On March 11th the 9.0 earthquake off the coast of Sendai sent a tsunami which destroyed much of the coast and killed thousands of people. In Tokyo, the largest city in Japan and home to over 12 million people, the earthquake had a slightly different effect. It forced people to reconsider how they moved around the city.
I had the good fortune to visit Tokyo at the beginning of April and I noticed the prevalence of bicycles. Japan has always been fairly environmentally conscious; with it’s strict recycling rules and massive public transit systems Tokyo is comparatively green when compared to North American cities. However this seemed like something more.
It turns out that bicycle sales in Japan have hit record numbers. The presidentof Asahi Co., a major bicycle retailer in Tokyo saw sales triple. Susumu Shimoda recalls, “I was in Tokyo when the earthquake hit, and everything stopped. Trains stopped, buses were in chaos and cars were jammed. Within that, you could see bicycles swimming through.”
Apparently, demand for bikes was so high the night of the quake, some bike stores stayed open until 4 a.m. to meet the needs of customers. One of Zuimei’s friends told me at the bar he walked 6 hours to get home following the quake. A bicycle would have cut that down to just two. While I was in Tokyo, one of the aftershocks registered 7.1 on the Richter scale and people immediately began leaving the city; not wanting to get stuck again if the trains shut down.
Both gear-maker Shimano and Giant bikes have seen significant lift in sales as bike demands still continue. However, feelings are understandably mixed among manufacturers who are torn between the increase in sales and the damage to their country.
While it is easy to get lost in the tragedy of such a huge natural disaster it is comforting to see some good came out of it. With an increase in cycling there should be a corresponding decrease in pollution, an increase in physical health and well-being and hopefully a continued renaissance of cycling culture in Japan.