【WANDERIDE Case Study】Demonstration Experiment of WANDERIDE Circulation Mobility Commences in Kanzanji Onsen Area! From "Point" to "Area" Tourism with Electric Personal Mobility
glafit Inc. commenced a demonstration experiment of its micro-sharing service "WANDERIDE," utilizing specified small motorized bicycles, in collaboration with the Kanzanji Onsen Tourism Association in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, starting March 20, 2026. This initiative aims to improve accessibility to scattered tourist spots and solve the challenges of last-mile transportation and parking shortages, transforming tourism from individual destinations to exploring the entire area.
📋 Article Processing Timeline
- 📰 Published: April 24, 2026 at 21:00
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 12:31
- 🤖 AI Analyzed: April 25, 2026 at 01:07 (12h 35m after Collected)
glafit Inc. (headquartered in Wakayama City, Wakayama Prefecture, CEO: Teizo Narumi, hereinafter "glafit"), which handles the development, manufacturing, and sales of electric personal mobility in a one-stop manner, commenced a circulation demonstration experiment for its micro-sharing service "WANDERIDE," utilizing specified small motorized bicycles (hereinafter "specified small mopeds"), at the Kanzanji Onsen Tourism Association in Hamamatsu City, Shizuoka Prefecture, starting March 20, 2026.
This initiative is being implemented in conjunction with the "Hamanako Flower Festa 2026" and aims to improve the circulation of tourist spots scattered around Kanzanji Onsen and Lake Hamana, as well as to solve the issues of last-mile transportation and parking shortages in tourist destinations. Users can start from one of three rental bases and enjoy local sightseeing at their own pace, leaving their cars behind.
Background and Significance of Introduction | Initiative to Connect Dispersed Tourist Destinations with Electric Mobility
The Kanzanji Onsen area boasts a wide array of tourist resources, including the hot spring town, temple approach street, bay street, Lake Hamana lakeside area, Hamamatsu Flower Park, and Mt. Okusa, all scattered over a wide area. However, tourists heavily rely on private cars for transportation, leading to challenges in improving regional circulation due to parking shortages and a lack of last-mile transportation that allows free movement between tourist spots. Since some places are too far to walk and difficult to visit by car, even attractive spots often result in "point" tourism, where visitors only go to individual destinations.
To address these challenges, glafit proposes a new transportation option in tourist destinations through its micro-sharing service "WANDERIDE," which utilizes specified small mopeds. This demonstration experiment aims to enhance convenience for movement after parking cars by using electric mobility, and to connect scattered tourist resources, transforming tourism into an "area" experience that covers the entire region. It has the potential to become a new option for tourism associations, local governments, accommodation facilities, and tourist facility operators in designing regional circulation and developing secondary and tertiary transportation.
Furthermore, WANDERIDE is not just a means of transportation; it also features the ability to "transform movement itself into a tourism experience." Users can tour hot spring towns, lakeside areas, temple approach streets, famous flower spots, and observation decks at their own pace starting from rental bases, enjoying previously individually visited spots as a continuous experience. In addition to expanding the scope of activities and creating opportunities to stop by in tourist destinations, conveying the charm of the region not as "a single destination" but as "the experiential value of the entire area" is also one of the significances of this initiative.
Reference: Regarding the implementation of the Kanzanji area circulation demonstration experiment utilizing electric bikes
Since specified small mopeds can be used without a license by anyone 16 years or older, they can be offered to a wide range of people, including young people, travelers without licenses, and international visitors to Japan. As a mechanism to increase transportation options in tourist destinations and enhance the quality of regional stays, its utilization in various tourist destinations is expected in the future.
glafit is promoting support for the implementation of micro-sharing in tourist destinations in a manner tailored to regional characteristics and operational systems.
Comments on the Introduction
Masaharu Nakano, Senior Managing Director, Kanzanji Onsen Tourism Association
"The Kanzanji area attracts approximately 2 million tourists annually from both Japan and abroad, but most of them focus on 'point' tourism, visiting only destinations such as hot springs, flower parks, and amusement parks. Through this demonstration experiment, we aim to promote 'area' tourism from 'point' tourism. If visitors can leave their cars and explore the region at their own pace with WANDERIDE, they should be able to experience the charm of Kanzanji more deeply. As a result of this experiment, we will consider specific initiatives to enhance experiential value, such as linked plans with the 'Shin Yuuji Coupon' that can be used at accommodation, dining, and tourist facilities within Kanzanji Onsen, and proposing courses unique to specified small mopeds, including cycling paths and hilly roads. The 'NFR-01 Pro⁺' is a seated type with good driving stability, and above all, the ease of moving without pedaling is something you only understand when you ride it, so we want many people to experience it."
