Cycling Sidewalks

Cycling Sidewalks　歩道を乗る（な）

Overview

Cycling on sidewalks is banned in Japan, except where it isn't (more on that later).

However, as noted elsewhere in the site, nearly all of Japan's 86 million bicycles will at one point or another use sidewalks.

One result of that is that in 2006, according to police statistics, 2,767 pedestrians reported being hit by a cyclist.

Sidewalks OK to Ride on

A small handful of sidewalks are both legally and morally ok to ride on. They are legally ok because they have lanes painted onto the pavement.

Ride carefully as pedestrians will be in the "bike" lane.

Horikawa Dori

Horikawa Dori is wide and does have a bike lane. However, 1) the bike lane ends as the sidewalk narrows south of Marutamachi Dori (it starts up again just south of Nijo Castle), 2) part of the street is a shotengai (shopping arcade) with a lot of foot traffic, and 3) it is easier to ride on the road on the other side of the river.

Shichijo Dori from the Kamo River Heading West

It is a wide boulevard with "bike lanes" on both sides.

Oike Dori

Like Shichijo, Oike has very wide sidewalks from the river until Horikawa.

Gojo Dori

Like Shichijo, Oike has very wide sidewalks from the river until Horikawa. And, since February, it has actual bike lanes.

Kujo Dori

In places, Kujo Dori has actual bike-only lanes. A miracle.