It was the second day of December and it was nineteen degrees and sunny. What a perfect temperature to connect with the streets and have the wind blow through my hair as I enjoyed a bike ride.
According to David Byrne in Bicycle Diaries “a bike is the world’s most used form of transportation.”
That is definitely noticeable here. Bikes are a principal means of transportation for many because they are cheap, convenient and quick. The local climate and the geographical layout support the activity as well. The roads are kept in good condition so they provide a smooth ride. They are very narrow however and there are deep gutters along the edges which must be avoided. There are a lot of cars on the road too but the nice thing is that the drivers are so respectful and accommodating. At times passing requires some manoeuvring for everyone involved but as no one goes very fast it all feels safe.
Bikes are ridden by everyone from old ladies to children. Most are cruisers with a basket on the front. Many mothers at the kindergarten arrive on ‘Momacharis’ with a child seat on front and back to transport their kids around. My bike is a brand called Frackers, and it is orange with a basket that turns into a baby seat on the front. Unfortunately Lucas is too big to take anywhere in it safely. Bikes with small wheels and tall handlebars are the choice of twenty-something males and females supporting their cool image.
It is liberating and exhilarating to ride a bike in a foreign country. It provides exercise while being an efficient way to whip to the store to get items for dinner. It also offers a different view of the dense residential and urban landscape than travelling by foot or on the train. It makes me feel more connected to the street and the others who cruise around this way. I love biking around here as there is a harmonious flow that I haven’t experienced biking in Canada. The mentality of ‘every man for himself’ is not known here. Everyone watches out for each other. It can be difficult at times when cars, bikes and people are coming toward me and I have to remember to stay left (not to go out to the right) clinging to the edge of those gutters but avoiding the telephone poles. Once someone coming towards me went left confusing me and causing a narrow escape from a head-on-collision.
My ride along the Nigawa River passes houses of all sorts, some traditional and a lot of modern designs as houses have a life of about thirty-forty years here. All are surrounded by walls rather than fences and they have little property to speak of. Tucked between them here and there are places like a post office, cleaners, and a bike maintenance shop all leading to the more commercial area around the train station where there are grocery stores, a bakery, banks, restaurants and cafes.
The Japanese investment into bicycle infrastructure is a statement about what they feel is important for their society. They encourage this activity and it shows in how everything is organized. Around Nishinomiya and Osaka there are specified street crossing areas and ample parking spaces. Riders use electronic bike lock systems outside stores and there are even underground parking garages at the train stations dedicated to the thousands of bikes ridden every day. Even though these exist there are still bikes parked randomly as their riders go about their business.
The children were given bikes when we arrived and so every weekend we take them around the university campus were they are safe from traffic and can go as fast as they can peddle. Lucas always wants to be the leader so often they race by the zen gardens and wind catcher installations that decorate the campus as they jockey for positions. These bicycles have been a huge gift for them as they have come to love riding as much as Tim and I do and it has provided them with a different perspective to see their world as well.
Cruising along on two wheels is a fun way to get exercise and a great way to participate in life in Japan. I hope our children will always embrace that feeling of freedom that a bicycle can give.
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