There are no words I can use to describe the sheer number of bicycles over here. On the train station we pass multistorey bike car parks that must have tens of thousands of bikes in them. We constantly see them passing us on roads and foot paths. Most cyclists don’t wear helmets or flashing lights at night. We have to be aware when walking to make sure we don’t stop or turn rapidly as a bike may be passing us at that moment. When you consider the sheer size and population of Tokyo the bikes make sense, as they allow easy transportation to the nearest train station, and can be easily parked in large bays two levels high. There are multiple parking areas up to several blocks from the station, usually with different pricing schemes.
Some things we have seen involving bikes:
Occurred while cycling
- Man eating with chopsticks
- Reading magazine
- Talking on mobile
- Dog hanging on to back luggage rack (no basket)
Other things:
- Family of 3, baby in front basket, mother cycling and 3 year old on back of bike
- Yakult delivery bike
