Rental bicycles in Japan

My main ride through Japan I did on my very own dear brompton and although I brought it back with me initially to Europe, after a few months I brought it again back to Japan, where it now parks below my Tokyo office desk. But sometimes I need to rely on rental bicycles. Essentially there seem to be 3 kind of rental outlets around:

• public stationed rental bicycles, all I ever met were managed by Docomo
• small shops or at the train station that rent out mamachari bicycles
• upscale race bicycle rental shops, which I have only heard off but never used.

Docomo-rental bicycles:

Docomo rents out electric bicycles in an ever growing number of cities across Japan. Those bicycles come in two sizes. One is really miniature bicycle and the other one is still really small. (I know as a brompton rider I shouldn't call an other bicycle miniature... but these are really, really small). 

All of them are electric and while you can ride them in the day time without electrical power at night that is not possible, as the light is linked to the electrical push. Although they are so small, the bikes are really heavy, so the electrical push can be very welcome. The battery apparently gets recharged every night by docomo employees, so in the afternoon / evening it can be harder to find bicycles with a high percentage of remaining energy. Although I never had a problem with it. And even if you get a low battery one, you can change it at a next station. 

They also all come with a small basket in the front, which I find very convenient. 

Registration for the service is through internet and I remember that it was not very difficult. Payment is through credit card. At least in Tokyo you can also purchase a day pass at some special locations and ride for a fixed price from 0:00 to 23:59. 

Currently the most widespread service is available in Tokyo with stations in most central parts of Tokyo. There are however still some central wards not participating in the scheme creating some "black holes". Also quite typical, none of the bike ports are really conveniently close to a subway / train station. Essentially because most of them are either on the premisses of a conbini or on public soil. In Osaka the service is clearly still growing. In some central places there are many ports, and then there are a few very scattered far away ports. 

While one can stop and close the bicycle while out on a ride, one can only return them at a port. You don't need to actually park them in the rack, but very very close to it. Even half a meter distance will not allow you to station it correctly and stop your rent. 

Advantages:

• readily available specially in Tokyo at many ports
• well maintained
• all electrical
• easy to register and to rent a bike
• small basket
• you can check through an app if a bike is available and hold it for 20 min while you walk there

Disadvantages:

• very small bicycles
• quite heavy
• at night cannot ride without electrical support
• battery gets charged each night, not during the day at the ports
• sometimes inconvenient location of the ports

Other similar rental companies (OFO...) seem to be starting business in Japan as well, but I have yet to travel to a city where they are available.

Mamachari rental

There are essentially two possible places where to rent a mamachari. Either at a train station or at a local cycle shop. In some touristy destinations, such as Nara or Karuizawa, it is really easy to find such a rental shop. Just look for "town name" & 自転車レンタル　(rental bicycle) and you should find on google maps a number of possibilities. 

Mamachari sometimes come without any gears, sometimes with about 3 gears. They also very often come with a basket in front and while they are bigger than the docomo cycles, they are still quite small. They also come with a small lock (often installed on the rear wheel) so you can park somewhere underway. Often, but this will depend on the shop, you are not allowed to rent it overnight. 

Advantages

• easy rental procedure
• often you also get some map or advise on the neighbourhood/city
• often you get a basket on it
• available in many cities, specially touristic places, around Japan. Specially useful if no docomo bicycles are available

Disadvantages

• often no gears
• quite small, and specially low bicycles

I personally rented on at a the JR train station in Nara, in Arashiyama, and outside the station in Karuizawa (where they also had tandems, which is a rare sight in Japan as they are outlawed in many prefectures), but apparently not in Nagano. 

Upscale bicycle rental

I have never used such a service, but I know at least that at the start and end point of the Shimanami Kaido, you can rent Giant race bicycles. And also in Tokyo I have heard of a few places where you can rent a "proper" bicycle.

Surfing through the net, I also found this company in Osaka: https://globalwheels-japan.com/ where they rent racing bikes, but also touring bikes. Plus they organize trips and even if you don't book a trip with them, they have the strava data of their rides online. 

