Experience Japan on Pedals
Flowers are all out, the sunshine is getting bright and warmer, and the fresh air feels nice. This beautiful weather is the blessing of Japan’s spring and summer, and to maximize your stay this time of the year, push the pedals for sightseeing in major destinations in Japan. Bicycles present you pretty much the same sightseeing experience as local pedestrians, and more so when it comes to more popular and iconic landmarks. Tokyo and Kyoto, the two top Japan destinations in Japan for foreign visitors, can be easily cruised around with a rental bicycle.
Other than the nice spring weather, Japan’s characteristic narrow streets and the compact urban zoning are also advantageous for bikers, and riding bicycles are one of the most common ways of commuting in Japanese cirties. Hop on the bike seat and enjoy Japan from the local point of view, and take as much time as you need once you spot something interesting. Experience a different view of Japan from conventional guidebook sightseeing.
TOKYO
The world’s most compact and condense city offers different entertainment to pedestrians/bikers than conventional mass transit tours. The city’s web-like train system is fabulous, but you are definitely missing a lot of charm and small discoveries. Moreover, the recent public concerns for the environment motivates bicycle-friendly development in busy downtown districts. The city’s streets are as winding and narrow as those in European cities: Once stepping into Tokyo’s urban area, it is obvious that bicycles are the advantageous transportation.
Rental bicycles are becoming more available for tourists at hotels, inns and some retail stores. Enjoy dynamic Tokyo from the local’s point of view and at your own pace.
Tokyo Bike
In the prime central area of Tokyo, Tokyo Bike provides high-end BMW Cruise Bikes that are stable and safe on Tokyo’s winding streets. At ¥2,000 (about $20) deposit and ¥2,000 per hour, ¥4,000 for 3+ hours up to 24 hours, this sturdy bike is available to reserve, pick-up and drop-off at the concierge desk of Westin Hotel Tokyo (http://www.westin-tokyo.co.jp/, +81-(0)3-5423-7620) and Sky Bus [tour bus] (http://www.skybus.jp/English/index.html) ticket counter on the 1st floor of Mitsubishi Building in Marunouchi. For more information, go to http://www.hinomaru.co.jp/TokyoBike/index.html (Japanese only).
Tokyo Great Cycling Tour
Tokyo Great Cycling Tour offers English-speaking, one-day cycling tours in central and downtown Tokyo since 2006. From September 2008, they added more tours, visiting more landmarks in Tokyo. Their programs are only on weekends when traffic is reduced and streets made easier for biking. The one-day tour takes about 6 hours to visit charming neighborhoods with thriving local lives, Tokyo’s newly developed waterfront areas, local quarters with historic landmarks and unchanged old neighborhoods, the world famous Tsukiji Fish Market, the Imperial Palace, Parks, shopping districts, Temples and Shrines. Kid seats, trailers and helmets are also available to rent for family participants. They strictly focus on visitors’ perspectives, and their bicycle tours provide different points of view of Tokyo. Make an online reservation at www.tokyocycling.jp, and find out more about the programs and bicycle rental information as well.
Muji Yurakucho
A sleek design store, Mujirushi-Ryohin, known as MUJI, is one of the shopping attractions in Japan after opening several stores in Europe, Asia and finally reaching the US market with New York locations that opened in 2007. One of the largest flagship stores In Tokyo, the store’s birth place, is providing rental bicycle service. Located only steps from Tokyo’s largest shopping district Ginza, MUJI Yurakucho store’s rental bicycles are very convenient for a quick shopping or cycling experience through the side streets of this famous district. You can rent their signature bicycles that are famous for their high quality, sleek design and function at ¥3,000 (about $30) refundable deposit and less than ¥2,000 (about $20) per day. Bring your passport for ID, and they take reservations as early as 10 days in advance. For family tourists looking for an efficient Ginza shopping experience, MUJI Yurakucho also rents strollers. Enjoy MUJI’s simple yet beautiful design products, and cruise around the neighborhood with their fashionable bicycle.
(http://www.mujiyurakucho.com/info/index.asp Japanese only)
Shitamachi Town Cycle
Taito Ward is one of the districts in old Tokyo in downtown, and the municipal office is strongly promoting bicycle traffic to avoid traffic jams and for environmental conservation. It is true that bicycles are well appreciated in a highly populated area like Taito Ward, and since Taito Ward is one of the oldest neighborhoods with a lot of tourist attractions, bicycles are much more convenient for getting around without causing heavy traffic. In order to facilitate better bicycle usage, Taito municipal office started a rental bicycle program for residents who need quick transportation in the neighborhoods. Then why not for tourists? So they apply the same program for the Ward’s tourist areas: Called Shitamachi Town Cycle (literally means downtown cycling), the program’s bicycles are available at 14 inns and small hotels in the Ward, which are populated with foreign tourists. See http://www.city.taito.tokyo.jp/tosizukuri/jitennsha/noru/index.htm for the list of the hotels, inns and bicycle depots where rental bicycles are available (Japanese only).
KYOTO
Bicycles are also very appreciated and advantageous in Kyoto, where narrow streets are jammed with traffic during the high seasons, and finding a parking space just takes up everybody’s vacation time. The slow traffic also runs up the taxi bills, and the Kyoto city bus, the fabulous lines connecting the majority of the historic landmarks, are packed with locals and tourists. Yet it is still too far to walk between multiple places. That is why a bicycle comes in handy for sightseeing and visiting tourist spots much more efficiently and flexibly. In addition, the charm of Kyoto’s old street views is often in back streets and alleys, where cars hardly fit through.
Kyoto Cycling Tour Project (KCTP) is the largest rental bicycle network throughout the Kyoto city, so don’t waste your time looking for a parking space. KCTP rents bicycles and conducts multiple English guided bike tours. KCTP has rental bicycle stations at four convenient locations to most of the popular landmarks in Kyoto; one in front of Kyoto Station, the main train terminal; one near Kinkakuji Temple (a.k.a. the Golden Pavilion); one in the central shopping district Nishiki-Kita; and Fushimi; the southern part of the city.
KCTP owns different types of bicycles, and their ¥100 Kyoto Cycling Map (about $1) is your tour guide while pedaling. Almost all tourist landmarks in Kyoto have bicycle parking areas for visitors on pedals, and depending on your travel schedule, their bicycles are available to pick-up and drop-off at different stations. Go to www.kctp.net/en for bicycle types, rates, guided bike tours and online reservations.
Keep in Mind the Japanese Street Rules
Keep in mind that the street traffic runs on the left side in Japan (just like the UK). When riding a bicycle or crossing the street, be aware of the traffic direction. Also mind where to park the bicycle. Be kind to keep enough room for pedestrians and other traffic on narrow streets, particularly nearby areas to popular landmarks and public facilities.
You would immediately find that the Japanese streets are narrow and usually there is no bike lane. Take sidewalks, not sharing the traffic lanes with cars and trucks. But bikers always should pay attention to pedestrians because sidewalks are still narrow.
——– Nori Akashi : Public Relations Manager at the New York Office of JNTO
Japan National Tourism Organization
New York Office
One Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 1250, New York, NY 10020
TEL: 212-757-5640 www.japantravelinfo.com
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