Bicycles in Tokyo

06/02/2002 English German

Edition # 40
San Francisco, 06-02-2002

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Bicycles in Tokyo

Angelika In the mega-metropolis of Tokyo, we were surprised by the many cyclists. But of course, parking spaces in such a dense environment are extremely scarce, and traffic during rush hour is only slowly moving, so it makes sense to use not only public transportation but also bicycles. We saw men in suits and women in stylish shoes pedaling away. No one wore a helmet. Some brave souls even rode on the street in the thickest traffic. It is often allowed to ride bicyles on the sidewalk. Sometimes, there is even a lane designated as a bike path. However, cyclists speed along quite quickly even when there is no specially designated bike path. Like in a slalom, they maneuver their bicycles through the crowds of pedestrians.

Figure [1]: Cyclist in a suit

Figure [2]: The youth romantically rides together as a couple.

Even drivers struggle with the cramped conditions. They drive very well, swiftly, and can park in very tight spaces, tighter than anywhere else in the world (Figure 3).