Little bit of cycling, too many fish and a visit to the old Romans

I am feeling a little bit like cheating to count the day today as "Japan by bike...". There was VERY little bike involved in the day. But much more of many other things. And this although I never really know what to do in Osaka. 

The weather forecast for today wasn't at all good, so I decided to stay in Osaka. After a late start into the day I first went to do some shopping in Umeda. Well, I visited 3 department stores only to buy at the end the Pasmo card holder I wanted in Tokyu Hands... I could have as easily gone to Esaka, just one station down from my hotel and would have avoided spending the few hours today that it did NOT rain inside. But well. 

Then I set off to collect one of the HUBChari's in Osaka. The stations are strangely distributed over Osaka. Currently mainly in the center, plus a few stations out somewhere. But seldom are the pick up locations close to a train station, so I needed to walk about 10 min from Umeda until I got my typical red docomo bike. 

After a stop at a central post office, I started my ride down to the Aquarium of Osaka. However less than half way through it started to rain, and rain radar promised more rain. I was lucky that the last bike station was really close, so I dropped of the bike and walked to the nearest station (which was about 5 min walk, although it was already quite outskirts of Osaka. Actually a somewhat strange area, with shops where on the ground floor young ladies were sitting and smiling and didn't offer any specific products. Looked somewhat like brothels, but not sure... I would be somewhat surprised that they are so publicly open.

In the aquarium I confirmed that I simply don't like them. Osaka aquarium seems to be one of the best in the world, per different critics I read, but it is simply a building full of fish enclosed in too small tanks. And well, I know I am a hypocrite, because in a zoo it doesn't bother me and the situation for those animals is pretty much the same. But I simply like mammals much more than cold fish... I still took a few pictures: 

And at the end of the visit even I looked like a fish:

So much water... on to an onsen. I had two options, a typical Japanese super-sento, or a curious spa-Disney Park thingy: Spa World. After considering my options, I choose the Spa World with the idea that something as strange as this onsen really is a unique experience. And well, it was unique. I wouldn't say that I specially enjoyed it, also because the rotenburo part was the least nice (well, it was Spain themed, so fittingly a bit dilapidated). Inside there were 6 different areas, each single one probably as big as your normal super sento:

• Rome: bathing in a fountain with roman statues and a golden cold water tub
• Greece village: Sauna & a "grotto azzurra"
• Greece: Greek columns, pink coloured mango inspired water (don't ask me why redish water should remind one of a yellow mango... and it didn't have any smell at all, not mango, nor anything else)
• Finnland: two saunas, cold water, and small one-person tubs
• Spain (although it was called Germania): a sitting area (with foot bath) and a bull and bullfighter statue
• Atlantis: crumbling columns and an aquarium which one could observe while lying in the water

Well, I am well washed and I even got my Akasuri scrub done. 

Tranquil part of Arashiyama - 静かな嵐山

Bicycle: 18.2  km

Train: 100 km 

Route: Around Arashiyama

Total riding time: 2:25 h

Total ascent: 492 m 

Weather: warm, cloudy and a bit of rain

Due to typhoon 21 which passed through Japan on Tuesday this week and hit specially bad the international airport of Osaka, I had an other weekend in Japan before flying back next week Thursday from Narita. 

The weather today was not really good, but also not bad enough from stopping me to ride a bit on a bike through Arashiyama. I rented a mamachari (this time without any gears) right in front of the Hankyu Arashiyama station and set off in what according to the shop owner was the wrong direction, i.e. not to "downtown" Arashiyama where all the tourists are, but to Matsuo Taisha, along a small neighbourhood street. 

The shrine was moderately busy with families bringing their babies to the first shrine visit. Behind the shrine there is a a Japanese garden built I think in the 1970. Not really nice, too much love for concrete. The small waterfall behind the torii was nicer: 

In the third garden of the shrine I had early lunch including a typical Japanese summer sweet, Kuzukiri. 

