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Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Anyone know of a site for navigating Tokyo streets in English?
Thanks in advance,
s

G Cthulhu · Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2007 12:43 am Post subject: Re: Driving in Tokyo

Pony up for a GPS that includes English voice directions. They're not that expensive.

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Thanks for the reply, mate. It's sorted, worked it out on the J-site. Forgot to mention I'm on my bike, too.
Enjoy,
s

Quibby84 · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 643 Location: Japan

I figured you were not driving..only a silly person would try driving in Tokyo...I was imagining you with a GPS on your bike...lol..

Sweetsee · Joined: 11 Jun 2004 Posts: 2302 Location: ) is everything

Maybe only a silly person would try driving in Tokyo without GPS, but I do all the time. It's not that bad really, once you get the hang of it.
Silly for me would be riding on the trains. Does my head in.

Quibby84 · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 643 Location: Japan

You drive in Tokyo??? Wow...that really does amaze me. We once drove past Tokyo (not through) and it was miserable. The road had like two lanes and about 5 million cars. Do people get in wrecks often in Tokyo?

I think that I love trains...lol.

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

I see far fewer crashes at intersections in Tokyo than I ever did in my home city (Auckland, New Zealand) where there is almost always broken headlight/ indicator glass scattered around any major intersection.

I live near a fairly main east/ west artery to the west of central Tokyo which I cross several times a day and have only seen a couple of minor sideswipes since I've been here. The traffic may look chaotic but the drivers aren't anywhere near as impatient or aggressive as they are in Auckland, hence fewer crashes.

I haven't driven here myself, but when I've been a passenger driving around areas like Shinjuku it hasn't seemed that bad- just a bit slow, and you need a GPS or someone to navigate.

Quibby84 · Joined: 10 Aug 2006 Posts: 643 Location: Japan

It was pretty crowded on my college campus and about 99% (including mine) had a dent of some sort. I think it is pretty amazing that there are so many cars and so few wrecks. And while riding with Japanese I find that they are not the best drivers (I have been in about 3 VERY near accidents, one time I had to yell to the driver Stop!..lol).
Why do you think there are fewer wrecks?

Apsara · Joined: 20 Sep 2005 Posts: 2142 Location: Tokyo, Japan

Compared to where I'm from, slower average speed, less aggressiveness.

king kakipi · Joined: 16 Feb 2004 Posts: 353 Location: Australia

markle · Joined: 17 Jan 2003 Posts: 1316 Location: Out of Japan

I'm confused.
Sweets you want help to navigate the streets of Tokyo on your bike (bicycle? motorcycle?) but you can drive around Tokyo in a car? WTF?

As for why there's fewer accidents than in Auckland, Well aside from the fact that sheep can't drive so well (have trouble gripping the wheel with their hooves). People in the West tend to have more faith in the rule of law and that everyone else observes it. Anyone who has driven m