PatPaul
後輩
- 19 Dec 2015
- 45
- 8
- 23
Hello Everyone,
I would like to know if anyone could give me some clarification about the rules of the road for bicyclists in Japan. Today an old man riding a bike going in wrong direction hit me while I was on my bike. I am sure this has happened to others, like it has to me, on many occasions. In the past, I have gone to my local KOBAN to ask the police to please explain the rules of the road, since I might have been in the wrong. In addition, I asked my Japanese brother-in-law, who works at the Central Police HQ, to explain the rules to me. I walked with him outside to the main road, and indicated the green arrow signs painted on the road on the left hand side of the street, indicating the one-way flow of traffic (the arrows pointed in one direction, the same a motor vehicles). He said that it is OK to ride in both directions, since the lane is wide enough for bike traffic to go both ways. I know there are special cyclist lanes in my city, where the lanes are side-by-side, and are clearly marked which way cyclists are to ride, and the same for the cyclist/pedestrian lanes, which clearly designate which lane to travel on...So, is there a definitive law that states bicyclists are required to ride on the left hand side of the street, as cars do? When I visited the KOBAN, I was given a pamphlet of the the traffic rules, written in Japanese. I did a Google search to try to find out if I am in the wrong. I read several stories written by fellow foreign cyclists who described the dangerous situations they have encountered, where mothers riding those bikes with the baby carrier, coming towards them in the opposite direction. I live in Kagawa-ken, and "assume" the traffic laws are uniform throughout the country. I am a careful defensive driver (cyclist) with all bells, lights, baskets, helmet, and an battery-operated neon flashing vest, like road construction crew wear, which I put on when I cycle in the evening, but it seems to matter little.
Sincerely,
PatPaul
I would like to know if anyone could give me some clarification about the rules of the road for bicyclists in Japan. Today an old man riding a bike going in wrong direction hit me while I was on my bike. I am sure this has happened to others, like it has to me, on many occasions. In the past, I have gone to my local KOBAN to ask the police to please explain the rules of the road, since I might have been in the wrong. In addition, I asked my Japanese brother-in-law, who works at the Central Police HQ, to explain the rules to me. I walked with him outside to the main road, and indicated the green arrow signs painted on the road on the left hand side of the street, indicating the one-way flow of traffic (the arrows pointed in one direction, the same a motor vehicles). He said that it is OK to ride in both directions, since the lane is wide enough for bike traffic to go both ways. I know there are special cyclist lanes in my city, where the lanes are side-by-side, and are clearly marked which way cyclists are to ride, and the same for the cyclist/pedestrian lanes, which clearly designate which lane to travel on...So, is there a definitive law that states bicyclists are required to ride on the left hand side of the street, as cars do? When I visited the KOBAN, I was given a pamphlet of the the traffic rules, written in Japanese. I did a Google search to try to find out if I am in the wrong. I read several stories written by fellow foreign cyclists who described the dangerous situations they have encountered, where mothers riding those bikes with the baby carrier, coming towards them in the opposite direction. I live in Kagawa-ken, and "assume" the traffic laws are uniform throughout the country. I am a careful defensive driver (cyclist) with all bells, lights, baskets, helmet, and an battery-operated neon flashing vest, like road construction crew wear, which I put on when I cycle in the evening, but it seems to matter little.
Sincerely,
PatPaul