After this stop I continued on towards Suzumushi temple （鈴虫寺）. The guy at the parking lot was not very convinced of me visiting the temple and told me that I could only visit the garden, but not the temple. I told him that I didn't mind and would visit the garden only and thus went towards the temple. At the temple they were again not very convinced and asked me in "Japanese is okay?" and I told them that yes, as long as I don't need to read it. This answer seemed to have convinced the monk at the cashier and I got my ticket and was ushered inside, where an other monk had already started his 30 minutes speech. I joined late, but it was interesting and very vivid. Not monk-like at all. First he explained how to use the Omamori. I am not sure if this is something specific to this temple, but he was very adamant about it that the Omamori consists of 3 pieces, one for one-self, one for friends and one for family. The one for oneself only works if you have it on you at all times. You are not allowed to leave it at home or give it to someone else. Also in order to work you need to give your full address to the god in charge, so that he can come to your home to deliver the wish you made. You are allowed any wish, as long as it is a wish for yourself not for someone else. 

In the second part of his speech he introduced the 「素磨歩」(read: "SUMAHO" スマホ) principle. I am not really sure if this is a traditional buddhistic concept, but essentially you need to be pure 素, directed in your own direction 歩 and have a clean 磨 soul. Well he was able to describe it better, very vividly with a lot of laughters form the large audience. (Note that SUMAHO in Japanese means smartphone). He even had prepared a poem that cited the SUMAHO principle and made referecnce to DOCOMO, Softbank and AU (the 3 biggest Japanese phone companies). After the sermon we all were allowed into the garden, but most people just passed through it quickly, not admiring the view over Kyoto...

... nor the temple. 

But I didn't buy one of the Omamori's so I guess I am quit with the Japanese on not doing all the things at the temple that one could do. When leaving there had already formed a long queue of new people waiting eagerly to be admitted to the temple and the sermon in order to buy the famous Omamori that will grant you any wish and even home deliver it. Takkyubin for the spiritual.

After this visit I continued a bit in that region, came to Kokedera, which we visited some years ago with an appointment and continued yet a bit further into a bamboo forrest. 

One could still see at many places in Arashiyama the destruction that typhoon 21 had brought with it.

Also the river was incredibly full of water, but it didn't seem that it had overflown. 

Along this river is the famous Arashiyama cycling road, typical Japanese cycling road alongside a river. I rode it back towards Hankyu Arashiyama station, when it just started to rain a bit, so I took shelter for some time in a rest area close to the river, before finally crossing the bridge, which also was affected by the typhoon, but much less severely than the bridge to the airport. After crossing the bridge I continued into "downtown" Arashiyama which gets quite touristy within a few meters. It is really amazing how much flexibility a bicycle gives even in a place that small as Arashiyama. All the "foot" tourists are close to the attractions close to the station and only a few seem to leave a central area, totally ignoring the nice places just a little bit further afield. Probably also thanks to the fact that the centre of Arashiyama is so packed with tourists, the non-so touristy spots are much more enjoyable. 

Places like the Nisonin temple. Probably it gets only busy in the momijigari period, when all these green trees become fire red. 

When I was at the temple it started to rain again, but I could wait it out at the temple, then continued a bit more on the street around tranquil (and upper class) neighbourhoods of Arashiyama ...

Until a hill came into my way and it was time to return the bicycle.

Right next to the bicycle rental in Hankyu Arashiyama is the Fu-Fu no yu onsen, to which I obviously went. There are at least two onsen in Arashiyama. Probably the other is better known (maybe because it is older) and probably gets quite some tourists and Japanese guests. The Fu-Fu no yu instead was not very busy at all, although it was a Saturday late afternoon. It has 2 tubs inside, one with sparkling water, and one relatively big tub outside, plus a cold water one right besides the sauna.

A nice place to wash and relax after a day sightseeing in Arashiyama. Although the onsen is right next to a river, one cannot see it, as there are houses and restaurants just on the other side of the river.  The onsen also does not have a restaurant, but it does have a relaxation room with a vending machine with milk (and other drinks). 

