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Upcycling Okinawa

Gardner Robinson

From used k-trucks to discarded e-bikes, optimist and opportunist Hiroaki Inubuse is motion personified. His latest project aims to help travelers discover Okinawa’s backstreets and ancient roads on “upcycled” e-bikes with Discovery Cycling Tours Okinawa.

“U pcyling” can be defined as the act of taking something no longer wanted or in use and giving it a second life. Hiroaki Inubuse has built a career on giving new life to things seemingly unwanted in Japan. Nearly twenty years ago he recognized there was a demand for Japan’s beloved “k-trucks” overseas and so he began exporting used k-trucks, primarily to the Philippines. Business was cruising along until the “Lehman Shock” financial crisis sent ripples across the globe in the late 2000’s sparing none—including Japan.

Needing to change directions, he started looking at trends in the marketplace. He was working on used bicycles in his spare time and discovered he had a knack and interest for bikes. During this time he also noticed e-bikes were starting to gain some momentum in Japan. These rechargeable, power assisted bikes were marketed as an eco-friendly alternative to gas powered bikes or mopeds, as well as a good option for people who need a a boost up hills or over long distances. Up until then personal electronic vehicles were mainly used by the elderly or those with disabilities to get around.

Cars and regular bicycles have a robust secondhand market in Japan, but he realized there wasn’t a secondary marketed for e-bikes. Equipped with kid seats, these electric bikes were great for families who needed to bike kids to pre-school, kindergarten and elementary school in urban areas, yet once the kids outgrew the bikes they often were no longer needed and disposed.

Enter Inubuse the opportunist. He jumped in and began purchasing used e-bikes and fixing them (with no prior e-bike maintenance experience) to resell them to people wanting more affordable e-bikes.

“When buying a car or motorcycle, it’s common to think, ‘Should I get a new car or a used one?’” Says Inubuse. “So, if you were to buy an electric bike, why shouldn’t you have similar options?” He asks.

He wasn’t totally sure there would be a demand for used e-bikes, but once he started selling them in his hometown of Kobe, his view changed quickly.

The word “chari” (チャリ) in Japanese means “bicycle,” such as in the oft-used term mamachari (ママチャリ), bikes used by moms to cart kids around—usually with a basket on the front and/or a child seat on the back. He chose to call his new company “E-Charity” (イーチャリティ) a play on words combining “E” for e-bikes, “chari” for bicycles, and “charity” for the spirit of giving new life to used or discarded bikes. He founded his company with the goal of bringing the pleasure of e-bikes to everyone.

E-Charity grew its fleet and sales, eventually expanding to open it’s Eastern Japan office in Yokohama. He also found that while many people wanted e-bikes they often got into trouble when something went wrong—especially after their warranty expired—so E-Charity also began offering after-care service for e-bike owners so they could feel comfortable after their purchase.

As business grew so did Inubuse’s appreciation for e-bikes and his desire to get more people on them to explore Japan. The pandemic still had its grip on Japan, but, after traveling around Japan on sales trips, the forward-minded Inubuse wanted to break into tourism. During a visit down south, he was lured by the charms of Okinawa and decided this is where he’d start. Around that time Maki Paterson had also been looking for a new challenge. She had recently transitioned from a job a marketing manager at a hotel to working to promote cycling tours and travel in Okinawa.

Once their paths crossed, it seemed like the perfect fit. In April 2023 E-Charity opened their shop on the most popular tourist street in Okinawa, Naha’s Kokusai-dori, a perfect base for getting travelers on e-bikes to tour the city and surrounding areas.

Although Paterson had spent a number of years living overseas in Australia, she was born in Naha, not far from the E-Charity shop, and still has family living nearby.

To help distinguish the tour side of the business from their retail biz (and make it easier for travelers to find them online) they rebranded the tours as Discovery Bicycle Tours Okinawa (DCTO) offering guided and unguided tours. While most of the tours are half days (4 hours) they also organize multi-day tours in northern Okinawa as well as some island-hopping adventures.

“Two of my favorite places to cycle are up north in Ogimi Village in Yambaru and the Shuri area here in Naha. There is so much culture in the backstreets of Naha,” Paterson shares. “I love giving travelers an introduction to the city by bicycle so they can explore the small streets, meet locals and get a lay of the land.” She adds .

She finds it especially valuable for travelers who want to explore more on their own later as they can learn how to get around and what areas to avoid, while getting a general introduction and understanding of cultural norms in Okinawa.

“We encourage people to forgo the rental car. It’s so much more interesting to explore Okinawa by bicycle—especially Naha—and I’d I highly recommend jumping on one of the many ferries with a bike to get around the island,” says Paterson. “It’s much cheaper, easier and way more fun.”

Processed with Focos

Ferries leave daily from Tomari Port in Naha up to Motobu and Nago as well as to the Keramas (Zamami Islands) and other smaller islands nearby. The shop can help customers with reservations if they have trouble booking on their own. All rentals come with normal helmets (for free) or you can rent one of their wireless blue-tooth helmets, which they use to communicate during tours. They are also handy for listening to music and answering the phone while riding.

With tourism now back to—or exceeding—pre-pandemic levels, finding experiences away from crowds, as well as learning about authentic Okinawa culture and history from locals, is even more valuable. Patterson notes that while the Ryukyu culture and history is unique and interesting for travelers, she also finds people want to understand locals’ perspective on the complicated war history—past and present. It’s important, she says, to hear how people really think and how they cherish peace and living in harmony with each other.

Discovery Cycling Tours Okinawa offer tours and rentals year round. Summer can be hot, so sunscreen and drinking a lot of water is important. There are special tours featuring indigenous night blooming flowers from July to September and Autumn is generally considered the best season for touring with dry, hot weather that cools off in the morning and evening. Just keep an eye on the forecast for the rogue typhoon. Winter can be very pleasant, albeit sometimes windy, and a great side trip to a ski holiday in Japan. The rainy season in Okinawa is a bit earlier than the main island (between mid-May and mid-June), but can be beautiful and the hotaru (fire flies) our out in May.

One of the most popular Naha tours is a four-hour sunset ride from the pottery area of Tsuboya-dori through Asato, which used to be a red light district, but is now a shopping street with izakaya and other restaurants that will lure you back after your ride. It continues to Shuri Castle, the ancient capital of the Ryukyu Kingdom. The area is adorned with cobblestone roads, temples and sacred shrines. The highlight is watching the sunset from a lookout point before continuing back to Shuri Castle Park and Shureimon Gate, which are illuminated at night.
E-bike tours can be catered to any fitness level and, for those wishing to ride regular bikes, it is possible based on availability—just be aware the Shuri Castle area is hilly. To book tours visit the Discovery Cycling Tours Okinawa website or find them on Trip Advisor or Get Your Guide.
What’s next for Inubuse? “I’d love to expand our recycled e-bike tours to Tokyo, Kyoto and other areas, then maybe even overseas,” he says with knowing smile.

DISCOVERY BICYCLE TOURS OKINAWA

E-Charity