Job Discussion Forums

[J.]

My city is a small one, more of a town abutting a bit of farm land or should I say vegetable and rice fields scattered here and there. There may be places where there are fewer cars on secondary roads but seems everyone in the countryside has at least three cars in the yard, probably because of multi-generational families living in the same house. If there's one thing killing the quality of air and life it's all the cars and roads through the countryside. The population density is such here that most of the "countryside" doesn't really look like the country in other places.

So while there may be some roads with fewer cars they are almost impossible to get to with your bike since you can't easily take it on the train with you (unless you can break it down and put it in a bag) so without a car you are limited to the places you can reach. I'm not saying you can't ride if you are determined but I have found that I can't take the headaches I get from the pollution after only and hour or two in traffic.

I think there is a site in Japan for bicycling. I will try to hunt up the url for you. They may have more information.

Sorry to hear about your accident. Hope you are okay now.

[J.]

This site makes cycling here look easy. It has some recommended places and courses.

http://www.outdoorjapan.com/activities/cycling/activities-cycling-introduction.html

[markle]

[J.]

I was surprised to read that too. Guess compared with Osaka or any big city it may be better, but they also say:

"The Japan Cycling Association warns cyclists not to ride more than 100km a day due to the danger caused by exhaust fumes. "

For me it takes a lot shorter distance than that, just an hour or two.

[rai]

[leosmith]

Thanks for the well wishes folks. It was 6 weeks ago, so I'm about 90% now, and ready to get back on the bike. I'll check out that site, and maybe see if there are places with trails or old logging roads. I mostly want to ride for exercise. I could pick up groceries with a backpack, and walk or take public transpo to work I suppose.

[Eva Pilot]

[nonsmoker]

So where does the blame fall if one gets hit by a car in Japan? Does the blame get placed mostly on the driver (like in the USA) or on the pedestrian/cyclist (like in most other parts of the world)? I know that here in the USA if I get hit by a car while I am J-walking, the fault will be the driver for not being alert.

[J.]

Shopping is one of the best uses of a bike if you are not in a huge city. Most smaller cities have the stores within easy riding distance and with a bike you can reach stores a little farther away and get things which are a bit too heavy to carry. You can put a basket on the front and back and get most of your week's groceries. Then, too, you can bungee many bigger things on the back and get them home without deliveries.( Hint: the 100 yen shop has bungee cords.) The bicycles are sturdy here and meant for shopping, and the trips are usually short enough so you don't have to breathe too many fumes. If you're not far from your company, they are good to get to work too, (or the station to catch a train.)

I've been riding a bike here for over 6 years and the only accident I had was with another bike rider (a high school girl looking behind her and travelling at speed) --ouch! You just need to ride carefully and be aware all the time because many cars turn out of small hidden driveways or roads and they don't always see you...they are looking at the road and you will probably be travelling on the sidewalk. If you use some of the same routes, then you will become aware of the places to be extra careful.

As for exercising on "trails" most of the ones around here are up mountains, and are used for walking. One option, if you like mountain biking, is to go up and down local mountains; they all have roads winding around them to the top. Cars can go there too but there should be fewer of them, especially at times other than the weekends.

I see from the outdoor Japan website that you CAN take your bike on the train if you buy a bike bag (or wrap it up) and pay for a cheap ticket. One thing I didn't think of but seems to be a possibility is to use a bus to get to a good cycling place. They have big luggage compartments.

[johnyuehan]

Yes, you can take your bike on the trains - did this many times. Remove both tires (takes a bit of time, but not bad), put tires alongside the frame & wrap it all up in a big blue tarp & bungee cord. Hop on the trains & go! Avoid rush hours, as carrying a bulky bike is annoying to other passengers. I've taken the bike on Tokyo subways, JR local trains & shinkansen, never had to buy a special bike ticket. If you're just commuting to work, this isn't practical; works better if you want to explore an area further from your home.

Folding bikes are another great option, especially if you don't want to mess around w. taking off the tires. But their heavy weight, smaller tires & other factors are a tradeoff. Convenient & best for not-so-serious cyclists.

The book "Cycling Japan" is a great resource; couldn't find it on a search of amazon.com, though it must be available from somewhere. Follow the info below to track it down.

from http://www.faqs.org/faqs/bicycles-faq/part4/section-37.html -
Cycling Japan: A Personal Guide to Exploring Japan by Bicycle, ed. Bryan
Harrell. Tokyo & New York: Kodansha International, 1993. ISBN
4-7700-1742-1. 2200 yen / US$18. In print. A paperback with some tips on cycling in Japan, but much more about particular itineraries. So
specific--with phone numbers of minshuku (pensions), etc.--that it is
likely to become dated and should therefore be used with care.

[leosmith]

My thinking on this has changed a little bit. I'm now looking for a location that
1. is a good place for learning Japanese (not too much local dialect, not too many gaijin)
2. has mild weather (not too cold or snowy in the winter)
3. is big enough to have an English teaching job for me, and a good Japanese language school where I can get private lessons
4. has fairly good air quality

I'll be finishing my CELTA in October, so my plan is to fly to Japan and look for a job. I'd like to target one or two locations before I go, so suggestions are welcome.

[zignut]

You can't bike there in the winter, but I thought Tohoku was a lovely region to live in. I was teaching in Aomori for a little while, and enjoyed cycling every day.

But like another poster said, I'm sure there are hundreds of places that would satisfy your needs.

[Glenski]

[SeasonedVet]

[SeasonedVet]

There are dialects all over Japan. I can't attest to the harshness of them but I would say they are different. Some of them are further from the standard than others like the example of Aomori and kagoshima.
With the example of Osaka, it is also true that there is a Kansai Dialect in which Osaka dialect takes prominence.
Thge Osaka dialect is spoken throughout Kansai with slight variations as you go from place to place thus making it Kansai dialect. But the Osaka dialect is concentrated in Osaka Proper. And even withing the Osaka dialect there are variations as you go from place to place.
So if the OP is to avoid Osaka because of the "harsh" dialect ( alot of Osaka people would be upset at this term) then he would have to avoid all Kansai altogether and that is a big portion of Japan to avoid, thus bringing up the question:
Do non-Japanese-speaking people in Osaka or the other areas mentioned learn or speak Japanese any worse or better than another area?