 Hello everyone, my name is Scott Perry and I'm your host today. And this is Let's Talk Hawaii, live from Honolulu, Hawaii. This is a program about English pronunciation, communication, and interesting things, and people in Hawaii. You can see me here every other Tuesday at 3 p.m. that would be 10 a.m. in Japan. You can also find me at scottperryacademy.com. Today's topic is getting around in Hawaii. Today's topic is how to move around in Hawaii. If you remember last week, I told you about the number of Japanese tourists that come to Hawaii. Last week, I told you about the number of Japanese tourists that come to Hawaii. The answer was surprising to many people. 5,500 people on average arrive every day in Hawaii. That's a lot of Japanese tourists. 5,500 people arrive every day in a week, so about 40,000 Japanese people are in Hawaii at any time during the week. That's a lot of Japanese tourists. So the question is, what do they do when they get here? Japanese people are very efficient tourists. Many times, they will plan their entire tour exactly like they're going to do, and they execute that plan very well. Before they get here, they've researched where they want to go, what they want to do. There's not a lot of room or variation. Everything is planned out, but a lot of times, they're planning on visiting interesting locations, restaurants, and Instagram spots. One of the ways they're going around is with buses and cars, taxis. That's okay, but I heard there's a new way to get around in Hawaii. There's a new eco-friendly method to get around in Hawaii. And today, I have with me a special guest. His name is Ryan Jackson, and he's the owner of a special tour company that has an eco-friendly plan. I don't even know how to explain it, but I will let him explain it. So right now, I'd like to introduce Ryan Jackson. Hi, Ryan. Hey, Scott. How are you doing? I'm doing good. Excellent. Thanks for coming on the show. No. Thank you for inviting me. Yeah. So 5,500 Japanese people come here every day. That's correct. And they're coming here to see many things. What do they like to see? Well, Japanese, they like to see many different things. So I think a large part of Japanese culture in general is food. So there are a lot of different interesting places to enjoy local cuisine here in Hawaii. So whether it be in Waikiki or even outside of Waikiki, there are a lot of interesting eateries that many Japanese people find. So food is popular in Hawaii and they're looking for delicious food. What else do they do? Of course, shopping is very popular. That's probably one of the biggest reasons that people come to Waikiki. But there are a lot of outdoor activities that people can enjoy also. So there's a lot of hiking, snorkeling, water sports. There's interesting places like Kakaako, which Kakaako is getting is very famous for. Becoming more popular. What is Kakaako known for? Kakaako is actually known for its wall art. So every year in February, there is a festival called Pow Wow and many popular artists like graffiti artists, tattooers, street artists, mainly. They come from around the world and for one week, they paint different murals and wall art in Kakaako. Kakaako is a place that is right next to Waikiki. In the industrial-looking area, there were a lot of factories. Every year artists and artists come and they paint on the walls. And they make very interesting pictures that many Japanese come and take pictures with. I've seen that. I drove past. Very interesting art on the wall. And do you take people to that location? Yes. So we do actually take people to Kakaako. So my company, Irby Hawaii, we use small foldable electric vehicles. It's very similar to riding a bicycle but it's a little bit different because it's 100% electric. It's eco-friendly and you don't have to pedal, which is nice because you know why it gets very very hot. So there's a lot of, so you say electric bicycle? Similar to a bicycle, but it actually does not have pedals. So you don't have to pedal. It's similar to riding like a scooter or a moped actually. Interesting. So I think we have a video that can better explain what this Irby is. Can we see that video? It's an Irby. That's interesting. I saw you in the video too, Ryan. That was you with one of your tourists? Yeah, that was one of the tours. That was a private ride actually. But actually one of the unique things about Irby rides is that they are all private. So it's really good for couples or families or honeymooners because it just gets a little bit more of an intimate personal experience. I see. So private tours, you organize the tours. When did you create this company? We started Irby Hawaii about two years ago actually. So the original Irby company is from Los