Local heroes: three of inner Tokyo’s most rewarding bike routes

This article is part of a global cycling series and a guide to Tokyo from FT Globetrotter

At first glance, it seems improbable that Tokyo, a city of 14m people that is threaded with multi-lane highways and has few separate bicycle lanes, would be an enjoyable place to cycle around. But, as with many things in Japan, it becomes more appealing the closer you look.

Although Tokyo is hilly compared with Osaka, and one sometimes has to dismount and push up on slopes, it is surprisingly easy and safe to navigate, by the standards of other global megacities. The hidden advantage, at least for cyclists, is that it is acceptable to ride considerately on the pavement (although only under-13s are legally allowed to do so). Many adults do it, despite the fact that Tokyo drivers tend to make room for cyclists.

My experience of Tokyo biking came from living and working there for six months in the first half of 2020, before and during its first pandemic-imposed state of emergency. I commuted by subway from Nakameguro, a cosmopolitan and pleasantly laid-back district on the Meguro river, but spent a lot of time in evenings and on weekends cycling around.

That made me a typical Tokyo-dweller. It is rare to commute by bike to the centre of the city, and many offices lack places to store them. But lots of people cycle around their districts, including mothers on large and heavy electric mamachari bikes with small children sitting behind them on impressively sturdy seats.     

Bikes and bike storage

I rode my own bike, shipped over from London, and was lucky in being able to park it at my apartment block. Bikes have to be registered with the city authorities and parked in designated spots, although they are often left in informal clusters around stations and supermarkets.

It is usually easy enough to find a small park near your destination where it can be stored cheaply for a few hours. You put the wheels in a slot and pay when you return by touching a card such as the Pasmo or Suica cards used on subways, or the Suica phone app.

If your bike is found in an illegal spot, an official posts a polite warning in Japanese not to do so. Sometimes, bikes are removed and have to be retrieved from the authorities, although it is cheap compared with other cities — you insert ¥2,000 (about £13) in a vending machine to release your confiscated bike. People tend to use bikes locks, although bike theft is not prevalent.

My wife, Rosie, joined me for a few months and did not bring her bike from London, but soon needed one. This is my first tip for a medium-term stay — buy it second-hand from the Recycle Garden Yoyogi store in Shibuya ward, which is crammed with second-hand household appliances, musical equipment and bicycles. As of 2020, you also have to buy accident insurance.

It has a wide range between ¥10,000 and ¥20,000 (about £65 to £130), which are affordable even for a fairly short stay. The staff are friendly and will find one that suits you, register it and even buy it back at the end of your time here. Thus equipped, Rosie cycled from Nakameguro to work in the Metropolitan Central Library in Minamiazabu before it shut during the state of emergency.

The alternative is hiring by the hour or day, either from a bike shop or one of Tokyo’s e-bike schemes with bays around the city. The biggest is Docomo Community Cycle, but it has two drawbacks: its website is not very user-friendly for non-Japanese speakers, and it is popular with delivery cyclists, who grab them early and run down the batteries.

Outside Tokyo, we used Hello Cycling, which is easy to register with and has a nice app. It was a godsend in Osaka, which is too big to cover easily on foot but is the right size for biking, and we also rode Hello bikes on excursions in Kyoto and Nikko.

Cycling etiquette

Once on your bike, you will soon find you are in a fleet of others, often led by mamachari e-bikes. As a pedestrian, it often feels like you may be struck by a passing cyclist but it never quite seems to happen — the Japanese are expert at observing personal space. Although they often go fast, they somehow avoid collisions.

Crossing the city is quite a feat, given the distances involved, and I would not recommend following the expressways, although it can be done since many are elevated, leaving quieter roads (and pavements) below. One east-west option is to cycle along the Meguro, which has a smooth path and is lined by cherry trees.        

The best approach is to stick to Tokyo’s districts, which are built on a human scale, with many high streets and parks, and roads that snake through little houses. Simply setting out at random can bring rewards — finding a lovely shop or a restaurant in a tiny neighbourhood where you can take a stroll.

