel economy<\/td><td>15.7 km\/L<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Max output<\/td><td>37kW (50PS)<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Max torque<\/td><td>59 N\u00b7m (6.0 kgf\u00b7m) at 3,500 rpm<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Price<\/td><td>\u00a51,465,000<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h3 id=\"how-it-drives-2\" class=\"wp-block-heading\">How it drives<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>We bought this one mainly for trips off the property \u2014 actual road use. This is the first brand-new vehicle we've owned in 27 years, so I'll admit my expectations were pretty high. And honestly? The driving experience itself didn't blow me away (laughs).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As I mentioned, our kei truck spends most of its life in the mountains, and I have to say \u2014 starting off on a steep incline, the old truck actually felt more capable. That's an impression that doesn't necessarily line up with what the spec sheet numbers would suggest. On regular flat roads, though, I really am happy with how smoothly it drives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>That said, we've only driven it a handful of times so far, so I'm looking forward to discovering more of its strengths as we go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-2 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"545\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki02-1024x576.png\" alt=\"suzuki cyarry\" class=\"wp-image-545\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki02-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki02-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki02-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki02-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki02-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki02.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">suzuki cyarry<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"546\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki03-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Suzuki03\" class=\"wp-image-546\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki03-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki03-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki03-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki03-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki03-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki03.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"544\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki01-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Suzuki01\" class=\"wp-image-544\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki01-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki01-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki01-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki01-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki01-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki01.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery has-nested-images columns-default is-cropped wp-block-gallery-3 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large vk_block-margin-lg--margin-bottom\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"549\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki06-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Suzuki06\" class=\"wp-image-549\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki06-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki06-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki06-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki06-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki06-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki06.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"548\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki05-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Suzuki05\" class=\"wp-image-548\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki05-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki05-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki05-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki05-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki05-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki05.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"576\" data-id=\"547\" src=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki04-1024x576.png\" alt=\"Suzuki04\" class=\"wp-image-547\" srcset=\"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki04-1024x576.png 1024w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki04-300x169.png 300w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki04-768x432.png 768w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki04-1536x864.png 1536w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki04-320x180.png 320w, https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/suzuki04.png 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n<hr class=\"wp-block-separator has-alpha-channel-opacity\"\/>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"vk_block-margin-0--margin-bottom\"><strong>References:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.goo-net.com\/car\/MITSUBISHI\/MINI_CAB_TRUCK\/GD-U62T.html\">Goo-net \u2014 Mitsubishi Minicab Truck GD-U62T specs<\/a><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li class=\"vk_block-margin-lg--margin-bottom\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.suzuki.co.jp\/car\/carry_customized\/base\/detail\/\">Suzuki \u2014 Carry customized details<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This channel is run by a Japanese woman living in Japan, sharing a look at everyday Japanese food and culture. I hope it gives you some fun souvenir ideas and a few useful tips for everyday life along the way.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Life with a Kei Truck My husband and I spend from May through October living between two homes, maintaining his family house in Hokkaido during that stretch. It's out in the Niseko area \u2014 genuinely deep in the mountains. In a place like that, there's one thing you absolutely cannot live without: a vehicle. And [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":545,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"slim_seo":{"title":"Our New Kei Truck Has Arrived - A Japanese Life","description":"Life with a Kei Truck My husband and I spend from May through October living between two homes, maintaining his family house in Hokkaido during that stretch. It"},"sns_share_botton_hide":"","vkExUnit_sns_title":"","_vk_print_noindex":"","sitemap_hide":"","_veu_custom_css":"","veu_display_promotion_alert":"","vkexunit_cta_each_option":"","_lightning_design_setting":[],"_slim_seo_primary_term_category":0,"_slim_seo_primary_term_post_tag":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[14,26,28,29],"class_list":["post-537","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-daily-life","tag-kei-cars","tag-kei-trucks","tag-mini-cars","tag-small-cars"],"veu_head_title_object":{"title":"","add_site_title":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=537"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":553,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/537\/revisions\/553"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/545"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=537"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=537"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/en.bita-d.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=537"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}