Angeles, California. I'm actually from Los Angeles. And about two years ago I had the idea that the Irby as a vehicle might work out really well in Hawaii. So Irby started in California in Pasadena, you said? Yes, it started in Pasadena, which is in Los Angeles, California. And then I thought originally it was designed as a last mile solution. So for example, it's very good. What's the last mile solution? In terms of transportation, more specifically urban transportation, the last mile is a very difficult problem for many people to solve. So basically making a type of vehicle that is compatible with public transportation. So for example, if I live one mile away from the closest train station, what is the most efficient way for me to get from my home to the train station? Take the train to, for example, downtown. And then from the train station in downtown, how do I get to the last mile, which could be a business meeting or it could be my office? What is the most efficient way to fix or to make that last mile not so troublesome? That means the last mile solution is 2.2 km. Well, it's a lot of traffic and it gets busy, so parking issues. I could drive half my car, lower price, put the Erby on my trunk and drive to office. Exactly. So they fold it up and how big is it? Once it's folded up, it's actually very small. You can keep it in the corner of your office or you keep it in the corner of your apartment. It does not take up a lot of space and then you just plug it into a regular wall outlet and then it takes four hours to charge the battery. And then you can get approximately, I would say, around 20 miles per charge. How many kilos is that? It's around 32 kilos. 32 kilos. That means the size is small and the fold-up doesn't smell, because it's electric. There's no smell. There's no smell, no gasoline, or anything like that. No oil, nothing. No oil, it's... There's no oil or anything, so there's no smell, so you put it in the office and it doesn't get in the way. How long does it take to charge? It takes about four hours to charge. You can charge up between four hours. And then you can charge up to 32 kilos. That's very convenient. So another question. Are they for sale or do you just do the tours? Right now, our main focus is the tours, but we are looking into doing more sales. There has been a large interest from the local community that is looking for this type of vehicle to solve their transportation needs. Coming from Los Angeles, I thought the traffic was really, really bad. When I came to Honolulu, I was shocked at how... It's a small island, but there are some significant transportation issues. Challenges. I think with the introduction of the train system coming, I think there's going to be more of a need for these last-mile solutions. Last-mile solution equal to this. Going to one point to Jojo. Last-mile solution. Getting the last mile. No taxi, no Uber, just ride your scooter and you're there. So I've seen other tours in Hawaii. I've seen a long line of people. Those are the one-wheel segue. Is that a segue? Yeah, the two tandem wheels. Yeah, those are the segues. So what's the difference between a segue and an Herbie? I'd say the main difference is probably where you ride them segues. Legally, they stay on the sidewalk. Whereas in Herbies, legally it's classified as an electric bicycle. So we stay in the bike lanes and then the bike paths also. I don't know. So Herbie and the segues, the segues have two big wheels that move like this. The segues are also on the sidewalk. Herbie is like an electric bicycle. And has to ride on the bike lanes. So that is one of the big differences. And because we ride in the bike lanes, we have a little bit more freedom in terms of where we go. So most of our tours, all of our tours start out of Waikiki and then we have three main courses. So the main courses are going to be... Let me get back to that main course that sounds very interesting. We're going to take a very short break and we will be right back right after this. Hi, I'm Rusty Kamori, host of Beyond the Lines. I was the head coach for the Punahou Boys varsity tennis team for 22 years and we're fortunate to win 22 consecutive state championships. This show is based on my book which is also titled Beyond the Lines and it's about leadership, creating a superior culture of excellence, achieving and sustaining success, and finding greatness. If you're a student, parent, sports or business person and want to improve your life and the lives of people around you, tune in and join me on Mondays at 11 a.m. as we go Beyond the Lines on Think Back Hawaii. Aloha. Hi guys, I'm your host Lillian Cumick from Lillian's Vegan World. I come to you live every second Friday from 3 p.m. and this is the