My beat-up little kei car is one of my favorite things.
One day, I wanted to go and see Sakurajima, so I drove along the embankment in a regular passenger car. The grass and branches had grown so far into the road that they scraped against the doors with an awful squeaking sound, leaving scratches all over the car…
But with my little kei car, even bouncing along a rough, bumpy road somehow feels like fun.
It’s so narrow that on most roads I don’t have to worry much about branches brushing against it. And even if it does pick up another scratch or two, I really don’t mind!
There’s more.
It can squeeze into the narrowest little roads, I hardly ever have to worry about finding somewhere to park, and it’s incredibly easy to drive.
People often say a car is just something to get you from A to B, but this little car really is wonderfully convenient.
There is just one thing I sometimes wish it were better at.
Kirishima has a lot of hills, and my old kei car doesn’t exactly have much power. On a steep climb, the engine groans and groans while we crawl slowly uphill.
Sometimes it feels even slower than a go-kart.
I find myself wondering if the poor engine is going to give up on me…
“Come on! You can do it! Keep going!”
And somehow, cheering it on as we struggle up the hill together is part of the fun.
Yes, it’s old and beat-up.
But it makes me smile.
And that’s the story of my slightly battered but wonderfully dependable little car — a very special companion that means a lot to me.
出張や観光で霧島に来られた方で、
静かに過ごせる場所を探している方は、こちらもご覧ください。
