Right now, Japan’s kei trucks (keitora) are quietly gaining a stronger presence in the United States

In the U.S., where full-size pickups are the norm, the sight of small trucks only about 1.5 meters wide lined up together is unforgettable once you see it.

In this article, based on the video “【日本の評判】アメリカで日本の軽トラ人気の様子 rev,” we will take a look at how kei cars and kei trucks have been used in Japan, why Japanese kei trucks are becoming more popular in the U.S. right now, and what makes the Suzuki Carry, Daihatsu Hijet, and Honda Acty (often said to be especially popular overseas) so appealing.
we will take our time and explore it all from the perspective of a kei-truck enthusiast.

Photo: A kei truck working in a Japanese vineyard

What kind of everyday life have Japan’s kei trucks been driving through?

Kei trucks are vehicles that carry the feel of Japan’s worksites wherever they go.
Along rice paddy paths, they trundle along with harvested vegetables stacked in crates on the bed, and at forestry sites, they climb mountain roads loaded with cut logs.

In rural areas where farming and forestry thrive, such as Aomori Prefecture, kei trucks are not something special. They are closer to everyday tools, the kind you expect to see parked right in front of the house.
Their compact size lets them slip into narrow farm roads and winding mountain routes, their three-way drop-side bed makes it easy to load and unload heavy cargo from the side, and their fuel efficiency and low running costs make them economical. You could list reasons endlessly, but in the end it comes down to one thing: they have been used for so long simply because they are convenient.

What is interesting is that, in Japan, kei trucks are seen as “work tools,” yet once they reach the U.S., they are increasingly treated as “cars people want and choose on purpose.”

Why are Japanese kei trucks popular in the United States?

When you picture American road culture, what probably comes to mind first is a huge pickup truck.
Full-size pickups rumbling down the highway are impressive, and they feel like “this is America.”

Photo: Pickup trucks in the United States

And then, all of a sudden, kei trucks from Japan show up lined up alongside them.
A small, boxy vehicle that is only about half the length and width of a big pickup.
Yet when people actually try using one on farms, private property, or in the narrow alleys of older towns, they start saying, “This size is just right.”

Japan’s kei trucks were originally built to be used on tight roads and in limited spaces.
That is why, even on America’s vast land, they can get into hard-to-reach areas on large properties and glide through back alleys in older towns without stress. They effortlessly handle tasks that were awkward with a big truck.

On top of that, the U.S. has a system often called the “25-year rule.”
Once a vehicle reaches a certain age, regulations become less strict, making it easier to import and register it as a classic car. As a result, kei trucks from the 1990s through the early 2000s are now beginning to make their way to the U.S.
In Japan, a kei truck sold off with the thought, “Maybe it’s time to replace it,” is welcomed in the U.S. as “a slightly rare Japanese vehicle you can legally drive.” That is the quiet root of the kei truck's sudden rise in popularity in the US.

Photo: Kei truck

They are easy to maneuver, the bed is genuinely useful, and fuel economy is good.
Prices also often stay within reach as a second vehicle, whether for work or for fun.
Step by step, that is steadily increasing the number of people saying, “If I’m getting one more vehicle, my next one will be a kei truck.”

Top 3 kei trucks said to be popular overseas

Suzuki Carry, Daihatsu Hijet, and Honda Acty

From here, we will look at the top three kei trucks said to be popular overseas, especially in the U.S., one by one.
If you picture each one while matching the vibe of the video, they are all the kind of vehicles that make you grin.

Suzuki Carry: The “worksite staple” chosen for durability

Photo: A SUZUKI kei truck

The biggest reason the Suzuki Carry introduced in 【動画】2:05 is highly regarded is, of course, its durability and peace of mind.
For a vehicle used for work, being hard to break is more important than anything else.
The Carry has a long track record of quietly working year after year in harsh environments, including farm roads, mountain routes, and construction sites.

Because the design is traditional and simple, it is easy to maintain, and parts are relatively easy to source.
Even older model years can keep running surprisingly well if they have been properly maintained.
Some units, depending on the year, also come equipped with safety features such as dual airbags and ABS. That helps ease the worry that “it’s small, so it must be unsafe.”

For these reasons, even at U.S. import shops specializing in kei trucks, the Carry often appears in larger numbers, and it tends to be a common pick for someone's first kei truck.

Daihatsu Hijet: An all-rounder chosen for ease of driving and balance

Photo: Daihatsu Hijet kei truck

Next up is the Daihatsu Hijet, introduced in 【動画】4:05.
It is a kei truck that has long reigned as a top seller in Japan, and that track record itself is like proof of reliability.

