John Paul Catton listens to the buzz of Kickboards, the latest craze to hit the Tokyo streets, or rather sidewalks (and pedestrians)

There's a rumble on the streets, and if you're wondering what it is just look at the curious devices propelling Tokyo's hippest youth through the meanest streets. Those odd-looking devices are derived from the '60s scooter and they are so popular that most sports stores are finding it hard to keep up with demand.

This latest trend differs from the fads that preoccupied all and sundry during 1999. First, the consumers are predominantly males in their late teens and early twenties, not the schoolgirls who manufacturers have regarded as such an easily exploitable market. Secondly, these are actually practical; they aid transport instead of breaking your ankles like those oh-so-kawaii big shoes are prone to do.

The new-style scooters come in two varieties. The most popular at the moment are the Razors, consisting of a skeletal chrome frame and a thin two-wheeled running board. It has a stick and two handlebars for support and steering and folds up easily for carrying on a train. The second style is the Kickboard, which looks more like a standard skateboard, but with three wheels and a simple joystick with no handlebars. It is longer and heavier that the Razor, but also folds up easily.

One reason why the German-made Razor has caught on so well is the price, selling for JY15,800 rather than the Kickboard at JY38,000. However, the eclectic store Rouge, located on Harajuku Dori just around the corner from Murasaki Sports, is selling the Swiss-made Wetzer Kickboard for JY29,000. Razor is said to be releasing a new model in March of this year, which will make the competition even stiffer.

"I definitely prefer the Wetzer," said Ayako, a student from Shimokitazawa. "They have some great-looking designs. They really do help you exercise, as well - my legs got tired at first, but I think I've lost weight because of this."

Like all trends, the scooters have their detractors. Pedestrians have grumbled about bruised ankles caused by collisions, and bumped elbows caused by sticks coming loose when people have been carrying them.

One sector of society is not at all impressed by the new craze, because they've been using their own improvised Kickboards for years - Tokyo's takkyubin delivery men, featured in a previous issue of Tokyo Classified. Once the daisha, the delivery trolley, has been emptied of packages, it becomes the perfect vehicle for a quick scoot back to the truck.

The Miyamasu-zaka area of Shibuya, between Meiji Dori and Aoyama Dori, contains dozens of small companies and many hilly slopes - perfect training ground for the trolley - riding deliveryman. "Doing that takes skill," said Mina, an Aoyama-based company employee, "and they look quite proud when they shoot past the office window. Anyone who says they can use a Razor should come here and see what these guys can do."