Into the stream's corridor

About 500 m along mossy rock walls. We designed a mobility experience where nature takes the lead.

The Oirase Stream flows about 14 km out of Lake Towada. Traffic jams and exhaust fumes in the tourist season have become an issue, and a bypass is being built around the national road along the stream. Once it is complete, general traffic is to be restricted, and mobility that has little impact on the environment and can share the road with pedestrians is being considered.

Nature takes the lead

iino ran about 500 m along the road beside the rock walls — waterfalls tumbling down mossy cliffs, tall katsura trees, views you cannot see from the walking trail. At each point the vehicle slowed automatically and an audio guide linked to the location played. Slowing to about 1.5 km/h, riders could get on and off wherever they liked.

We tuned the amount and timing of the audio guide so it would not get in the way of being with nature, and used background sound that blends with the murmur of the stream and birdsong.

About 200 people rode in three days, telling us "it was easier to enjoy nature slowly than walking" and "it was nice to hear a guide without booking."

From a "road" for traffic to a "corridor"

Most people rode where the trail and the road come close and walkers start to tire. Setting boarding points to follow an experience that changes with place and time, and changing the number of vehicles — a flexible kind of experience design that only small mobility allows.

Overview

• Location: Oirase Stream, Aomori
• Model: iino type-S1300
• Period: Oct 25–27, 2024
• Distance: approx. 500 m (road along the rock walls)
• Riders: approx. 200 in three days