Japan gets tough on cyclists
 

From 4 April Financial Times: If you're touring in Japan be warned the police are imposing fines for 113 cycling infractions. Use your bell the wrong time: $19. Brake suddenly: $38. Parking in a spot reserved for the elderly: $76. There are also fines associated with using headphones, cycling with one hand, using fixed gear bikes with no brakes, for unevenly loaded cargo, riding while holding an umbrella. The reason for the crackdown? Research shows that in 75% of accidents the cyclist was in violation of existing traffic laws..

From the examples, it sounds like if they added a couple more laws, they could get the rate up to 100%.

The one that caught my attention was ”riding side by side, two or more bicycles” 3000 yen ($19)

When touring with a friend, we often ride side by side on more or less empty roads, moving into single file when a car is heard/seen coming from behind.

Probably in practice this wouldn’t be a problem
Roadies won’t like it, I guess :/

Has anyone found a list of all the 113 new infractions?

The FT article was short, did not say much. But this paragraph added some clarity for me:

Many of the new penalties are designed to enforce traffic rules that are
rigorously applied to motor vehicles but for which cyclists — from parents
conveying children to school to couriers delivering lunch boxes to office
workers — have long faced only verbal warnings.

Thus, sounds like it is not a specific attack on bicyclists, more of a reaction to not following rules.

Another paragraph:

One particularly controversial new rule will require cyclists to ride on the road,
rather than the pavement. Children and those over the age of 70 will be
exempt, but the rule stands to force millions of cyclists on to unfamiliar streets,
where they will encounter drivers unaccustomed to sharing road space.

I think what I provided here is not enough to get in trouble for copyright violations, but I hesitate to provide more for that reason. That last paragraph indicated that polling of the population indicated most were supportive of the new system.

How are they going to define "braking suddenly?"

If cycling in Japan is anything like it is in the rest of the western world, this "statistic" must be total hogwash and a very bad case of victim blaming. Reminds me of a similar situation in Belgium where the Antwerp police initiated a campaign based on the statistic that 1 in 2 traffic accidents in the city were caused by cyclists either riding on the sidewalk or in the wrong direction in a bicycle lane. This proved nonsense (both infractions weren't even in the top 10): it was a politically motivated manipulation to whip up some anti bicycle sentiment in election times. Quickly debunked and causing the Antwerp police to eat (a little) crow.

Some of the characters in your post are not allowed

I've yet to notice any difference - no change in the cycling behavior of the general public or police actively trying to catch offending cyclists.

I think most of the 113 cycling infractions were already technically illegal, but now police can issue fines under the "blue ticket" system.

Fines are not paid on the spot though, so be warned. There have already been instances of scams where fake police have caught an unknowing cyclist breaking one of the now ticketable laws and demanding a fine be paid on the spot.

https://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/en/news/20260414_10/

I wonder if they would give a western bike tourist a break. And what is the "blue ticket"?

Yes, western (and other) bike tourists would most like just get a warning if stopped, especially if polite and respectful. Like this woman below. Blue is the colour of the ticket you get when fined. Blue = fine.

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DXlIwOLCGxT/

Thanks for the answer. I was thinking the Blue ticket was a special kind of ticket or something. My plans for a Japan tour in a year or two are still on :)