What they don’t tell you about Japan, blog 3. The cyclist epidemic 😀

So if you are reading this then either you haven’t been to Japan, or have and managed to survive the pavements!

One of the biggest culture shocks for me in Japan was the sheer amount of cyclists. None more so than in Osaka where I swear there were more cyclists than cars or pedestrians on most streets.

I hardly saw any cycle lanes as such and although the traffic in Japan’s major cities in my opinion at least is not as bad as traffic in major European cities such as London and Rome cyclists seem to rarely ride on the roads.

So as you walk in any direction you have to be very aware of cyclists coming at you, up behind you, in between you and those walking with you and just about anywhere else they can squeeze themselves. These cyclists have a certain skill of not slowing down at all even when making their way through a crowd. It’s both alarming and bloody impressive at the same time.

Whilst I didn’t actually see any collisions I can’t believe that they aren’t common place with how many near misses I had myself.

I’m not afraid to admit it but I was often scared of being hit.

So pack a crash helmet and keep your eyes peeled!

Thanks for reading.