Close your eyes and throw a stick in pretty much any Tokyo neighbourhood, and there’s a good chance that you’ll hit someone riding a bicycle. With roughly 72 million bikes on the streets of Japan, they’re an essential part of daily life for many, especially in urban areas where space for motor vehicle parking is both limited and expensive.
Last weekend, though, we stumbled upon a fleet of sparkling new bicycles that couldn’t be more different to the typical mamachari shopping bikes that everyone from junior high schoolers to worryingly wobbly grandmothers pedal around town. Sleek, compact, and with”Suicle” stamped on their crossbars, these lime-green lightweights are available for anyone with a prepaid IC bus or rail card and a half-decent sense of balance to rent.
Eager to know if the ride, and the process of renting and returning, was as smooth as a nearby sign purported it to be, we took a couple of the mini bikes out for a spin.
Tokyo event lets you travel back in time, for free, to celebrate 100 years since Showa era start
Tokyo considering law requiring more trash cans following litter increase in heavily touristed area
Sanrio theme park in Japan announces plans to expand into a Sanrio resort
Tiny house by Muji finally goes on sale in Japan
Japanese woman sues man for 1.5 million yen for violating her “right to chastity”
Gundam and Reebok team up for new GQuuuuuuX Pumps【Photos】
Starbucks Japan unveils new S’mores Frappuccino and latte for Christmas 2025
7-Eleven Japan has a hack for creating insanely delicious potato chip rice meals
McDonald’s Japan has free smiles on its delivery menu, but does asking for one make a difference?
Giant Chiikawa statues appear in one of Tokyo’s most confusing train stations【Photos】
Stamina-destroying “Paralysis Noodles” are Tokyo’s newest over-the-top ramen innovation
China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning seems to be affecting Osaka’s Namba and Dotonbori neighborhoods
Uniqlo Ukiyo-e Blue T-shirts: A cool-hued reinterpretation of some of Japan’s greatest paintings
Japan’s first hotel with a human washing machine is now ready for you to come and bathe in it
Studio Ghibli adds new Kiki’s Delivery Service music box to its anime merchandise shop in Japan
Studio Ghibli mixes with sporty street styles of New Era to put No Face on your head in cap series
Japanese company selling bear-proof automatic doors
Japan’s human washing machines will go on sale to general public, demos to be held in Tokyo
Starbucks Japan unveils new Christmas goods and a rhinestone tumbler that costs 19,500 yen
Real-world Nausicaa Ghibli anime glider completes its final flight in Japan【Video】
Japanese train company is letting fans buy its actual ticket gates for their homes
Is China’s don’t-go-to-Japan warning affecting tourist crowds in Tokyo’s Asakusa neighborhood?
The 10 best day trips from downtown Tokyo【Survey】
Nintendo’s Kirby now delivering orders at Kura Sushi restaurants, but not in Japan
Japanese government considering tripling departure taxes to combat overtourism
A guide to visiting Sagamiko Illumination, one of the three biggest light-ups in Kanto
Giant new nine-floor arcade opens in Tokyo, wants to welcome new and old games fans alike
Survey asks foreign tourists what bothered them in Japan, more than half gave same answer
Japan’s deadliest food claims more victims, but why do people keep eating it for New Year’s?
We deeply regret going into this tunnel on our walk in the mountains of Japan
Studio Ghibli releases Kodama forest spirits from Princess Mononoke to light up your home
Major Japanese hotel chain says reservations via overseas booking sites may not be valid
Put sesame oil in your coffee? Japanese maker says it’s the best way to start your day【Taste test】
The top 10 annoying foreign tourist behaviors on trains, as chosen by Japanese people【Survey】
No more using real katana for tourism activities, Japan’s National Police Agency says
Starbucks Japan reveals new sakura drinkware collection, inspired by evening cherry blossoms
Gundam and Reebok team up for new GQuuuuuuX Pumps【Photos】
Starbucks Japan unveils new S’mores Frappuccino and latte for Christmas 2025
7-Eleven Japan has a hack for creating insanely delicious potato chip rice meals
McDonald’s Japan has free smiles on its delivery menu, but does asking for one make a difference?
Giant Chiikawa statues appear in one of Tokyo’s most confusing train stations【Photos】
Need a souvenir to take home from Japan? How about some cute Hello Kitty minicars?
Kyoto samurai house wants to share its history of seppuku, torture and gold coins with visitors
Flower Ice Cream becomes Japan’s newest breathtaking dessert
Japanese group to hold fashion show of colostomy bags and other stoma equipment in Paris
We visit the full-scale Evangelion statue in Kyoto and particularly delight in the food tie-ins
New Tokyo restaurant charges higher prices to foreign tourists than Japanese locals
Site of the worst bear attack in Japanese history is a chilling place to visit
Should you swim with whale sharks just because you can?