Biking in Japan

11 comments

1. This is a copy of your post for archive/search purposes.

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   **Biking in Japan**

   Hey guys, I will be moving to Japan next year, and I’d like to know how convenient it is to bike in Japan.

   I plan to use bikes as my main commuting/city-exploration method, and I have below questions:

   Will a mama-shari be good enough?

   Since the parking is a big pain in the arse, is it better to get a foldable bike, like Brompton and carry it around?

   Will an electric bike be better?

   Thanks!

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2. Japan is a big country and you need to narrow it down a bit if you want a useful answer.

3. I was born to answer this question 😤

   I’ve been living in Tokyo for a little over a year and a few months prior I purchased a Brompton with the same intention and brought it with me when I moved. I can tell you my experience and offer advice but like someone else said your experience will depend on where in Japan you are moving to. Which prefecture?

4. I have been here in Tokyo for almost a year now. I basically cycle everywhere.

   I brought my own mountain bike, so I cannot say anything about purchasing one. But I do feel that people generally are very slow on these bikes. Maybe invest in one that’s not rusty and in good condition. If you always take the bike instead of the train, it adds up quickly.

   As for parking: I never had any problems finding a parking. But I guess that depends on the region. Many restaurants also allow you to park it on their property if you ask nicely.

   Drop me a DM if you come to Tokyo and need some cycling tips!

5. As other mentioned, it all depends. Are you moving to Tokyo? If so, where in Tokyo do you want to use the bike? For example, if you want commute by bicycle to the financial district around Marunouchi or Otemachi, bicycle parking lots charge 500 yen/day minimum. I have seen a lot charging JPY700/day. At that rate, it is way better to use a share bike. Check out Docomo Bike or Luup. Still nice to have your own bicycle, but share bikes are better for certain use cases.

6. I rode my brakeless bmx bike around Tokyo, I didn’t have any problems even though I was brakeless. I did what Japanese did when it came to riding in the road, stopping at lights, etc.

7. I use a Brompton and yes a “rinko” bag to completely cover the bike is required for trains. If you don’t mind having to carry the Brompton around stations, looking for elevators etc, then it’s pretty decent. This is based on my experience within Tokyo.

8. While I don’t live in Tokyo, I love riding my bike around here to the point where I’ve decided to not have a second car for our family. But don’t buy a mamachairi. They are heavy, most don’t have modern disc brakes so they suck at stopping when wet and they are pretty slow. They are cheap but don’t look enjoyable to ride. There is a reason why so many people walk them up any slope, they are designed for literally flat roads.

   Buying any entry level mountain bike with even mechanical disc brakes will be a huge improvement. I’d also stay away from the big company branded bikes like Hummer and Chevrolet and such. They are low quality as well. Look for something from Giant, Trek or Merida. They are pretty popular here and can find something decent for not a huge amount of money.

9. My bro is currently there and biking everywhere he goes.

   All parking lots (from malls, convenient stores, super markets, train stations and so on) have considerable spaces dedicated to bycicles. It’s very convenient.

   The streets are narrow though. At times there’re no sidewalks so people with and without their bycicles are forced to go side-by-side with cars.

   Japanse terrain is very plain so it’s a perfect country to bike in terms of land configuration. It just lacks enough space here and there.

10. If you are planning on a Bi-modal commute (Carrying your bike inside the train/bus), make sure it is inside a rinko bag (carrying bag). There are some places where you cant just leave your bike.

    Also, make sure to purchase a headlight. I’ve been stopped before by a policeman because I didn’t have my headlights.

    Make sure to also register your bike. It will be a problem when you get stopped randomly and your bike doesnt have a registration sticker.

11. So glad to see so many Brompton riders here. Fucking love my Brompton