The Hijet’s appeal lies in how well balanced it is overall.
The cabin feels relatively roomy for a kei truck, making it easy to get in and out.
From the driver’s seat, visibility is wide, and even though it is a “work tool,” it can feel closer to driving a passenger car.

As for performance, it is not overly powerful, but it is not underpowered either. It feels just right.
From paved roads to unpaved routes, it is an all-rounder that can handle almost anything without strain.

That is why, in the U.S., it is not uncommon to hear people say, “If you’re getting your first kei truck, go with a Hijet.”
If the Carry is the image of a “tough work tool,” then the Hijet is more like a “well-rounded kei truck that you can drive every day without getting tired.”

Honda Acty: A “fun to drive” kei truck with a standout MR layout

The third one is the Honda Acty.
The Acty is a bit more niche among kei trucks.

What makes it distinctive is that some generations use Honda’s unique mid-ship, rear-wheel-drive (MR) layout.
With the engine mounted just behind the cabin, toward the front of the bed, the front-to-rear weight balance is good. That makes its movement feel natural and light when you turn the wheel.

Even though it is a “tool for hauling,” it is also “a little fun to drive.”
It offers the best of both worlds.

Whether it is slipping smoothly through narrow city alleys or showing up at a rough job site, the Acty somehow always seems just as dependable and enjoyable to drive.
For anyone who wants one vehicle to handle farm work and a casual weekend drive, it can be the perfect partner in kei-truck form.

What the kei trucks in the video can teach us

In the video “【日本の評判】アメリカで日本の軽トラ人気の様子 rev,” a lineup of vehicles that came from Japan fills the inside of a kei-truck specialty shop.
And it is not just the “usual suspects” like the Carry, Hijet, and Acty.

The Pajero Mini VR-2 introduced in 【動画】2:20, with gimmicks like full-flat seats and overhead grab straps, feels less like a kei truck and more like a “tiny adventure tool.”
Fold the seats down and it looks like you could create enough space to sleep in the car, and straps hang from the ceiling for hooking gear.
In Japan, it is known as a “kei car that’s handy for a bit of fun,” but from an American point of view, it likely feels like one surprise after another, as in, “It’s this small, and they thought of all this?”

The Subaru Sambar dump model introduced in 【動画】4:27 is a vehicle that packs a serious dump function into a small body.
Seeing the bed lift up with a big clunk is exciting no matter how many times you watch, if you like kei trucks.
If you imagine it loaded with gravel, soil, or firewood and dumped all at once, it is easy to picture it working on an American farm or construction site.

The Mitsubishi Minicab introduced in 【動画】4:32 does not make a flashy statement, but when it comes to being genuinely useful, it is extremely dependable.
With its simple, straightforward build, it feels like the kind of vehicle that quietly keeps you company through daily work.
Rather than “customize it to show off,” it is the kind of truck that owners who want to “work it hard on site” tend to appreciate.

And kei vans like the Honda Street are also slowly gaining popularity in the U.S.
With a large cargo area that feels like a kei truck bed turned into a box, it can be used for deliveries or even as a simple camper, depending on your ideas.

Looking at them one by one, you can see that it would be a shame to lump everything together under the single label “kei truck.” Each model has its own distinct character.

A kei truck that worked in Japan goes on to drive a “second life” in the United States

Photo: Kei truck

A kei truck that worked in rural Japan finishes its role, gets serviced by an exporter, is loaded into a container, and crosses the ocean.
A vehicle that spent season after season driving through Aomori Prefecture’s apple orchards may be hauling hay on an American farm a few years later. Scenes like that are steadily becoming less unusual.

A vehicle that was treated in Japan as “an old kei truck”
is cared for in the U.S. as “a rare and convenient Japanese truck.”

Even with the same kei truck, its value can change dramatically simply depending on who is looking at it and where it is used.
That may be because a vehicle is not just a means of transportation, but also a tool that reflects how people live in that place.

For anyone who is starting to get curious about kei trucks

If you have read this far and found yourself imagining, “Which kei truck would I choose?”, then you already have one foot in the kei-truck world.

If you want toughness, go with the Suzuki Carry.
If you want a well-balanced truck that is easy to use every day, choose the Daihatsu Hijet.
If you want a partner that is fun to drive, pick the Honda Acty.

Then there is the question of how to mix in a “curveball” like a Sambar dump, or a kei van like the Honda Street.
Spending time thinking about that may be part of what makes kei trucks so enjoyable.

Whether you are in Japan or in the U.S., start by watching the video “【日本の評判】アメリカで日本の軽トラ人気の様子 rev” and imagining how you would use your one chosen vehicle.
A kei truck born from Japan’s worksites might cross the ocean and become your next “potential partner.”