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Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Cycling Shibuya Tokyo

Tokyo Bike Dude東京渋谷自転車

Shibuya is amazing.

Even on a quiet Sunday morning in late spring, it crackled with energy.

And the people watching was stellar.

The population density in Shibuya is intense, and per capita number of hipsters - many of them on interesting bicycles - must rival certain areas of Brooklyn.

The biking scene in Tokyo is in many respects not that different from Kyoto: lots of mama chari all purpose neighborhood shopping vehicles that only get a tune up when they are about to fall apart.

However, once inside trendier burgs - Omotesando, Shibuya, Daikanyama - and the bikes and the people change dramatically.

Lots of hats, lots of fixies, lots of brands we should probably recognize but do not.

The legendary Shibuya Scramble - the intersection in front of JR Shibuya Station into which pedestrians, bikes, and cars pour in from multiple directions - would be a source of tension in the US. In Tokyo, it just works.

Even bicycles salmoning their way through the crowds caused no stares, glares, or aggravation.


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