Cycling in Tokyo

Lately, there have been a few threads about using bicycles in Japan. Some issues have already been covered in these threads, but let me add my two yen worth. I am an avid biker, using the bicycle as sole means of urban transportation since early spring. Conclusio: Japan is a bicycle-friendly country.

However, here are a few personal observations (please don't take them too serious, as your "mileage" may vary).



Pavements

It is perfectly common to ride bikes on the pavement. Although larger roads usually have designated bicycle lanes, no one seems to respect them, in particular pedestrians. In Tokyo and probably other large cities too, they tend to ignore cyclists unless a bike boasts a 50-decibel horns or you literally run them down. Remember: pedestrians are evil.


Street traffic

In order to avoid busy pavements it's good advice to use streets wherever possible. According to my experiences, Japanese motorists are very cautious and gentle as far as "soft targets" are concerned. They even seem to expect cyclists and pedestrians to cross at red light, they therefore approach traffic lights and junctions quite cautiously. However, don't rely on it, at junctions I always try to establish eye contact with car drivers.


Theft & authorities

Unless you park your 200.000yen de luxe mountain bike unchained in Kabuki-cho, there is only a slight chance a bicycle will be stolen. I think it has been mentioned in another thread: city authorities have the ugly habit of confiscating bikes parked close to stations. These bike razzias seem to take place once a month and improve the city's tax income as you have to fork out transportation & administrative fees in order to redeem your bicycle (cost me 3.000yen last month). On the subject of authorities: I have never been asked to produce my registration card or proof of ownership, no matter how hard I tried to prompt police action. I attribute that to my innocent looks.


Busy areas

While biking avoid busy commercial areas at specific times: between 9 & 10am subway stations spawn Men in Black and OLs (salarymen and "office ladies") at frightfully regular interval, there is no way a lone cyclist could possibly cope with these corporate hordes (similar between 12 & 1pm due to lunch break and 5 & 7pm when mainly OLs and few renegade MiBs leave office). Remember: pedestrians are evil, but virtually predominant during certain times of the day.


Cell phone peril

Another most dangerous subspecies of pavement dwellers is what I'm inclined to call "keizos" (keitai zombies), people walking with their eyes transfixed to their cell phone displays. While they are abundant in motionless state on trains and subways, they can also be spotted moving eerily in the flow of traffic. No need to ring, they wouldn't notice you until you rub noses or dispossess them of their keitai. Ergo: circumvent at maximum distance.


Other risks

However, danger is also imminent from your fellow cyclists. While Japanese traffic regulations stipulate to drive on the left side of the road, the same does not appear to apply to traffic on pavements. Passing oncoming bicycles can sometimes turn into some sort of Russian roulette.

Other categories of cyclists to pay attention to:

- swervers: mostly children, oji- & obasan. Defying gravitation, they master 90 degree swerves at minimum speed. Most of the time, they wouldn't even notice that you risked your neck in order not to hit them.

- keitai gogglers: the wheeled version of "keizos". Equally perilous.

- umbrella swervers, single-handed cyclists, abundant in rain, but also during sunshine (aka parasol swervers, mostly female). Ultimate danger when using a cell phone.

- BoBs (baby on board), usually mothers carrying their infants to kindergarten or preschool and/or taking their siblings (up to two) along to the next supermarket. Notorious for their heedless driving. Avoid whenever possible.

- gaismaps (gaijin smartiepants) such as the speeding author of these lines who in his sheer arrogance deems himself above traffic regulations despite having caused one bicycle accident and suffered countless self-inflicted injuries.




Japan is a bicycle-friendly country.

That was pretty interesting.

My borrowed cheepo bike got nicked from outside the station!! I come back and walking around, bike lock key in hand looking for the bike... GONE! Never saw it again. Reported it to the police and even broke into the bike impound to no avail.

Prudent pedaling

The printed edition of the Daily Yomiuri published a related article on Saturday, Sept. 18. Unfortunately, the online edition is no longer available, which is the reason why I am posting the article here. I would like to draw your attention to the Japanese Road Traffic law and its stipulations related to bicyclists (boldened below).

