FYI

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-0...arthquake.html

It will be good for their wastelines too

I was in Tokyo during the quake, and was really wishing I had my bike during the 6.5 mile walk back to the hotel.

Great article...

Perhaps bicycles are a great disaster-proof way to get around.

One could argue they never stopped:
https://youtu.be/vK9C9VtCypE

Yes, this is correct. Bicycling in Japan has been on the increase for many years. The bicycle culture in Japan is very strong and probably rivals China today. Bicycles (rather than scooters or electric bicycles) line every sidewalk in Japan. My 75 year old female friend rides her bicycle every day to go shopping and to go to the train station, etc.

Mothers commonly shop by bicycle and bring their children with them. The famous "mamacharo" is designed specifically for that purpose. They weigh a ton due to all the additional hardware, but they float along like clouds - all powered by petite and lovely Japanese women who weigh maybe 110 lbs.

An interesting survey found recently that today's youth no longer consider automobiles high on their priority list of "wants".

Japan really does seem to be a country where bicycle use is ideal. The cities are so dense that automobile use is more trouble than it is worth. Bicycle travel, however, is extraordinarily convenient. Within a ten minute ride, you can find just about anything you need.

Truth be told, bicycles make Tokyo seem very small. I used to ride the subways until I found out how close everything is by bicycle. Today, with bicycle mounted GPS, bicycle riding is more practical than ever before.

I tell you what, if you want to have a really cool Bicycle tour vacation, go to Japan. Travel in Japan isn't as expensive as it used to be. The Japanese people are lovely. Japan is a beautiful country with cool stuff to do and see in infinite abundance.