show where I talk about the plant-based lifestyle and veganism. So we go through recipes, some upcoming events, information about health, regarding your health and just some ideas on how you can have a better lifestyle, eat healthier and have fun at the same time. So do join me. I look forward to seeing you and Aloha. Hello again, I'm Scott Perry, your host of Let's Talk Hawaii and I'm here with Ryan Jackson of Herbie Tours. He's the owner of Herbie Tours and he's been explaining to me how to get around in Hawaii a very interesting and eco-friendly way to travel. I was asking about the difference between your Herbie and the Segway which I've tried the Segway, which was interesting but I think they don't seem to go where yours go. The rides or the courses are a little bit different. So actually we get a lot of repeaters to Hawaii and we have a lot of customers that are here for the first time but have also been to Hawaii many times. So we have people that do the Segway and the Herbie. It's kind of nice to have that mix because even though the routes might be a little bit similar the experience is going to be different also. So in terms of, I'd say the main differences are going to be one that we are private, all of our groups are private but our courses are going to be a little bit more different also. So who are some of the people that come to Hawaii with you? Who are some of the people on your tour? Who comes here? So in terms of, we're talking about people that our audience may have known so we've been fortunate enough to do some rides and TV shows with some Japanese talents. So for example, Maizono-san, the soccer player. So we were on a TV show called Hawaii Nikoishite. So we also had on that show, it was Nishikawa-san from TM Revolution. Tabi Sarada. Tabi Sarada. And that was with Aoki Ai-san. What's Sarada? Chicken Sarada. Tabi Sarada. So yeah, Aoki Ai-san. She was an Olympic secret nice swimmer. Swimmer, Aoki Ai. And then also Himura-san. The comedian. He wears the Kimono. Himura. Himura-san. Also, one more High Hill Momoko. High Hill Momoko. Yes, she was. Who is High Hill Momoko? She is from Osaka and she's very great big, big personality. She was a lot of fun. High Hill Momoko. So if you come to Hawaii and you jump on an Irby tour, you might be able to see one of these people again. I'm not going to make that promise. So I have some pictures of some of your tours. Can I ask you to explain some of these photos from here? Sure, sure, sure. Great. So I see two people here. What's going on? Is this a regular couple tour? Yeah, this was a couples tour. So great, great couple from New York. So we did the Diamond Head ride and hike. That's where this picture was taken from. We have a standard Diamond Head course, but the hike is optional. So for those that want to hike to the top of Diamond Head, that is one of the options of Art Tour, which also makes it unique. Okay, another slide. That looks like a... Where is that? That is actually on the way into the inside of Diamond Head Crater. Diamond Head Crater. Yes. There is a shot overlooking Kahala, Hawaii, you can see Hanuma Bay in the background. Hanuma Bay and Tokohed. Okay, good. So you can see our riders, the minimum age is 15, but we have riders that go all the way past 70. Wow. So it really just depends on... 15 to 71 riders. It really just depends on the riders' ability in terms of whether they can participate on the tour. Next slide, please. Okay, we've got two Genki tourists. Yes, I believe that is a honeymoon couple. So this is one of the most famous art pieces in Kakaako. It's called Monster Party by Kevin Lyons. Really, really popular. Monster Party. Monster Party. A lot of Japanese like to go there and take pictures in front of this specific piece. It's a lot of fun. The colors are amazing. Just makes great Instagram material also. Good, good. Next, we have another slide coming up. Wow, one, two, three, four, five. How many people can go on a tour? We like to cap the maximum at seven people. That's the most that we feel comfortable and that's the safest amount. So when we do our groups, it's not going to be a huge long line. It's going to be... Seven is the max. Seven is the maximum. If the party is more than seven, it's two tours. Two tours, yeah, we split it up. These are nice guys here? Yeah, I believe that's a company outing right there. So we actually... It's a group. So yeah, actually we've been getting more reservations from companies and corporations that want to do some team building or have a unique experience for their team members or department. Great. And one more slide. Is that the honeymoon couple? That is a different honeymoon couple. That's actually at Magic Island, which is... It's interesting