Please read our 101 guide to riding a bicycle in Tokyo.

2 Main Types of Bicycles

The most common type of bicycle you will see everywhere is a simple bicycle with only one gear, a simple lock, a kickstand, and often a child seat. This is why they are also called “mamachari” (mom’s bicycle). Another type is an electric bicycle, which has a battery and allows you to travel to further destinations. They are also equipped with baskets on the front, where you can keep your stuff.

Rental services

Like in many other cities around the world, Tokyo has also started to use more bicycles and there are more and more rental services opening. You can rent a bicycle on an hourly basis or for a whole day. Some of the services also provide an option for an annual membership. Here are some of the rental services that are available across the city:

Docomo Cycle

Docomo bike share is available across the city and the country. Just download the app, register, find the closest bicycle station and start using it.  All the information you need is available in English here.

Hello Cycling

Similar to Docomo’s service, Hello Cycling also allows you to download the app and use its bikes. You can find all the relevant information here.

Pippa

The last one is Pippa, which works on the same principles.

Buying a bicycle and registering it

If you want to buy a bicycle you can do it online or offline.

You can search for a new bicycle on Amazon or Rakuten. Or you can visit a physical shop. There are plenty of them around the train stations. Also, some of the Don Quixote shops sell bikes as well. For the used bicycles, you can look them up on the internet, Facebook groups, or Craigslist.

As you all know, Japan is considered to be a relatively safe country. Although, even here bicycle theft is not rare. Therefore, you must register your bike, so when something happens, it will be possible to track the bike. If you are buying a new one, the shop is supposed to take care of it. If this is a second-hand one, just go to the nearest police station and do the registration yourself. It costs only 660 yen after the tax. For another 6,000 yen, you can make insurance for your bicycle, which is not a must but recommended.

Rules and parking

One of the major rules is that cyclists are not supposed to use sidewalks. However, almost everyone uses them anyway, even the police officers. If you do not follow this rule, at least remember that you are not allowed to beep the pedestrians. When you ride on a road, you are supposed to do it in the same direction as traffic.

Another important rule is to park only in the designated parking areas, otherwise, your bike can be removed by the authorities, and the only way to get it back will be by paying a fine.

The third big rule is drinking alcohol and then riding a bicycle is strictly prohibited and if the police catch you, the penalty might be severe.

Other rules say that you are not allowed to use a phone, headphones, or an umbrella while on the bicycle. Even if you see others doing this, it is not okay.  

Now you know where to buy or rent a bicycle. Follow a few simple logical rules and you will be fine. Happy riding to you all!

Everything you should know about renting a car in Japan

Having a pet in Tokyo might have different implications from having a dog or a cat in the country you are coming from. In this article, we will summarize some of the important points in regards to adopting or buying a pet in Japan.

Pet-friendly accommodation

First of all and most importantly, you should remember that animals are not allowed in every building and every apartment. We are not talking only about rental properties, but even if you decide to buy an apartment, you might find out that the animals are not permitted, as they can make noise and disturb the other tenants. Thus, if you planning on getting a furry friend one day or already have one, make sure that you can keep it in the apartment you are checking out. 

Buying and Adopting

Once you confirmed that animals are allowed in where you live, you can start looking for an animal. You can adopt or buy them. If you are going for adoption, there are several adopting agencies. Regardless of the agency you choose, you will need to fill in an application form, prepare your apartment, prepare the money to pay to the agency to cover all the vaccinations, etc. Once everything is done, and you are approved, you can get a pet for a trial period. During the next 1-2 weeks the agency will see if you and an animal have the match. If it is all fine, congratulations, now you have a pet!  
Buying is much easier but it is also much more pricey. On average a puppy costa 300,000-500,000 yen but the sky’s the limit.

Cost of having a pet

Having a pet in Japan is expensive. Starting with a pet-friendly apartment, which usually is a little more expensive. Afterward, you also need to make the vaccinations, buy food, buy essentials such as a leash, toys, etc. The statistic says that having a dog will cost you around 300,000 yen/a year and 160,000 yen for a cat.

Hospitals

Finding a hospital for your fluffy buddy isn’t a problem in Tokyo. It might become a problem if you do not speak Japanese well. Here are some of the clinics that can provide their services in English as well: Toranomon Veterinary Clinic, Akasaka Animal Hospital, Animal 24.

Etiquette

Of course, there are also rules and proper etiquette when it comes to pets and especially bringing them to a public area. But no worries! There is nothing too crazy or complicated. First of all, please make sure you clean after your dog! Secondly, always keep your dog on a leash. Thirdly, be aware that not all cafes and restaurants allow pets. You can check if the place is pet-friendly on their Tabelog page or by calling them directly. Lastly, if you wish to use a train or a taxi with your pet, know that the pet must be inside a cage. Approved cage sizes are also better be checked in advance. 

Did you find this information useful? is it really that much different from your own country? Any other information we should have covered in this post? Let us know in the comments down below.

If for whatever reason you cannot have a pet now but you love them very much, head to one of the pet cafes we mentioned in this post.