After a day exploring slowly on a bicycle the parts of Arashiyama where I have never been, I took the Hankyu train back to Osaka falling gently asleep on the ride back. 

Relaxing Karuizawa - 軽井沢でゆっくりする

The weather forecast for both Tokyo and Osaka (and Kyoto, where I actually wanted to go) for this weekend was very hot. 35C or more... which is simply a temperature at which I cannot move unless under constant air conditioning. Since from last weekend's trip to Tohoku (Ginzan onsen - Shinjo - Kakunodate - Hachimantai - Tazawako) I still have two days on my JR East Tohoku Pass I decided to use it this weekend to go to Karuizawa. In reality we wanted to come here 2 weeks ago, but had stayed up too late the evening before and did not have a full weekend, but rather one day only. A colleague of mine is a big fan of Karuizawa, but mainly was talking about good shopping in Karuizawa. I think there is an outlet somewhere... so it did not sound very interesting. Only recently I enquired further and he showed me some more pictures of beautiful lakes and old streets, which seemed to be more to my liking.

Day 1 

Today I made it to Karuizawa only around 14:00 arriving by Shinkansen from Tokyo after leaving the monthly rental apartment in Tokyo where we had stayed from early August. Straight from the station I went to one of the many (as I found out) bicycle rental shops right outside of the station and got my mamachari with 3 gears and a big basket. And set off through the very tranquil town of Karuizawa to my first destination the Kumoba pond. Actually Karuizawa does not seem to be a town/city in itself, but rather a forrest in which the rich from Tokyo have build their summer chalets. But it does not seem that there is someone really living in this town. 

Nice tranquil lake, very beloved by all the Chinese (Taiwanese?) tourists. Obviously in autumn the colours must become spectacular. The lake is in the middle of a forrest which is inhabited by the rich, who have built anything from uninspired houses, similar to the ones one can find all over Tokyo, to historical buildings...

... designer houses as well as wooden holiday homes:

Along the road small signs indicate where the holiday house of which family is. All in the same very simple script, as unassuming as possible. Understatement the Japanese way.

At the end of a straight and long double alley through the woods ...

... one arrives to an old hotel, now national monument. Originally build at the beginning of the 20th century, but in totally Western style.

Karuizawa had just been "discovered" by an English missionary who found that spending his free time there, was the best thing he could do and more and more foreigners, but also Japanese did the same, so Karuizawa became the resort area for the rich from Tokyo wanting to flee the heat of the city. The hotel was mainly used by foreigners and luxurious by the standards of the time. When it finally closed (I think in the 1970's) the building was declared a national monument and moved from the place where it originally was to this new location. Probably in the original location a new hotel has been built.

And no, in case you wonder, I did NOT invert the picture below. In the good old days in Japanese when writing in vertical, right to left was used.

After the visit to the hotel I made the way to my hotel for the night, which was in the other part of Karuizawa. I did not dash out the money that would be needed for a high end hotel (when I reserved a few days ago, there were offers of 80,000 Yen and more / night on Jalan)... I however took a small cat themed pension.

After relaxing a bit in my small room I wanted to ride to the close-by onsen in Hoshino area, but when I left it had started raining. This wouldn't however stop me from going to an onsen... it just stopped me from riding there.

The tombo no yu onsen is in a very posh area. A place my husband would call "adequate for our social standing"... and a kind of place that we normally do not visit. But I have to admit it was very nice. I walked there with a big umbrella through the rain and through the forrest which was illuminated by designer lamps along a walkway winding through the wood along a small stream until reaching the onsen. And then the bliss of soaking. The onsen itself had only 3 tubs, 1 big inside and 1 very large outside, plus a cold water one outside. While the tub inside was very hot, outside it wasn't that hot and it had many different hights including one could lie flat in the water. Very relaxing indeed.

After my soak I went for a late (for Japanese standards) dinner in the posh area. I have to admit that the menu sounded more appetizing than the actual plates... Return to my small pension then by taxi as I did not want to walk again 30 min under the rain and in the cold! (It was actually quite cold in Karuizawa and the only jacket I even brought with me to Japan is only a light cardigan). 