Prudent pedaling

Local communities cracking down on bicycle-related accidents

Saori Kan / Daily Yomiuri Staff Writer

Pedestrians have increasingly become victims of accidents involving bicycles, often suffering grievous injury and sometimes death. However, many cyclists probably are unaware that they could be arrested and punished for violating the Road Traffic Law.

It was 4:47 p.m. on May 22, 2002. A 38-year-old pedestrian using a crosswalk on her way to go shopping in the Narimasu area of Itabashi Ward, Tokyo, was hit by a bicycle and struck her head when she hit the ground. The woman, a mother of four boys, died two days later at a nearby hospital.

The cyclist, a 31-year-old man, collided with the pedestrian because he was riding with a bottled soft drink in his hand and failed to brake as he came down a slope. The man had no insurance to provide compensation to the woman's bereaved family.

There were 1,060 accidents involving cyclists in Itabashi Ward in 2002, accounting for 36 percent of all road traffic accidents in the ward that year, or double the average rate of Tokyo's 23 wards.

Hirobumi Yatsu, a traffic management official of the ward office, learned about the crosswalk collision much later, as the police didn't count the crash as a fatal accident for statistical or media purposes because the victim died more than 24 hours later.

"We don't want such an accident to happen again," Yatsu said.

The woman's death made the ward office decide to take steps to try to prevent further bicycle-related accidents. In April last year, the ward enacted the Bicycle Safety Ordinance, which requires bicyclists to obey the Road Traffic Law and to have their bikes undergo periodic inspection and maintenance.

The ordinance includes no penalty for violators, but it is said to be the first local government ordinance in the nation enacted to raise the safety consciousness of cyclists. Following Itabashi Ward's example, the city of Mitaka, in western Tokyo, also enacted a bicycle safety ordinance in April this year.

As one accident-prevention measure under the ordinance, ward office officials and police officers hit the streets one morning a month to warn reckless cyclists, distributing brochures showing what kinds of behavior could be punished under the law.

On Sept. 10, when I observed the campaign at a crossing on a crowded highway near the ward office and a Toei Line subway station, most cyclists rode across the intersection on bicycle paths running parallel to the crosswalks as they were supposed to. However, some of them used the crosswalks without getting off their bikes or even slowing down. A number of them rushed into the crossing even after the light had turned red.

However, the number of bicycle accidents in the ward in the year the ordinance was enacted increased by 27 to 1,087. "Hopefully, the reason for the increase is that even those slightly injured reported their accidents to police as people became more aware of bicycle-related accidents after the ordinance was enacted," Yatsu said.

An association of shop managers on the Happy Road Oyama Shotengai shopping street near Oyama Station on the Tobu Tojo Line in the ward is running a campaign in which shoppers are asked to dismount from their bikes and walk them along the narrow, busy street.

"The number of bicycles in this area increased significantly. As far as I know, many of the reckless riders are young males, including middle and high school students," said Yasuko Araki, who runs a 50-year-old shop on the shopping street and usually participates in the twice-a-month campaign.

"I believe people have become more conscious about riding safely and with good manners since the campaign started in March. So have I myself. I'm happy as many pedestrians said: 'Thank you for conducting the campaign.' I want to continue this."

Currently, many local governments, including Itabashi Ward, are issuing "bicycle-riding licenses" for participants in a short course on safe riding. The first of these was Arakawa Ward, Tokyo, in July 2002.

Participants in the course, held once a month in a local park, are taught safe riding practices by police officers and are asked to answer 10 questions about correct cycling behavior.

"Our ward had the fewest traffic accidents in 2001 among the 23 wards in Tokyo. But about 50 percent of them were bicycle-related. So we launched the license system to raise safety consciousness and reduce accidents," a ward government official said. "We've issued licenses to more than 3,000 adults and children. Although the free course was basically intended only for residents of our ward, more than a few people came from elsewhere after learning about the system on the TV news."


