Companies offer special benefits to bicycle commuters

Commuters who would rather not be trapped in jam-packed trains, which may increase the risk of exposure to the swine flu, are recently choosing a different option – bicycle-riding to the office.

Men in suits and ties with a backpack traveling to work have become the new trend, and there are several benefits besides the most obvious – escape from enduring train rides overcrowded with passengers.

“Although I have to wear a mask as soon as I get to the office, at least I don’t have to worry about it on the way to work. I bike about 40 minutes, 10 kilometers every day. I don’t go out drinking as much and I’ve lost 10 kilos in a year. My cholesterol level is better and medical exam results are great,” says one Osaka company worker.

Another company employee, a 10-year veteran as a bicycle commuter, explains he’s built stamina by traveling an hour and half to cover the 30-kilometer distance between his home in Kashiwa City and the office in Shinjuku. “I’m also earning extra money from the monthly transportation fee of 15,000 yen provided by the company.”

According to the Japan Bicycle Association, domestic bicycle shipments in 2008 reached 73.4 billion yen (a 21% increase from the previous year), of which sports-type cycles for town riding accounted for nearly 3 billion yen, a 68% increase. Bike related products are drawing attention as well, such as business suits using materials with enhanced breathing-stretching qualities.

Due to the economic downturn, more individuals are selling off their cars and switching to bike riding, according to the Association.

New businesses are following the trend, such as the “Runners Station Plus Bike” which opened in Chiyoda-ku this February, catering to bike commuters’ needs with locker and shower rooms. For the monthly fee of 23,000 yen, members can use the facilities and leave their expensive vehicles in a secure parking area.

Furthermore, an increasing number of companies are encouraging bicycle commuting as a part of the corporate “Eco” policy. For example, since 2006 Sanyo’s manufacturing facility in Gunma has offered continuous payment of commuting allowances to employees who switch from car to bicycle, provided that the distance is between 2 and 5 kilometers one way.

In the case of Yamaha Motor Company in Shizuoka, employees receive special benefits when they change their travel method from car to motorcycle, bicycle or commute on foot. The system has been implemented since 2004, and currently bicycle commuters are paid 1,000 yen per month from the company.

Last August, shochu manufacturer Okuchi Shuzo in Kagoshima introduced a system to encourage bike commute by offering 10 yen per kilometer. More than a third of its employees now ride bicycles to work.

Journalist Tsuyoshi Maeya, who lost 7 kilos in one year by switching to bicycle commuting advises, “You can avoid overcrowded trains, there’s less exposure to the flu virus and you’ll be able to build stamina and strengthen your immune system. But try to take it slow and easy – don’t attempt riding 20 kilometers to the workplace without giving yourself the chance to practice over weekends and gradually increase the distance you can handle.”

Needless to say, please follow traffic rules and remember that riding the bicycle under the influence of alcohol is a no-no.

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Latest 15 of 35 Total Comments Show All

gogogo at 10:35 AM JST - 27th May

jonobugs: The second you step out of your house to goto work you can claim workers comp. All travel time including company outings, lunch time, going home from work, even company BBQ are all workers compensation zones. The person that wrote this article should have seriously done some research.

mmwk2008: Even if an accident is 100% not your fault in Japan it is still partly your fault for being in that place at that time to cause that accident. Weird rule I know but thats how it goes.
bogva at 01:56 PM JST - 27th May

gogo: I agree you can claim compensations but only if the accident happend on your official rout to work. In my company every year we have to confirm our means of transportation and even small map is drawn.

