Commuting - cycling in Japan

Ive been in Japan for the past 3 weeks. It has a very distinctive cycling culture. Almost everyone rides very cheap step-through "Grandmother" singlespeeds with hub brakes , fenders, chainguards, front basket, kick-stand and dynamo lights. Schoolkids, buisnesmen, office ladies, grannies, all use identical machines.

I saw a few roadified MTBs and road bikes (one with a kickstand!!).

They use bikes more as assisted walking than self-propelled vehicles. Cycling happens on the sidewalk, except in the smaller residential streets.

People cycle in their ordinary clothing. When it rains they use umbrellas. I didnt see a single helmet on a rider. Drivers seem to watch out for cyclists in the city streets.


Cycling is not an activity for geeks, nerds or enviro-bods. Its just a normal part of everyday life.

I cycled in Korea for two years total. One year from 1983-1984 and the second from 1998-1999.

Cycling there too was somewhat the same. We Americans at the air base I was stationed (Kunsan) had a good year (1998-1999) in that there just happened to be a bunch of us "roadies" stationed there at the same time. There were 13 of us all total. We'd get togather and ride out into the countryside.

I had my little Ford Ranger over there with me and would drive out, map in hand and scope out good ride routes. We drew up so very good ones too.

We got out in the countryside, where I swear, the people hadn't seen Americans since the Korean War! The reactions to lycra was sometimes comical! The more we rode these routes the more the people got used to us. It was fun! And some of the best riding I have ever encountered. There was no raod rage.

The first time I was there (1983-1984), there were more Koreans riding. The second time I was there there were far less bicycles and many more cars.

In Japan I heard tandems were outlawed? But the police tend to look the other way if you happen to be riding one.

The part of the world in which I live has quite a large Japanese population (the last time I checked they owned half of Surfers Paradise). For some reason, they are about the only group of drivers I never have any problems with. For some other reason, there is a stupid stereotype of them in this country that suggests they are supposed to be bad drivers.

Maybe they're just the only ones who make the effort to actually follow the road rules :eek:

Those Japanese bikes are called "Charis", and are about as plain as you can get. Many people own 2, one for the commute to the train, and one for the ride from the train to the office.
Drop bars are rare in Japan, since people there believe that they promote racing, and schools will not allow students to bring a bike equipped with them to class. The moustache bar was designed for this reason.

Originally posted by MichaelW
Cycling is not an activity for geeks, nerds or enviro-bods. Its just a normal part of everyday life.
That's what I mean.

Coincidently, I just returned from Japan today. I got a neat Keirin bicycle racing advertising poster which I lifted from the subway.

Bicycling does have a strong culture in Japan - probably more than they recognize. When I was taking the poster, a couple of college students got a kick out of it which led to a discussion.

I asked them if they were bicyclists. They replied, "No, just average- you know, bicycle to the train station and stuff".

When I asked them if they bicycled every day, their collective response was, "Of course, like I said I am an average bicycle user"!

Originally posted by mike
Coincidently, I just returned from Japan today. I got a neat Keirin bicycle racing advertising poster which I lifted from the subway.
Gai-jin! (Is that the term? :D )


Bicycling does have a strong culture in Japan - probably more than they recognize. When I was taking the poster, a couple of college students got a kick out of it which led to a discussion.
You speak Japanese? :eek: I guess you do...


I asked them if they were bicyclists. They replied, "No, just average- you know, bicycle to the train station and stuff".

When I asked them if they bicycled every day, there response was, "Of course, like I said I am an average bicycle user"!
Wow! :beer:

The 'serious' bike scene here is not as backward as you might think. Road biking is getting more popular.

There aren't enough century rides since most Japanese police departments consider bikes a nuisance and won't give permission for events except on closed roads. The one place Japan really excels is in hillclimb races.

The biggest hillclimb of the year, Norikura, attracts 3,000 riders for a 22km climb that gains 1,400m in altitude. It peaks at 2,800m with fantastic views (and reduced oxygen.)

Norikura is only two days away. I'll be there trying for a personal best - wish me luck.

Good luck! Let us know how the climb turns out!

Originally posted by Gus Riley
Good luck! Let us know how the climb turns out!

Thanks, Gus!

I beat my best time by 5 seconds. Not much, but a record is a record. Not that was in contention to win the race. Top 20% in my age bracket is the best I can do.

The start was a staggered mass time trial start and this year they took 4,000 riders before they started turning people away. The last third of the race is well above the treeline and looking down at the switchbacks below, I could see thousands of riders snaking up the mountain. An amazing sight. No traffic jams on the slopes, though.

A great ride!
:)