The bicycles of Japan. JITENSHA is the Japanese word for BICYCLE, but one might hear the slang word charinko, instead. Bicycling is the easiest means of local transportation in the neighborhood. A typical bicycle is not the sleek Lance Armstrong version, but rather the mama-chari ("mom's bike") with its front basket, noisy brakes, and built-in lock. These heavy bikes are most common, but electric bikes, folding bikes and bikes with tiny wheels are now popular.

These bicycle photographs were made during a trip to Japan in July 2009.

220 photographs of Japanese bicycles, people on or with bicycles, NO BICYCLES signs, etc.

Please take a look at my other books about Japan:

JAPAN {BASHO}
JAPAN {IROIRO}
JAPAN {NIHONJIN}
JAPAN {JITENSHA}
JAPAN {SHASHIN}
JAPAN {BITS & PIECES}
JAPAN: IN MY VIEW
JAPANESE SIGNS
LOOKING AT LINES

Japan, Japanese, Nihon, Nippon, Japon, Tokyo, Osaka, Yokohama, Kyoto, Kobe