If it says I travel by train I don't think they will compensate me if I got hit while riding a bike!
sharky1 at 02:18 PM JST - 27th May

I guess this could be a good thing. Your benefits will probably boil down to what you are pedaling.
gogogo at 09:00 PM JST - 27th May

bogva: They are trying to cover their butts, just the same way companies try to avoid paying overtime, if you took it to court you would win.
mmwk2008 at 10:33 PM JST - 27th May

Actually, the accident did happen on my official route from work. Old guy came out of an ajoining junction and rear ended me, force of impact snapped my Carbon fibre frame, though I walked away from it, can't remember all the gory details so presumably momentarily knocked out. Since then headaches, lack of sleep, neck pain, etc. Has anyone any ever been in an RTA invovling car & bicycle and taken it to court in Japan ? Would appreciate any info.
LoveUSA at 10:38 PM JST - 27th May

One of the worst things in Japanese narrow streets are the bicylcles. I hate them. People shall commute by bicycles if there is a bike lane as in every civilized country of the world, otherwise they shall go on foot or by public transportation.
Sarge at 10:53 PM JST - 27th May

"My company also bans commuting by bicycle"

If you have to work for this dumb company, don't tell anyone you're commuting by bicycle. Surely you can find a place to park your bike within a few minutes' walk from your dumb company?
gogogo at 10:48 AM JST - 28th May

mmwk2008: You can get money for life from the guy that hit you, when a car hits a bike or something smaller than them the bigger object is always in the wrong. The guy that hit you will have to pay you x amount of money to you per month for your life time. This is how the Japanese system works, you should seriously talk to a lawyer about this case and at least get your medical bills paid for.
DeepAir65 at 10:50 AM JST - 28th May

within the yamanote line where can you park a bicycle?

And as others say lack of showers is a definite problem.

In the winter I commuted to a language school - 50 minutes by public transport then I bought a bike - 25 minutes :-)
Nessie at 11:28 AM JST - 28th May

for compenstation from the Drivers Insurance company - forget it, you'll be offered a pittance to cover the loss of your bicycle.

Not a pittance. It will usually cover the cost of the bike, plus compensation for medical, plus meiwaku (inconvenience) money. A friend on a bike was blindsided by a cab that didn't stop at a side street. She lost a couple of teeth. They pressured her to accept a quick payment -- "they" being both the cab company and her eikaiwa employer. I think they were afraid of being sued by a litigious foreigner. They should have thrown on the cost of a straw to have lunch through.
michelelisa at 11:28 AM JST - 28th May

mmwk2008: My co-worker is a cyclist who's live here for over 30 years and he concurs with gogogo - the car is in the wrong no matter what. You should see a lawyer because you are entitled to compensation!
kanadamanada at 01:46 PM JST - 28th May

I commute year-round in Sapporo by bike. In the winter I switch the tires to winter MTB spikes and even the slickest sheets of ice can't stop me. The only thing that makes me take the subway with the dirty coughing masses is the rain. I raced bicycles back in Canada and rain on a bicycle just sucks on a level that can't be put into words.

I don't worry about parking where "Das ist verbotten!" because they legally have to put a warning ticket on your bike 24-48 hours before it is confiscated. Nobody else in Sapporo worries about it, so, when in Rome!
Nessie at 03:57 PM JST - 28th May

I don't worry about parking where "Das ist verbotten!" because they legally have to put a warning ticket on your bike 24-48 hours before it is confiscated. Nobody else in Sapporo worries about it, so, when in Rome!

I don't think this is true. I've had my bike carted off on the same day I parked it. I think the rules in the station area are stricter. 2000 yen fine to reclaim the bike. If it were a 24-hour warning, then I could park at my office every day and toss the ticket when I rode home.

With spike tires it's possible to ride year-round in Sapporo, but the big problems are rutting, sidewalks piled high and unevenly, and lack of awareness of cyclists by drivers in winter. I can't really blame drivers for not expecting cyclists in mid-winter, though.
ca1ic0cat at 03:06 AM JST - 5th June

Sarge, I would not want to get caught doing something the company banned. A Japanese company might well let you go for that.

I wonder how long into the rainy season bike riding is going to last?
nisegaijin at 05:28 PM JST - 5th June

i should do this more often, but taxi has been a better option recently.