March 31, 2021 - Tokyo has appeared on the Copenhagenize global top 20 list of cycling cities every year except for one (2015). 

Despite having a modest cycling network in comparison to other global cycling cities, Tokyo has reported that 13-15% of people commute by bike and that 78% of households own bicycles.

There is also a strong connection between cycling and transit, with 18% of train commuters arriving at the station by bike.

To help accommodate all these bikes with limited space, an innovative and automated underground bicycle parking system has been implemented. There are at least 28 Eco Cycle units in Tokyo, and each one can store 144 bicycles. The units quickly and securely whisk away your bike underground and have an impressive bike retrieval time of under 30 seconds.

Not everyone gets around on a personal bike though. 

Tokyo’s popular electric bike share system has 750,000 users and has reported a 20% increase in new users in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Overall ridership has been down in 2020 with changes in mobility patterns, but the number of individual users has increased.

With biking on the rise, it makes sense that Tokyo is also planning for more bicycle lanes to create a stronger cycling network.

The City of Tokyo has recently committed to build 62 miles of new cycling infrastructure along main roads. This would add to the existing network of about 44 miles of infrastructure, and is in response to the growing number of people cycling and making deliveries by bike during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Across Japan, cities are seeing a general rise in the use of e-bikes, especially as the population ages and seniors seek out additional assistance. 

The prohibition of motor vehicle drop-offs at urban pre-schools has been reducing congestion and is another reported driver of e-bike sales. The government now allows up to two children to be carried on e-bikes that meet their safety standards, and e-bike sales amongst young families have increased.