I'm going to speak briefly on travelling by car because there isn't
too much special about it. The three biggest differences
from driving in America:
1. Right hand driving and smaller roads are two things to really be aware of. So drive slowly and carefully.
2. Gas is more expensive and most of the bigger highways are toll roads so keep that in mind when planning your journey. For one person, it can be cheaper and easier to ride public transportation.
3. Any accident you get into has to be reported to your company, no matter how small. So I reiterate, drive carefully. Make sure you read all the driving manuals before you travel.
On to what I'm more excited to talk about - jitenshas!
Bikes are very useful inside cities for getting around, because you have a lot more mobility and freedom. The small roads as I mentioned above are often crowded for cars and parking can be tough to find in busy places, so using a bicycle often a useful alternative. The roads and sidewalks accomodate bikes quite well and both drivers and pedestrians are aware that a bike could show up out of nowhere. That being said, they really do show up out of nowhere. While in America it is common courtesy to shout out 'on your left/right' or 'behind you' when you want to manuever around a pedestrian, the Japanese are simply too nice for that. They just try to quietly predict your movement and ride around you. Only problem is that if you make any sudden deviation out of your walking path, you might get in their way without knowing it.
It seems like cities in Japan really encourage the use of bicycles, so there is bicycle parking everywhere. Just around Kariya station there are three different bicycle parking areas and they are all free. Many people will bike to the station to begin their morning commutes on other public transportation. There are also many rental-a-cycle places both in touristy cities and even in residential cities, like Kariya.
The most common type of bicycle has the little basket in front. You'll see these a lot because bicycles are generally not used just for recreation. The basket in front is used to carry groceries and backpacks and other things that need to be transported.
Also novel to Japan is the collapsible bicycle. Bicycle shown below is made by Dahon company. I have never ridden one though I think the structural stability of the frame is probably a bit precarious, so I'd be bit wary of that.
Final note about transportation, there is always walking. I really
enjoy walking around Kariya, I can get to the grocery store, my Japanese
class, the post office all on foot. Only bigger malls are farther away. There are sidewalks everywhere,
and if not there are walking lanes and crosswalks drawn on the smaller
roads.
That's all folks. A small introduction into transportation in Japan. More posts soon.
1. Right hand driving and smaller roads are two things to really be aware of. So drive slowly and carefully.
2. Gas is more expensive and most of the bigger highways are toll roads so keep that in mind when planning your journey. For one person, it can be cheaper and easier to ride public transportation.
3. Any accident you get into has to be reported to your company, no matter how small. So I reiterate, drive carefully. Make sure you read all the driving manuals before you travel.
On to what I'm more excited to talk about - jitenshas!
Bikes are very useful inside cities for getting around, because you have a lot more mobility and freedom. The small roads as I mentioned above are often crowded for cars and parking can be tough to find in busy places, so using a bicycle often a useful alternative. The roads and sidewalks accomodate bikes quite well and both drivers and pedestrians are aware that a bike could show up out of nowhere. That being said, they really do show up out of nowhere. While in America it is common courtesy to shout out 'on your left/right' or 'behind you' when you want to manuever around a pedestrian, the Japanese are simply too nice for that. They just try to quietly predict your movement and ride around you. Only problem is that if you make any sudden deviation out of your walking path, you might get in their way without knowing it.
It seems like cities in Japan really encourage the use of bicycles, so there is bicycle parking everywhere. Just around Kariya station there are three different bicycle parking areas and they are all free. Many people will bike to the station to begin their morning commutes on other public transportation. There are also many rental-a-cycle places both in touristy cities and even in residential cities, like Kariya.
The most common type of bicycle has the little basket in front. You'll see these a lot because bicycles are generally not used just for recreation. The basket in front is used to carry groceries and backpacks and other things that need to be transported.
Also novel to Japan is the collapsible bicycle. Bicycle shown below is made by Dahon company. I have never ridden one though I think the structural stability of the frame is probably a bit precarious, so I'd be bit wary of that.
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| Graphic from dahonfoldingbike.co.uk |
That's all folks. A small introduction into transportation in Japan. More posts soon.
I loved riding around Kariya, those power assisted ones are great.
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