These tiny Japanese pickup trucks that cost about $5,000 are winning fans in America

• Tiny Japanese trucks that cost as little as $5,000 are winning over some Americans.

• Kei trucks are about 11 feet long and are typically limited to about 25 miles an hour.

• According to Japan Car Direct, they've become popular with buyers such as farmers.

It's not just tiny homes taking America by storm — now tiny trucks made in Japan are becoming increasingly popular too.

Kei trucks are about 11 feet long, are less than seven feet high, and evolved from three-wheel trucks based on motorcycles that came about after World War II.

Several manufacturers made them, and models include the Daihatsu Hijet, the Subaru Sambar, the Suzuki Carry, and the Honda Acty.

The tiny trucks are a common sight on Japanese roads, but they've also won over some Americans wanting a versatile, compact, and cheap vehicle.

Kei cars

One of the companies importing these trucks to the US is Japan Car Direct.

Matt Matusiak told Insider the company ships a range of vehicles to the US, including Toyotas from the 1990s, old Suzuki trucks, and small Nissan camper vans.

But he said that Kei trucks were by far the company's most popular purchase and said they accounted for about a third of its orders.

The cheapest Kei truck that Japan Car Direct sells is about $5,000, with shipping costs accounting for much of that sum.