Teizo Narumi, Representative Director, President & CEO, glafit Inc.
"WANDERIDE is not just a means of transportation; it is a mechanism to redesign the tourism experience according to regional circulation challenges. In areas with diverse tourist resources like the Kanzanji Onsen area, the nature of transportation significantly impacts the experiential value itself. Through this demonstration experiment, we will verify the potential of new options for secondary and tertiary transportation in tourist destinations, and continue to contribute to improving the circulation of tourist destinations in a way that matches the characteristics of each region."
Demonstration Overview
Hotel Wellseason Hamanako
Implementation Period: March 2026
This initiative is being implemented in conjunction with the "Hamanako Flower Festa 2026" and aims to improve the circulation of tourist spots scattered around Kanzanji Onsen and Lake Hamana, as well as to solve the issues of last-mile transportation and parking shortages in tourist destinations. Users can start from one of three rental bases and enjoy local sightseeing at their own pace, leaving their cars behind.
Background and Significance of Introduction | Initiative to Connect Dispersed Tourist Destinations with Electric Mobility
The Kanzanji Onsen area boasts a wide array of tourist resources, including the hot spring town, temple approach street, bay street, Lake Hamana lakeside area, Hamamatsu Flower Park, and Mt. Okusa, all scattered over a wide area. However, tourists heavily rely on private cars for transportation, leading to challenges in improving regional circulation due to parking shortages and a lack of last-mile transportation that allows free movement between tourist spots. Since some places are too far to walk and difficult to visit by car, even attractive spots often result in "point" tourism, where visitors only go to individual destinations.
To address these challenges, glafit proposes a new transportation option in tourist destinations through its micro-sharing service "WANDERIDE," which utilizes specified small mopeds. This demonstration experiment aims to enhance convenience for movement after parking cars by using electric mobility, and to connect scattered tourist resources, transforming tourism into an "area" experience that covers the entire region. It has the potential to become a new option for tourism associations, local governments, accommodation facilities, and tourist facility operators in designing regional circulation and developing secondary and tertiary transportation.
Furthermore, WANDERIDE is not just a means of transportation; it also features the ability to "transform movement itself into a tourism experience." Users can tour hot spring towns, lakeside areas, temple approach streets, famous flower spots, and observation decks at their own pace starting from rental bases, enjoying previously individually visited spots as a continuous experience. In addition to expanding the scope of activities and creating opportunities to stop by in tourist destinations, conveying the charm of the region not as "a single destination" but as "the experiential value of the entire area" is also one of the significances of this initiative.
Reference: Regarding the implementation of the Kanzanji area circulation demonstration experiment utilizing electric bikes
Since specified small mopeds can be used without a license by anyone 16 years or older, they can be offered to a wide range of people, including young people, travelers without licenses, and international visitors to Japan. As a mechanism to increase transportation options in tourist destinations and enhance the quality of regional stays, its utilization in various tourist destinations is expected in the future.
glafit is promoting support for the implementation of micro-sharing in tourist destinations in a manner tailored to regional characteristics and operational systems.
Comments on the Introduction
Masaharu Nakano, Senior Managing Director, Kanzanji Onsen Tourism Association
"The Kanzanji area attracts approximately 2 million tourists annually from both Japan and abroad, but most of them focus on 'point' tourism, visiting only destinations such as hot springs, flower parks, and amusement parks. Through this demonstration experiment, we aim to promote 'area' tourism from 'point' tourism. If visitors can leave their cars and explore the region at their own pace with WANDERIDE, they should be able to experience the charm of Kanzanji more deeply. As a result of this experiment, we will consider specific initiatives to enhance experiential value, such as linked plans with the 'Shin Yuuji Coupon' that can be used at accommodation, dining, and tourist facilities within Kanzanji Onsen, and proposing courses unique to specified small mopeds, including cycling paths and hilly roads. The 'NFR-01 Pro⁺' is a seated type with good driving stability, and above all, the ease of moving without pedaling is something you only understand when you ride it, so we want many people to experience it."
Teizo Narumi, Representative Director, President & CEO, glafit Inc.
"WANDERIDE is not just a means of transportation; it is a mechanism to redesign the tourism experience according to regional circulation challenges. In areas with diverse tourist resources like the Kanzanji Onsen area, the nature of transportation significantly impacts the experiential value itself. Through this demonstration experiment, we will verify the potential of new options for secondary and tertiary transportation in tourist destinations, and continue to contribute to improving the circulation of tourist destinations in a way that matches the characteristics of each region."
Demonstration Overview
Hotel Wellseason Hamanako
Implementation Period: March 2026