Taking my bike to Tokyo do’s and dont’s

This trip to Japan will be very different form all the others as I will be staying outside Ueno in a rental unit. I will be taking my fold up Brompton bike with me and plan to just ride around Tokyo area for 4 weeks taking in the local sights and not been rushed will also do a few day trips using the rail. Question what rules do I need to be aware of do I need to register my bike ?any thing else I need to conciser such as helmet lights ?? local protocol . Any good bike track rides I should take ?

i do know (meeting few cyclist on my last trip) that if you decide to take your bike into the train, you need to fold it and put in a bag(so no stuff dangling around).

Sorry cant help you on other questions.
I traveled on kickscooter that i brought from my homecountry.

rules(manner) and laws outline
http://youtu.be/xorX2MTAGPg
http://www.npa.go.jp/koutsuu/kikaku/trafficsafety/traffic_safety_en.pd... [PDF]
http://www.tofugu.com/2012/12/11/how-to-ride-a-bicycle-in-japan/
http://www.japancycling.org/v2/info/biking.shtml
In Tokyo no special rules and lows
but you will stuck "parking space" problem evrey stops in mid area mainly.

bike parking space : 駐輪場(ちゅうりんじょう：chu-rin-jou)

And most Japanese not using "bike[バイク]" as cycle meaning.
Use/Say "自転車：jiten-sha (in Japanese/easy)" recommend.
Most Japanese using "bike" means "motor-bike(cycle)" as short of "auto-bi(ke)[オートバイ]".
Only sports cyclist using "bike" for a cycle usual they putting helmet/sunglass most and fast.
In Tokyo most foreingner's cyclist a lot no problem.


@ ejump0

In Tokyo "Yes" as rinkou [輪行：りんこう]
but "not all" trains in Japan wide especially non-JR local lines
with naked bike possible like this.(but not all time/dates)
http://www.igatetsu.co.jp/cat51/cat57/
http://www.jomorailway.com/cycletrain.html
Railway companies using "cycle-train [サイクルトレイン]" most.
If you can read(or translate from) Japanese search "サイクルトレイン wiki" recommend.

Be careful parking near stations and other areas deemed illegal. Depending on local govt. area it can cost 5000 Y to get it back. Speaking from experience, it's a pain.

A bicycle can be a bit of a nuisance in major pedestrian hubs like Shinjuku and Shibuya. Exercise common sense.

Thanks for the info it looks like Japan is a lot more relaxed in rules and regulations than other 1st world country's. Maybe just too any bike riders to police the laws

Riding bicycles in central Tokyo had not been common for many years compared to cities like New York, Beijing or Amsterdam. But it's in fact rapidly becoming a trend, and the truth is that the law hasn't really caught up, and neither have the narrow nad busy roads. Do be careful for your own safety and for others'. Also, watch out for bike theft as it's quite common in Japan.

I have done two trips to Japan with a bike. You will need a bag to put your bike in before you use any train. If you dont have one you can buy one at any bike shop, look for a rinko bukuro. You do not need to register your bike as you are visiting. I would be extremely careful about leaving the bike outside in Tokyo as bike theft is really common and a Brompton is a juicy target. As for rules, Japan is really easy going. The law says you should be on the road but the police sometimes tell you to ride on the pavements. It is accepted that you can "salmon" the wrong way up one way streets and you see people going the wrong way quite often. There are paths up the side of the rivers which are good for a ride and there is are groups you might be able to ride with such as http://halffastcycling.com/ I am not a member although I did tag along on their Hanabi ride this year, they are very friendly :)

You may ask by Police officers that you have not registered your bicycle(a sticker must stick on your bicycle body) which is compulsory to do all bicycle owners in JP. So take your Passport always as you ride on and show your Passport, make sure your bike is not stolen if you get caught by Police officers(often do). You can't register your bike in JP while you have no physical address in JP.

You better not to ride on your bicycle after 9 p.m. This is again Police officers go round town at night, to prevent Police interview.

Put a white lump in front as you ride at night(after sun set). Police offices often ask you to stop and check your bicycle, lump and registration number. I recommend you not ride on between the sun set and sun rise to prevent Police interview.

Always lock you bicycle.

Do not park your bicycle where it is stated prohibited and emergency area.

How do I translate all that stuff to english :(

How do I translate all that stuff to english :(

Which stuff?

By the way, this is a sign telling you that the pavements it's on allow both bicycles and pedestrians.
http://freesozai.jp/itemList.php?category=roadsign&page=rds_032&type=s...

Most one way streets do not apply for pedestrians and two-wheeled vehicles, but I'm afraid this is only written in kanji. The following is for reference.

除く except for
自転車 bicycles
二輪 two-wheeled vehicles (such as bicycles and motorbikes)

So if you see a "do not enter" sign that says
二輪・自転車を除く below, that means "All vehicles except for bicycles and motorbikes cannot enter. Pedestrians can enter."

Photo examples:
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=%E4%B8%80%E6%96%B9%E9%80%9A%E8%A1%8C...