Riding a bike is the cheapest activity to do it Japan. You might think that its hard because there is so much traffic, but in many respects its easier and more fun to get around than by car. I would find driving in Japan frustrating because of the slow pace of the traffic. The secret is:
1. Using pathways along rivers, drainage channels and parks. These paths can go for kilometres, e.g. Along the Arakawa River is the best way to get around Tokyo, plus the creek and main road at Nerima. Most main roads have paths.
2. Riding up mountain river valleys
3. Taking back roads
I even was given a very good mountain bike by going to the local recycling centre. The Japanese govt reclaims a lot of bikes abandoned at stations. Japanese abandon them, so that is where you can find them. I got mine from a suburban fringe recycling centre in Saitama.
It is amazing where you can find mountain biking trails. I found a really good one near Ranzen-machi in Saitama. It runs along a mountain range before dropping down to a road, then along the side of a golf club, another saddle, then down a creek bed. You can of course ride around rice padis or a long rivers in rural areas, simply by packing your bike into a bag for the train. This makes sense if you want to rail to a location and drive back. Make it a real challenge by taking a GPS and going 100-200km away. See if you can find your way home.
I could almost turn this into a sport. Cross-country riding around Japan. All it needs is a website where people can go for GPS coordinates, places to stay for cheap, good bars. Nice website idea. I'll do the website if someone helps me on the content side. I already have GPS coordinates for about 30% of JR railway stations after using several Japan Rail Passes.
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