Tokyo is one of today's top bicycle cities in the world, with about 127 million Japanese mounting their bikes to work, to school, to the groceries, in-between train stations, to the park, everywhere!
In an April 2018 visit, most of Tokyo's main roads and pedestrian lanes have bike lanes (that's right, 2 lanes for bikers!) making its non-motorized bikers the most privileged road users in Asia (okay, I have not checked out China, yet).
This should be a cause of envy for all sustainability-advocating leaders all over:
1. Bike is economic - no gas, diesel, electricity needed
2. It is healthy - a good form of exercise, burn those extras.
3. Environmental - no fumes.
4. Fun.
Like most forms of travel, biking or cycling has its risks and dangers. But major cities' adoption of cycling as a mode of transport (that includes Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Strasbourg, Eindhoven, Malmö, Nantes, Bordeaux) has rallied planners and governments to re-consider their options in urbanization, in movements of increasing populations amidst pollution and health problems.
This can be said of Tokyo. It has a rocky recent history about biking when there had been a biking accident involving an elderly victim so that from 2013 to 2015, one cannot imagine how bikers had been "persecuted" by strict local laws from apprehension due to numerous offences: cycling with headphones, without brakes, or carrying passengers. They even considered issuing bike plates!
By 2018, these have become a thing of the past as bike tours and bike parkings become an essential part of the Tokyo landscape. This is what we experienced with Noel of Tokyo Biking Tours.
Some of the more notable perks of biking in Tokyo are the many lovely flower plants that dot the side streets, in-a-hurry-but-polite pedestrians, the city's cleanliness, the many bike parking spots, and of course, the safety. Everyone is doing their best never to annoy their fellow humans (so much like the rest of Tokyo!).
The tour ended at the same parking area, with Noel parting with more tips and lots of smile!
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In an April 2018 visit, most of Tokyo's main roads and pedestrian lanes have bike lanes (that's right, 2 lanes for bikers!) making its non-motorized bikers the most privileged road users in Asia (okay, I have not checked out China, yet).
This should be a cause of envy for all sustainability-advocating leaders all over:
1. Bike is economic - no gas, diesel, electricity needed
2. It is healthy - a good form of exercise, burn those extras.
3. Environmental - no fumes.
4. Fun.
Like most forms of travel, biking or cycling has its risks and dangers. But major cities' adoption of cycling as a mode of transport (that includes Copenhagen, Amsterdam, Utrecht, Strasbourg, Eindhoven, Malmö, Nantes, Bordeaux) has rallied planners and governments to re-consider their options in urbanization, in movements of increasing populations amidst pollution and health problems.
This can be said of Tokyo. It has a rocky recent history about biking when there had been a biking accident involving an elderly victim so that from 2013 to 2015, one cannot imagine how bikers had been "persecuted" by strict local laws from apprehension due to numerous offences: cycling with headphones, without brakes, or carrying passengers. They even considered issuing bike plates!
By 2018, these have become a thing of the past as bike tours and bike parkings become an essential part of the Tokyo landscape. This is what we experienced with Noel of Tokyo Biking Tours.
Bikes in Tokyo have become the preferred family mode of transport.
Two kids huddle as they wait for their mother parking her bike at one of Tokyo's many bike parking facilities...
The group assembled at the Monzen-nakacho station where an elevated bike
parking is located nearby. We proceeded over the bridge of Sumida
River, where we can see the Tokyo Tree in a distance.
The Sumida River.
We were soon navigating the Tsukiji Fish Market,
which Noel says, would soon be levelled and transferred to Toyosu and
built as a modern Fish Market replete of the wooden carts with huge drums plying the area. (Many of these carts might resurrect at Divisoria). Then, to the Ginza District with its famous shops, buildings from hotels to research facilities... before we headed to the Imperial Parks.
Endangered and dead huge bluefin tuna...
The Edo Palaces.
The Tokyo Central Station... Beneath is a parallel subway city.
Throughout the tour, travel had been quite safe, more on the fun of sight-seeing side. We never had an issue with pedestrians and motorists alike, except when Noel had to call the attention of a car driver who turned right despite the red light, of which we were about to cross. The car was too slow to cause any damage or threat, though.
Noel of Tokyo Biking Tours.
The tour ended at the same parking area, with Noel parting with more tips and lots of smile!
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