because Magic Island is... It's really beautiful, but it's a little bit far from Waikiki. So getting there... It's a little bit too far to walk. Parking isn't great. They'll give a diamond head, we can see. Typical Hawaiian day and very happy-looking customer. So how much does a typical tour cost? The tours, you know, they range in price, you know, depending on the course, but I would say the average tour is around $135 to $150. Okay. So depending on the course. $12,000 to $15,000. There are several hours. Yeah, so depending, you know, we have a shorter tour that, you know, it's around two hours, but the longer tours, and especially if you add in the hike, it can get up to four or four and a half, five hours or so. You know, we do two tours per day. So one in the morning and one in the afternoon, and we don't like to rush our tours also. So we do it over book. Relaxed time. The tour is $7,000 to $15,000 to $13,000. In the morning and in the afternoon. And then... If the tour is lunch or hiking, it'll be extra time for that, right? Exactly. So it's not just riding the Yerbe. You know, we like to stop at some popular places to eat, like a popular cafe in Kakaoka, where we might have, you know, lunch on Montserrat Avenue, you know, Bogarts, you know, Pioneer Saloon, you know, there's a lot of popular places, and we try and integrate that in to the experience of the ride. Good. So now the most important question. Yes. I have lots of Japanese viewers and students who often come to Japan. Okay. If someone wants to try an Erby tour with me or you and whoever, can you discount them? Discount? Okay, we're talking about the money. Yeah, discount. So if you inquire online at erbyhawaii.com, that's u-r-b-e-hawaii.com. If you make a reservation, and then you mention thinktechhawaii.com, we can go ahead and give you a 10% discount. Mention Think Tech Hawaii, and we get a discount. I want 11%. 11%? We'll see, we'll see. Okay. Okay, great. So that's very interesting. Now, I noticed that there were a lot of, there's many people, but most of them were Japanese. Who's your largest audience? We get people from all around the world doing our rides or tours, but I would say most of them are actually Japanese customers. So on our rides, we have Japanese-speaking tour guides to make everybody feel more comfortable. And tour guides are Japanese. In Japan, do you advertise in Japan? In Japan, do you advertise in Japan? Do you advertise in Japan? Do you advertise in Japan? Do you advertise in Japan? Do you advertise in Japan also? We do some, most of our advertising is actually done online. We get a lot of, through word of mouth, that's, you know, we have, we get a lot of referrals that way. And then you can find us in different travel companies that are selling our rides as optional tours. Great. Now, so many Japanese coming, and you are speaking to them in English, Japanese? It's a little bit of both. It's a little bit of both. You know, sometimes I get people that, they want to practice their English, or they want to speak English. So, you know, I'll do most of the tour in English, but for other people that maybe don't want to speak English, or Japanese, you know, Japanese only. So it really depends on the situation. So the Japanese who are coming, who want to speak English, what is their biggest challenge? Their biggest challenge, one of their bigger challenges is sometimes they can, you know, say and speak certain things, but maybe they don't speak loud enough, or maybe their pronunciation may not be clear enough. So maybe they get asked to repeat things many times or sometimes. Maybe once they start repeating things, the confidence level goes down, down, down, and they just maybe might give up. I completely, I'm just 100% able to understand it. Well, everyone is here, I'm fine, but I want to do a lot of things, but maybe my voice is too small, or the pronunciation is not good enough, and excuse me, part of me, what did you say? If I put it in, my confidence will go down. So people are losing confidence. So I've got a solution for that. There's a solution. You can improve your pronunciation, and I can tell you more about that, but how do they solve this problem? They just struggle, or what do they do? Sometimes, they do struggle. I think Waikiki is unique in that you have a lot of people in Waikiki that can speak a little basic level Japanese. Got it. But outside of Waikiki it becomes more important to be able to raise your English level so you can have more experiences outside of Waikiki. Okay. Well, that was a lot. So thank you, Ryan, of Erby Tours, and I'm Scott Perry, your host of Let's Talk Hawaii. And that was How to Get Around in Hawaii. Looking forward to seeing you in two weeks. Have a great day.