Cycling 'booming' in Japan

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Thursday, 19th February 2009
In Japan Travel News,

The number of people using bicycles to get around Japan's towns and cities is on the rise, new research has found.

A survey by the Japan Bicycle Promotion Institute of 100 of the country's bicycle retailers found that the number of sports bikes sold saw huge growth every month during 2008.

Last year, Japan's land ministry also designated 98 areas of the country, including the ciy of Nagoya in central Japan, as model cities for establishing routes exclusively for bikes.

Meanwhile, Kaoru Okubo, an offical of Japan's Bicycle Association, commented: "A good tailwind is bloowing thought the bicycle industry."

Software engineer and bicycle commuter Keizo Namiki told Japan Today: "[Cycling] is fun. Plus, by doing exercise regularly (by commuting by bicycle), foods taste better and I feel healthier than before."

Planet Tokyo reports that bikes can be rented from most Japanese railway stations for a small fee per day.