What a great experience you had in your trip to Japan last year.

Rock on Jeff!!

^_^

Nice bike lane. Are bicylists supposed to stop along with the cars on the road?

Like here, cyclists are expected to follow the same traffic laws as cars. And since there are so many cyclists on the road in Japan, they pretty much have to… unless they want to get flattened.

Is it like Amsterdam, where the pedestrians had better watch out for the bicyclists, as they tend to be as protective of their little patch of right of way as the cars are?

At least, that was my experience being a clueless pedestrian in Amsterdam a few years ago (a pretty embarrassing experience the first time I stopped in the middle of a bike right of way actually; felt like a complete idiot after the fact!).

Chris

Well, the funny this is, there aren’t many true bike lanes in Tokyo… not enough space. Cyclists are expected to keep to the street, but you’ll see many riding on the sidewalk.

Thankfully, most bikes have bells, and most riders I encountered would use them when approaching from behind. It’s also worth noting that the standard bike in Japan is the practical “mamachari” - basically, the sort of bike you’d see old ladies riding everywhere else in the world. These aren’t exactly built for speed, so a collision would probably be more awkward than painful.

In my experience, Japanese cyclists can be a bit unpredictable, so as a pedestrian, it’s best to pay close attention to what’s going on around you. I had a few close calls.