I can’t drive a car in Japan and I don’t miss it at all.
When I first got to Japan I planned on walking and taking the train to get where I needed to go. Cars are expensive, and learning to drive on the left seemed like a real pain, in addition to the difficulties involved with buying a car and dealing with foreign vehicle registrations. Screw all that
…except that things in my suburban small town can be pretty far apart, which makes for a LOT of walking, not to mention tired feet. So when my coworker suggested I invest a few hundred bucks in a decent road bike, I decided it might be a good idea.
I Got Into Biking Out of Necessity, Not as a Hobby
I hadn’t ridden a bike since my last time living in Japan—and even then, since the streets of my city were too crowded, I usually only rode at night. I had a bike as a kid, but usually only rode it in parking lots or on the occasional trip to the river—I was always nervous about riding in the road and could never figure out whether or not I was allowed to ride on the sidewalk.
The town I live in now, though, is ideal for biking, especially if you’re a beginner—there are a ton of side streets that don’t get much traffic, the busier roads all have wide sidewalks, and most of the land is flat. It’s also true what they say about bikes—you really, for-serious never forget how to ride one.
It took me a while to find my confidence when I started riding—I stuck to sidewalks and alleys at first, and cowered in fear of actual roads. Once I got comfortable, though, I found myself never wanting to walk anywhere again.
In case bad weather strikes I carry a rainjacket and pants in my bag when I bike to school; for more casual outings I bring a fold-up umbrella, and if it starts raining when I’m out I’ll walk the bike home. I also have bungee cords for strapping bigger things to the rear rack, like when I pick up a package from the post office.
It’s amazing how much this rear rack can hold.
Biking is also a good way to get actual exercise, though for me the exercise is more of a bonus: I like exercising in ways that feel like a natural part of my day instead of a separate activity, which is partly why I’ve always liked Day Jobs that keep me physically active. Riding a bike instead of going to the gym fills that need perfectly.
As time went on I found myself looking forward to little outings like running errands or biking somewhere new—and somewhere along the line, riding my bike turned from a necessity to a little bit of enjoyment added to my day.
One ride in particular I always looked forward to. On Tuesdays I used to work at a school in the hills, and while riding there in the morning required ten minutes of steady uphill pedaling, in the afternoons I could coast down the same hill I’d agonized over in the morning, waving hello to kids on their way home and zipping through the freeway tunnel and below the bullet train tracks. It felt exhilarating, exciting, and rewarding—but most of all, when I rode down that hill, I felt free.
Now That I’ve Gotten Better, I Also Bike for Fun
When the weather’s nice and I have the time, I like to just ride somewhere—usually nowhere too far or crazy, but just enough to get me out of my apartment for some exercise and an inspiring view. To give some sense of purpose to the ride, I’ll usually throw a book (and a pillow if I’m sitting on a bench) into a bag and pedal somewhere to read, even if it’s just across town to the library.
Especially during the Coronavirus closures, these rides fulfilled a lot of different goals at once: they got me out of my room, they gave me some (much-needed) exercise, they provided a change of surroundings, and they helped me focus on my reading without the distractions that came from being at home.
One of my favorite places to ride is the seaside cycling trail, which runs from one end of Toyama Bay to the other. The views are nice, there’s never anyone around, and there are more than a few parks and cool places to check out along the way.
View along the Toyama coast bike trail.
Concrete tetrapods off the seashore in Toyama. Though they’re ostensibly meant to protect against tsunamis, their effectiveness is debatable and they’re an eyesore besides.
It’s fascinating and somewhat appalling to me that while the oceanfront in America is always packed with beaches and super-expensive second homes, in Japan the seaside is full of ugly concrete tetrapods designed to hold back tidal waves, and the areas along the shore are littered with factories, overgrown lots, abandoned towns, and industrial fishing wharfs. Maybe that’s because in Japan the ocean was traditionally seen as a source of food (fishing), utility (disposing of factory waste), and danger (tsunamis) rather than recreation, resulting in overdeveloped places that no one really cares about, but that I find fascinating in their abandoned or overindustrialized state.
Final Thoughts: Biking Makes Me Feel Free, While Driving a Car Made Me Feel Like a Prisoner
I like riding a bike in daily life because it’s so much simpler than driving a car—I don’t have to get gas, worry about insurance, or stress over parking. Repairs are also easy—instead of stressing over a way to get my car to the shop and paying several hundred bucks, the worst that’s gone wrong with my bike is the occasional flat tire—which I can either fix myself or walk over to the bike shop and pay ¥1,500 (about $15) for.
I love the reduction in stress and also love just getting up and going somewhere when I want to, which is a small price to pay for the inconvenience of rainy and snowy days. The thought of going back to car ownership when I get back to the States is a serious downer—for now, I want to enjoy the biking life as much as I can.