Unawareness of traffic law

The Tokyo-based Bicycle Industry Promotion Association estimates that the number of bicycles in use nationwide has reached 86 million, compared with only 5.6 million in 1945. About 11.2 million bicycles were sold in Japan last year.

Bicycles often can be seen running without lights on at night, and it is not unusual to see cyclists zipping very close to pedestrians at high speeds on crowded sidewalks. Such behavior is illegal, not to mention dangerous.

According to the National Police Agency, 2,243 accidents in which pedestrians were hit by bicycles were reported nationwide in 2003, an increase of 302 cases from the previous year. The number of people injured in such accidents rose by 306 to 2,045 from 2002, and the death toll doubled from three to six. The number of accidents was about four times that of 10 years ago.

Riders, who carry another person on the bike, can be fined up to 20,000 yen. Cyclists who are found talking on their cell phones or riding while holding an umbrella may receive a maximum prison sentence of three months or be fined up to 50,000 yen. Those who cause an accident resulting in death may be charged with negligence and manslaughter under the Penal Code.

Of course, not only cyclists are to blame for accidents involving pedestrians.

It is natural that most cyclists want to use sidewalks as traffic-jammed roads are typically far from bike-friendly and are understandably seen as too dangerous.

As a solution, Itabashi Ward is building bicycle lanes along a highway by dividing broad sidewalks into two sections. The total length is only 1.5 kilometers, but it is better than nothing.

Revisions to the Road Traffic Law in 1979 permitted bicyclists to ride on some sidewalks. The regulation stipulates that such cyclists should ride slowly on the outer side of a sidewalk and stop to make way for pedestrians.

But most riders only become aware of these rules when they are warned by police.


Police crack down on reckless cyclists

In May last year, a 20-year-old man was arrested in Kawasaki after he ignored a warning by police and continued riding a bicycle with an adult passenger behind him. The man tried to escape even after an officer halted the bicycle simply by grabbing it, but he didn't get far.

With an increasing number of bike-related accidents caused by irresponsible riding, police have begun taking stricter action against reckless cyclists who ignore or disobey warnings over violations of the traffic law.

In 2003, a 20-year-old man was arrested in Kawasaki for shouting at a police officer who tried to stop him while he was riding a bicycle carrying another man near an intersection.

In July, the Metropolitan Police Department arrested a 36-year-old man in Hino, western Tokyo, for riding a bicycle under the influence of alcohol.

Yukio Horiuchi, former policeman who is now a counselor for the Japan Traffic Management Technology Association, said: "Cyclists should recognize reckless riding can cause accidents. They shouldn't think obeying the law is burdensome. It is a self-protection measure to protect themselves, not only pedestrians."

Click to expand...

The same edition featured an article about bike insurances, highly recommended to everyone relying on the bicycle such as I:

Number of insured bicyclists decreasing

Despite the increasing number of bicycle-related accidents, which in 2003 was about four times as many as 10 years ago, the percentage of bicycle owners buying insurance is decreasing.

Bridgestone Cycle Co., based in Ageo, Saitama Prefecture, which sold 1.22 million bicycles in Japan last year, has the biggest share of the domestic bicycle market. The company has been providing voluntary "Cycle Mate" insurance to people who buy the company's bikes.

The insurance costs 1,900 yen or 3,800 yen for one or two years, respectively. Bike owners are covered for up to 1 million yen when they are injured or cause injury to others in an accident. As well, when a person's bicycle is stolen, they can get a new one by paying only 30 percent of the price of the same model bicycle.

According to the Bicycle Industry Promotion Association, over the last four years more than 10 million new bicycles were manufactured and imported each year. The organization estimates that the total number of bicycles currently owned in Japan has reached 86 million.

"However, the percentage of (insurance) subscribers is decreasing," Yoshio Matsumori, an official of Bridgestone Cycle, said. "It was about 10 percent a decade ago, but in 2003 it was only 3 percent. A standard bike used to cost 50,000 yen, but now it is only 20,000 yen to 30,000 yen. Bike owners apparently think they can simply buy a new one if their bicycles break down or are stolen."

