PROFILE
Born in Yokohama City, Kanagawa Prefecture in 1982. After graduating from university, he worked at "TSUTAYA TOKYO ROPPONGI" and "CIBONE Aoyama" before becoming the manager of "SHIBUYA PUBLISHING & BOOKSELLERS". In March 2012, he started BOOK TRUCK, a mobile bookstore, and in August 2022, he will open BOOK STAND Wakabadai in the Wakabadai apartment complex in Asahi-ku, Yokohama City. In August 2022, he will open "BOOK STAND Wakabadai" in the Wakabadai housing complex in Asahi-ku, Yokohama City, where he also operates a mobile bookstore and holds events at the same time.
It is a working car and still has an attractive design.
A certain day in June, the morning sun shone brightly. It was a pleasant sunny day amidst a series of days with unstable weather. Loading a lot of books onto the "Kanguo" is the bookstore "BOOK STAND" in Wakabadai complex. Shuhei Sanda, owner of "BOOK STAND Wakabadai" in Wakabadai complex and organizer of the mobile bookstore "BOOK TRUCK," loaded many books into the Kangoo.
He fills his block-shaped self-made bookshelf with many books and puts them on the loading space as if he were assembling a puzzle. Mr. Mita was planning to open a stall at an event in Tokyo that day. The weather was perfect for opening a stall.
The bookshelves are stacked two deep, and the empty space is used to store container boxes containing equipment and other supplies, as well as folding tarps, which are indispensable for opening a stall. Signboards and tables also fit securely, making full use of the Kangoo's loading space.
It's got plenty of room. I'm the type of person who needs a lot of space when opening a stall, and I was able to carry enough books to satisfy my needs. The tarp and equipment also fit well, so I can use this vehicle to open a stall with peace of mind.
He is scheduled to open a stall at an event to be held in Tokyo on this day. It is about an hour's drive from the city where Mr. Mita lives. Seatbelts are fastened securely, and the navigation and driving support functions are set.
The Kangoo, which was redesigned into a new model last spring, has undergone major upgrades to these features. A variety of Advanced Driving and Parking Assistance Systems (ADAS) have been deployed to reduce the burden on the driver and enable safer driving.
The 8-inch multimedia Easy Link allows easy connection to various devices. It is also nice to know that navigation, music, and other settings can now be made using a smartphone, greatly improving operability.
He is scheduled to open a stall at an event to be held in Tokyo on this day. It is about an hour's drive from the city where Mr. Mita lives. Seatbelts are fastened securely, and the navigation and driving support functions are set.
Mr. Mita usually drives a walk-through van, but when we asked him how he felt driving the Kangoo for the first time, he replied cheerfully, "The ride is very comfortable.
The ceiling is high and the interior space feels spacious, so I don't feel cramped. The size of the car is not much different from that of a regular passenger car, even though it can carry a lot of luggage. It's easy to maneuver around and easy to drive, and I'm glad that it has a full range of driving support functions. I admire that."
The "Kangoo" enters the highway and shows a pleasant ride. The versatile Advanced Driving and Parking Assistance System (ADAS), which Mr. Mita spoke of as "something to aspire to," has features that can be relied upon when driving on highways.
For example, "Highway and Traffic Jam Assist" is a feature that allows a car to travel at a pre-set speed and automatically slow down and follow if a vehicle slower than the set speed is in front of it. This function is helpful and very convenient in traffic jams. In addition, "Lane Centering Assist" is a reassuring friend to the driver as it helps the car to stay in the middle of the lane.
The "Kangoo" supports the lives of many people as a working car, but it is also useful in the bookstore industry. According to Mr. Mita, "Several of my acquaintances drive this car.
Bookstores often carry a lot of luggage, so this kind of vehicle is very useful. Also, people who own stores, such as grocery stores, tend to use these vehicles. While being a working car, the design is also attractive. I think that's why they are so popular. There are not many cars like this among domestic cars.
I also appreciate the sliding doors. When you have children, you tend to look for cars with such specifications. But that limits the choices. It's hard to find a car with sliding doors that can carry a lot of luggage, is comfortable to ride in, and has a good design. I think this is one of the reasons why the Kangoo is so popular. It's very practical and stylish.
As we were talking, the "Kangoo" arrived at today's site. We parked the car in the stall space and started setting up.
