You can get the most out of your Japan vacation by bicycling. What you should know before you wear a helmet
Tokyo and Osaka are two of the largest cities in Japan. They have excellent public transport. You can’t really see anything from the train. Instead, consider using a bike to get around. It’s a great way of seeing more and burning off the calories from that yakiniku you had last night. Here are a few tips for renting a bicycle and some rules you can follow to get around.
Table of Contents
- Bicycling is good for you in Japan
- Bicycling in Japan is it safe?
- Renting a bike in Japan
- How to ride a bike in Japan
- The law
- What people do
- Is it necessary to lock up your bicycle in Japan?
- Parking your bike
- Biking in Tokyo
- Yoyogi Park
- Komazawa Olympic Park (Ju Ze orinpitsukuGong Yuan Zong He Yun Dong Chang )
- Wakasu Seaside Park (Ruo Zhou Hai Bang Gong Yuan )
- Showa Memorial Park ( Zhao He Ji Nian Gong Yuan )
- Sources
The Benefits of Bicycling in Japan
On a sunny day, the Tokyo Tower can be seen from a bicycle heading towards Roppongi. (The Picture was taken by the author.)
Bicycling in Japan has many benefits. The first is that It is a beautiful country! You can enjoy its natural beauty by riding in spring or early summer.
You can also discover new things on a bicycle that you would never have found by riding a train. Tokyo has many side streets and narrow alleys that are full of wonderful restaurants and small shops.
Bicycling is easy in Japan. It’s not just a sport but a way to get around. Many train stations and shopping centres have official bicycle parking spaces, some free.
Is it safe to ride a bicycle in Japan?
Bicycle parking in a shopping mall in Jiyugaoka (Tokyo). In Japan, bikes are very popular, and you can find a parking spot near your destination. (Image by the author).
Yes, my personal experience says yes. Some cities, like Tokyo, may not have as good a bicycle infrastructure as others. However, they do have a strong cycling culture, which views biking as a form of transportation equal to driving or walking.
Bikes are used by everyone, from business people to parents, for errands and commute to work. The practice of mothers towing their children in car seats behind and on top of their bikes is so common that it has its word: mamachari. Even if there aren’t any clear markings for bikes on the road or sidewalks, people are aware that they share these spaces with cyclists.
I moved from Seattle to Tokyo. In the last 10 years, I spent in Seattle, both the city and its surrounding suburbs invested a great deal of effort to create dedicated bicycle lanes for cyclists’ safety. Even with this infrastructure, it seemed that the majority of “bikers” in Seattle were actually “cyclists”, i.e. people who wore head-to-toe spandex and spent their weekends racing. Biking as a form of transportation has not yet taken off in the same way that it has done in other cycling capitals such as Copenhagen and Amsterdam.
The lack of a culture for cycling in America makes it feel unsafe to ride on the roads. The US drivers were always enraged that bicycles had to share the road. This rage sometimes spilt over into aggressive driving, honking and shouting.
This is not the case. There are always exceptions. Most of the time, drivers seem to be cautious and aware of my presence when I am on the road.
Yes, the bar is low to clear. “I don’t feel that drivers want to run over me” is an easy one to overcome. The bar is so low in America that you can’t limbo underneath it. I’ll take whatever I can.
How to rent a bike in Japan
What is the best way to bike in Japan? Renting a bicycle in Japan is very easy. Inbound visitors have access to a variety of bicycle rental apps.
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Docomo Bike Sharing Service is the most popular service. Download the app to your smartphone and sign up for the service. The app allows you to unlock a bicycle and find nearby stations. You can pay using an IC card.
Docomo offers a bicycle rental service for only 165 yen (USD 1.08 at the current exchange rate). You can also buy a 1-day pass for 1,650 yen (10.08 USD) and ride as much as you want.
You can also rent bikes from Hello Cycling, a company with around 2,000 stations in the world.
How To Bike in Japan
Wakasu is a seaside park with a dedicated 6km bike path that runs alongside Tokyo Bay. On a clear day, the views are breathtaking. (Photo by the author).
What are the rules of biking in Japan? There are two ways to answer this question. The law and what people do are two different things.
The Law
The rules of the road are simple. Japan drives on the right, so you should always ride to the left. Use the designated bicycling lanes on sidewalks. There are often sharp marks (also called “shared arrows” or “paint in the road”) that indicate that a portion of the leftmost driving lanes is reserved for cyclists.
You must obey traffic signs and laws wherever you ride. Stop at all red traffic lights, and only proceed when the light is in your favour. Turning red is not allowed in this country, so you should always wait for the light to turn green.
The hook-turn rule is important. Japanese law states that bicycles must always stay on the left-hand side of the road. To turn right you must go straight through the crosswalk and turn to the left, then go straight again when the light changes. Do Not Get into the right-turning lane along with vehicle traffic.
(Picture: Jitenshajiko-Sodan) The blue line shows how cyclists should turn left; the red line is for cars. (Picture: Jitenshajiko-Sodan)
Be alert to signs that state areas where bikes are not allowed. This is most evident on the Rainbow Bridge at Odaiba. You can’t ride your bike on the road of the bridge, and you’re not allowed to ride in the pedestrian walkway. You can only get across if you rent platform riders to push your bicycle through. It’s lame, I know.
There is one exception, however—the Grand Cycle Tokyo in December. If you register for this event, you can ride the Rainbow Bridge, the Tokyo Bay Bridge, and the Tokyo Bay Bridge.
What people do
If you watch cyclists for a while, you will see that they do pretty much anything they want. Bicyclists will be seen on the right and left sides of the road, blazing past stop signs and being generally dangerous.
It’s tempting for a foreigner or tourist to Xiang niRu tsutehaXiang niCong e. Refrain from giving in to the temptation. The only reason cyclists can get away with breaking the rules is because police officers are not looking. A police officer reprimands you and may even get a ticket if they catch you.
Helmets are another area where law and practice differ. Helmets are required for cycling in Tokyo. Few people wear them. There is no penalty for not complying with the law, and the police haven’t been very strict in enforcing this. Wearing one will reduce your risk of serious injury to 60%.