The number of cheaper bikes imported from China, which cost 5,000 yen to 10,000 yen, is rapidly increasing. About 70 percent of new bicycles sold in Japan last year were made in China.

The Japan Traffic Management Technology Association, which is administered by the National Police Agency, launched "TS" (Traffic Safety) insurance in 1982 after the Road Traffic Law was revised in 1979 to permit bicyclists to ride on sidewalks.

Under the insurance, bike owners pay 500 yen or 1,000 yen and are covered up to 5 million yen or 10 million yen, respectively, if they injure others.

The period covered by the insurance is only a year. People who want to update the insurance must pay every year after having their bikes inspected by an authorized mechanic.

"Inspections may be free or cost a minimal amount of money, so it would be beneficial for them to obtain the insurance," said Yukio Horiuchi, a former policeman who is a member of the vehicle organization.

However, the number of TS subscribers is decreasing. There were 1.2 million subscribers in 2001, but they had dropped last year to 1 million. "Nowadays, about 70 percent of bicycle shops are general merchandise store, which deal mainly with cheap Chinese products. I think this is one of the reasons for the decrease," he said.

Horiuchi added: "Authorized mechanics are required to raise safe-riding awareness by advising people when they buy bikes at their shops. Actually, however, it seems many mechanics don't do it."

Concerned about the increase in bicycle-related accidents, Horiuchi added: "As a cycle-related organization, we want to call people's attention to our bike insurance system and the risks of reckless riding."

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thomas said:

- umbrella swervers, single-handed cyclists, abundant in rain, but also during sunshine (aka parasol swervers, mostly female). Ultimate danger when using a cell phone.

- gaismaps (gaijin smartiepants) such as the speeding author of these lines who in his sheer arrogance deems himself above traffic regulations despite having caused one bicycle accident and suffered countless self-inflicted injuries.




Japan is a bicycle-friendly country.

Click to expand...

Bicyclist....

hehe... both!

I am a regular bicyclist too and agree that pedestrians are evil! WHen in a car, however: pedestrians (and bicyclists) are evil!!

I do have a car but when I have to do deal with some personal stuff around the city I always hop on my bike. I keep the car for rainy days or for those moments when I'm in a big hurry. My husband does the same and we try to make our kids understand the importance of consuming less oil based products and stop polluting the atmosphere.
If only every country would make special places for cyclists...
I know what you mean about those people reading messages or playing on their phone while walking. They never pay attention and there were many times when I almost did an accident.

I've only been here a year (and a few moments on this forum, hello everyone!) but I've had enough experiences to write a book on cycling in Tokyo...

The main highlight would be buying a mama chari and riding around unhindered and care-free for 6 months or more until for some reason I was stopped about 6 times by police. One time my front light packed in and so I was stopped, fair enough but damn.. it worked after the officer was out of sight? And that happened twice. A few times were bit sinister, in that 2 officers would watch me go past and then I would here the raattling of their shiro mama chari's from behind me .. they would interview me as to where and WHY I had such a heap of junk and I would be a bit annoyed and explain it's a great bike and gets me from A(u) to B(u) without trouble. I mean she works fine and is reall well looked after retro biku! Everytime I was stopped I was asked for my Alien Card though. Also, and something no-one has mentioned, I would be told to be careful about having a bag in the front basket and to wrap the sraps around the handlebars, it would seem that bag theft has happened somewhere, probably once, and they advise you about that ...

think thats enough for first post , good luck !

Good thread this - as oil prices keep on rising, so will the popularity of two wheeled transport, especially human powered.

There seem to be lots of comments about the risks of cycling. Episode 35 of The Japanofiles Podcast deals with the topic of bicycles (and accidents) in Japan.

Ewok85 said:

My borrowed cheepo bike got nicked from outside the station!! I come back and walking around, bike lock key in hand looking for the bike... GONE! Never saw it again. Reported it to the police and even broke into the bike impound to no avail.

Click to expand...

I got a crappy old basket bike knicked too. Sucks. I live in the countryside, these things shouldn't happen. To be fair I didn't lock it at all, and it was the station the highschool kids hang around so...