Day 2

Today after a Western (and good) breakfast I went back to the posh area where I had ended the day yesterday, wanting to explore it by daylight. However my first stop of the day was a 7/11 along the way to buy a rain jacket. It had rained most of the night and had just started raining when I was about to leave... but also had stopped nearly immediately. But the weather clearly wasn't going to be stable. As I had the rental bicycle, I knew that I had to ride it back to Karuizawa station, so I took the safe decision to buy a cheap plastic rain jacket. Which luckily is still in its original packing after a day exploring Karuizawa.

My second stop then was to explore the area of the two churches in Hoshino area. Karuizawa Kogen church and Stone church. The second one seems to be very interesting, architectonically, however I wasn't even allowed anywhere close to it. I knew that on weekends it is only open from 7:30 to 8:30 in the morning before that wedding marathon starts. But I had hoped to at least see it from the outside. But to no avail. The other church was pretty much off limits as well, however somewhat better visible through the woods.

Karuizawa seems to be a very popular destination for weddings.

I continued my exploration and came to an authentic forrest, protected for wild birds. However to me after walking duly the 2 km shortest course through the wood, it seemed just like any forrest. And I even didn't hear any birds, probably because at the entrance facility I was equipped with a bear bell.

After the 2 km through the forrest I decided that I had earned an other bath (I hadn't taken a shower or anything in the morning in my pension, knowing that I would head for the onsen later).

Also this onsen must have been constructed by a good architect. At least it looks very nice. Women to the right, men to the left, some water in the middle.

... and a sneak preview of how the view from the rotenburo would be:

After the bath I went back to the posh eatery area of yesterday night and although I had decided NOT to eat there, I was finally overcome by both hunger and the availability of a table outside one of the cafes so I had a sandwich, which wasn't very good actually, but in nice atmosphere along a scenographic river.

Then I went back to my pension, picked up my heavy backpack (containing 2 computers and little else). The rest of my luggage, I had shipped on Saturday morning already to my hotel in Osaka, where they will hopefully await my arrival today in the evening.

And then on to the second attraction of the day, the museum of Hiroshi Senju. I have to admit that I had never heard about this artist, but the cousin of my husband (an architect in Tokyo) had spoken very highly about the museum building. So I went, and yes, the building is breathtaking. With a zen kind of quiet atmosphere totally focused on nature and giving the art works a perfect room.

Even the artwork itself was quite nice. Varying. Some was a bit boring, but specially the waterfalls and also the merger of traditional Japanese art (e.g. room dividers) with modern art was a great idea. The museum isn't very big nor are there many works, maybe around 30, so the entire experience is very relaxing. The entrance to the toilet also for sure must be one of the nicest in Japan, with lateral views into the surrounding landscape. 

From the museum along the main road, there was even a bicycle lane. Nothing to the Dutch standards, but at least not the normal shared pedestrian/bicycle walkway. Although I strongly suspect that the pedestrians would use the bicycle lane indiscriminately. But there weren't any around. In other places in Karuizawa one can also see these "knooppunt". I had left the museum right on time to get back to Karuizawa station just before rain started, returned my bicycle well before 18:00 and considered at the station to change my ticket to an earlier train, but then saw that all the earlier trains didn't have seats any more available. So instead I opted to go to the outlet (see above) which results to be right besides the station and is ENORMOUS. I haven't seen the entire shopping area, because it has several separate wings each of them large by themselves. All this quite nicely placed into the landscape, and luckily with arcades in front of the stores so I didn't get wet.

At the Royal Copenhagen store, I bought a birthday present for my mother and had my personal Mr. Bean experience. But all nicely packed up, and should definitely not suffer any further harm. I say further harm, because being an outlet the porcelain was second quality and apparently there is a small error somewhere... which my mother can try to find. The local Mr. Bean did not make me miss my train and so I finally boarded it shortly after 18:00, then changed at Tokyo and am now on my way to Shin-Osaka where I should be arriving within a few minutes. To the warm weather again!