Two-wheelers are a common sight and widely used in Japan. Of these, bicycles and scooters are the most common.
Bicycles
There are over 80 million bicycles in Japan. Some 17 percent of trips from home to work and school are made by bicycle.
In most residential neighbourhoods, historically narrow streets create a natural traffic calming effect that encourages cycling. Motorists on these streets must often drive carefully due to a lack of sidewalks (allowing pedestrians to walk freely in the street), obstructions such as utility poles and blind corners at many intersections. Relatively low speed limits of and motorist collision liability are additional factors that encourage more careful driving on residential streets.
Cycling is one of Japan's major modes of transport for trips of up to , and makes up a significant proportion of trips within . However, due to the high availability of other transport modes, longer distance cycling is less common in Japan than in the United States. Cycling speeds are generally slow and recreational. People generally do not wear gear or helmets as cycling serves primarily as a last mile (transportation) solution. and/or economical or hour independent alternative to extensive railway-feeder bus or municipal bus service.
Bicycles have long been a major staple of Japanese transport (as well as walking), and train stations often accommodate them. A major popularization boom in cycling occurred following the 1970s oil crises and has not abated since. Bicycle sheds dominate bicycle storage mechanisms in Japan, most often found at train stations, however they are giving way to other solutions such as bicycle sharing systems and bicycle trees. In spite of bicycle sheds, there long has existed the problem of insufficient bicycle parking, and bicycles can be found parked haphazardly at the more urban train stations, inviting fines and mishaps, though this trend is also in decline. Unlike in North America, bicycles are not allowed on buses nor do buses have bicycle carriers. Vandalism to locked bicycles for parts is quite uncommon, as there is virtually no black market in bicycle parts due to strong policing and general public disregard for stolen items.
Infrastructure
In Japan, cycling infrastructure is generally shared with other infrastructure (94%) and generally not marked. There is almost no extensive system of separate cycling facilities with well-maintained discriminated paths, lanes and special bicycle streets. Exclusive bicycle roadway accounts for only or 2% of all roadway.
While Japan's initially required cyclists to ride on the left hand side of the street (along with other motorized traffic), this led to a dramatic rise in cycling accidents. As a result, rules were loosened to allow cycling on designated sidewalks by the Road Structure Ordinance of 1970, which also introduced the provision of bicycle roads in high traffic areas. Since that time, bicycles have become a common sight on many Japanese sidewalks, while segregated cycling infrastructure still remains relatively rare throughout the country.
Sidewalks where cycling is permitted often contain obstacles such as illegally parked bicycles, utility poles, trees, road signs and street furniture in addition to pedestrians. They are often narrow with uneven, poorly maintained pavement. As a result, cyclists and pedestrians often come into conflict with one another. As an example of this ongoing conflict, from the year 2002 to 2012 the number of bicycle-pedestrian accidents in Japan increased by 30%, while the total number of traffic accidents decreased by a similar margin.
Bicycle parking
Bicycles sheds are a common site at train stations, and can hold hundreds or even thousands of bicycles. Despite this, there are problems with this system: theft or borrowing with the intent to return is common, abandoned bicycles clog the system with nobody knowing who they belong to, and after hours retrieval can be frustrating.
Automated bicycle trees
Bicycle trees are becoming a modern technological solution to a long-standing bicycle storage and security issues. The most fancy capable of storing thousands of bicycles cleanly, securely, and out of sight (underground or above-ground in a building) and fitted with an automated storage and retrieval system at train stations. IC cards are utilized in the system. Some 85 of these systems are installed throughout the country.
Bike sharing
Bicycle sharing systems are a more modern concept in Japan, and largest such system is in Edogawa ward of Tokyo. Since ownership of bicycles is still high, bike sharing would have less appeal in Japan than other nations.