Bicycle Museums Japan

自転車博物館

Japan has several good bicycle museums. Below are three worth checking out.

Tokyo

Jitensha Bunka Center
自転車文化センター
Tozai subway line to Takebashi Station. Exit 1B, seven minute walk.
Tozai/Hanzomon subway line to Kudanshita Station. Exit 2B, seven minute walk.
03-3217-1231

600 yen for adults, 400 yen for children

Nagoya

Cycling Gallery Yagami Jitensha Shiryokan
サイクルギャラリー・ヤガミ自転車資料館
Subway Sakuratori Line to Gokiso Station. Exit 4, 6 minute walk.
Open Saturdays, admission free.
052-853-3281

Sakai

Jitensha Hakubutsukan
自転車博物館
South Of Osaka, in Sakai. Take the JR Hanwa Line to Mozu Station. A 10-minute walk.
072-243-3196

300 yen for adults, 200 yen for junior high school students

This is the best of the bunch.

© CycleKyoto.com

CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags

Japan
Touring
Kyoto
Cycle
Bicycle Museums

No Cycling Nagoya

自転車等放置禁止区域名古屋市

In the land of Toyota, bicycles are not very popular.

These "stamps" - printed onto the pavement - are ubiquitous in Nagoya.

In spite of a few bike only lanes - very wide sidewalks make planning and execution fairly easy - cycling in Nagoya is not very inviting.

First is the size of the city. It is American in its sprawl, which makes it the anti-Kyoto. Getting from point A to B often means traveling many miles.

Second are the massive boulevards. The city was bombed to the ground during World War II, and when rebuilt it was laid out with huge, wide streets aimed at automobile traffic. Most are not bike-friendly.

Last is the resulting car culture. Nagoya is a car town. It is perhaps the only major city in Japan where living without a car makes life difficult.

Thus, drivers appear to be less aware of cyclists than in other cities. Riding around reminded me in ways of my commute years ago in the US, but minus the aggression.


© CycleKyoto.com

 CycleKyoto Home Page

Tags
Japan
Touring
Kyoto
Cycle
Nagoya