Google Maps has now been updated to include cycling routes in Tokyo. We also found walking routes on the Tokyo version of Citymapper useful. Various websites suggest good excursions by bike, including Tokyo Cheapo and Tokyo Weekender. You can also join bike tours run by Tokyo Great Cycling Tour.

1. Daikanyama to Yoyogi Park (4.5km)

• Good for: A mix of shopping, city browsing and nature

• Not so good for: Involves cycling along some highways

• FYI: It takes hour to reach Yoyogi, and circling around the park can easily take another 30 minutes (Route)

It is fun to bike to one of Tokyo’s parks — most have well-marked and smooth paths. We often cycled from Nakameguro up to Daikanyama and then along the Shibuya highways, skirting around its crammed centre, to Yoyogi Park. It is probably best to start in Daikanyama as it is a steep climb from Nakameguro.

In Daikanyama, browse around the local shops. Start at Daikanyama T-Site, which has a lot of nice, although quite expensive, cafés and stores, and one of the most amazing collections of magazines in the world (as well as a cocktail bar) at Tsutaya Books.

The least interesting part of the ride is next, tracking along the highway towards Kamiyamacho and Tomigaya — use the pavement when you feel like it. At Tomigaya, cycle down a side road past the police-guarded home of Shinzo Abe, Japan’s former prime minister, to the shops and cafés at the foot of the hill.

Tomigaya is a quiet, gentrified little district that is fun to tour. On arrival, have a drink at Beasty Coffee and walk along the shopping street past the Monocle Shop. Then get back on the bike and up to Yoyogi Park, where a full circle clockwise will take you around towards Harajuku. On the far side, pause by costumed influencers having their photos taken amid fans on weekends.

The Meiji Shrine and gardens are worth visiting, but you will have to park your bike and walk into the grounds. Afterwards you can retrace the route or, if feeling adventurous, bike carefully through the buzzing centre of Shibuya, past its famous pedestrian crossing, into Daikanyama.

2. Nakameguro to Komazawa Olympic Park (4.5km)

• Good for: A pretty tour through quiet Tokyo suburbs

• Not so good for: Seeing famous landmarks

• FYI: It takes about half an hour out to Komazawa Park (Route)

This route starts at Nakameguro station, and heads to Komazawa Olympic Park, one site of the 1964 Tokyo Olympics. The half-hour ride passes by the side of railway tracks in Nakameguro, and then along a tree-lined greenway lined with flower beds and cherry trees — a treat in itself.

If you have timed the excursion correctly, stop for lunch at the Savoy pizza restaurant in Mishuku. Then cycle on, past a pretty little playground with a hilly park, to the lovely Kannonji Temple in Setagaya, surrounded by tall trees on a side street.

The route then takes you along pleasant back streets, past allotments and gardens, towards the old Olympic Park. Take the anticlockwise route with runners and cyclists around the park, which at weekends is filled with families relaxing. The midcentury athletics stadium in the centre is worth seeing on the way back.

3. Tokyo Tower to Toyosu Fish Market (9.5km)

• Good for: A mixture of sightseeing with riverside and park riding

• Not so good for: People who do not eat fish

• FYI: Watch out for strolling pedestrians (Route)

The route starts at Tokyo Tower, one of the landmarks of the city, and heads out to the new Toyosu fish market on Tokyo Bay, where most of the trade from the famous old Tsukiji fish market has moved. 

At Toyosu, there is a fine promenade along the Sumida river flowing into Tokyo Bay, where cyclists are welcome, with spots to sit and watch people fish. There is an outdoor restaurant called Citabria Baypark Grill and Bar, where you can picnic. Another recommendation is the Yamazaki sushi restaurant on the third floor of the market’s management facility building.

After that, ride back over Harumi Bridge and then Kachidoki Bridge, which both have cycle lanes. A small detour takes you past the old Tsukiji Outer Market, where there are still many crockery shops and stalls selling whole fish, sushi and sashimi. Jane Grimes

Maps by Liz Faunce

Where do you like to go cycling in Tokyo? Tell us in the comments

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