Japan is known to have many bicycle riders, so there are many rules that riders should keep in mind in order to avoid causing inconveniences to other people.
The following rules were taken from the Osaka Prefectural Police website (https://www.police.pref.osaka.jp/17language/english/02kotsu/jitensha/index.html).
Ride your bicycle on the road. Sidewalks should only be used in exceptional situations.
Cycle on the left side of the road (the same as cars).
If you need to cycle on the sidewalk, give pedestrians the priority and keep to the side of the sidewalk closer to the road.
Observe regular traffic rules.
Turn on lights at night.
Obey traffic lights. Stop and confirm your safety at intersections.
No drunk driving.
No riding double.
No riding abreast (side-by-side).
Children must wear a helmet.
It is normal in Japan to ride your bike to the nearest train station and leave your bike at the station. Therefore, there are many rules regarding parking at a train station.
First, it is considered illegal to leave your bike within a certain radius around the station (each station will be different). When this rule is violated, you will be fined a few thousand yen as penalty. You are required to use a bike parking lot, which often requires payment. There are two different methods for payment: you can either pay every time you use the parking lot, or you can pay for a few months in advance. We recommend paying in advance if you are planning on using the parking lot everyday, since it will be much cheaper in the long run.
It is also important to know that bike parking lots for most apartments and buildings will require you to fill out an application form before using the bike parking lot. They will hand out a sticker to put on the bike, so guards can check whether or not a bike is owned by someone in the building.
The following rules were taken from the Osaka Prefectural Police website (https://www.police.pref.osaka.jp/17language/english/02kotsu/jitensha/index.html).
Ride your bicycle on the road. Sidewalks should only be used in exceptional situations.
Cycle on the left side of the road (the same as cars).
If you need to cycle on the sidewalk, give pedestrians the priority and keep to the side of the sidewalk closer to the road.
Observe regular traffic rules.
Turn on lights at night.
Obey traffic lights. Stop and confirm your safety at intersections.
No drunk driving.
No riding double.
No riding abreast (side-by-side).
Children must wear a helmet.
It is normal in Japan to ride your bike to the nearest train station and leave your bike at the station. Therefore, there are many rules regarding parking at a train station.
First, it is considered illegal to leave your bike within a certain radius around the station (each station will be different). When this rule is violated, you will be fined a few thousand yen as penalty. You are required to use a bike parking lot, which often requires payment. There are two different methods for payment: you can either pay every time you use the parking lot, or you can pay for a few months in advance. We recommend paying in advance if you are planning on using the parking lot everyday, since it will be much cheaper in the long run.
It is also important to know that bike parking lots for most apartments and buildings will require you to fill out an application form before using the bike parking lot. They will hand out a sticker to put on the bike, so guards can check whether or not a bike is owned by someone in the building.
