Two wheels good

[imomus]

After heaters, scooters. Push-bikes and scooters are so diverse here (my pet theory is that Japanese industrial design is inspired by the plethora of fish forms in the seas around Japan). They're partly responsible for Japan's amazing transport energy efficiency rates; many commuters ride bikes to their nearest train station. Not only do scooters have the best per-gallon fuel efficiency of any mode of transport yet invented, they also hate Bush.



There's a much better collection of bikes and scooters than mine on the Shobus blog (the most evocative blog about Japan, what a shame it had to stop!). Compiled last summer by Mehdi Hercberg, here are four strips of pictures of tasty two-wheeled transport machines:

Moyens de locomotion 1
Moyens de locomotion 2
Moyens de locomotion 3
Moyens de locomotion 4

Comments

[iamcoreyd.livejournal.com]

I need to get a scooter when I move to Boston.

[cheapsurrealist.livejournal.com]

the canadian government is almost as smart as Bush and has made it so you have to have a motorcycle license.

Almost as smart as Bush? My dog is almost as smart as Bush.

The Governor of California (you know who) was just caught riding without a license. He'll be doing some hard time i'm sure.

I'm starting to see a lot more scooter makes and models here in the u.s. At least in San Francisco. Good sign I think. I'm thinking of getting one ... and a license I guess.

[nomorepolitics.livejournal.com]

Already finished your bath? The Seven Stages of Man don't seem to take much time; I better savor them while they last.

[anglerfish96.livejournal.com]

Does anyone know what happened to Paddy?!

[cap-scaleman.livejournal.com]

Wow, these are far from the western bikes that feels like they are made for competing rather than just biking from point A to point B. These bikes reminds me of kids bikes here, sort of, as I had something similar maybe ten years ago. I stopped using my bike maybe 2-3 years ago but if I lived in a city like Tokyo or Kyoto I would n't stop for a minute to get a bike like one of those above. But only if it would be a non-gas driven bike of course!

[(Anonymous)]

I'm pretty sure you've stumbled upon the book 'Pet Architecture' from the Tokyo architectural firm Atelier Bow Wow. Judging from the recent documentation on gregarious Japanese objects, this book's contents could relate and be of interest. It documents extremely small dwellings and businesses in the Tokyo area that escapes mainstream architecture.
I'm not so sure about your pet theory though. There is an industrial designer by the name of Kenji Ekuan who is responsible for the look of the Narita train fleet, Akita bullet train, several Kawasaki cycles, and the design of the ubiquitous Kikkoman soy sauce bottle. He has a book published calle dthe Aesthetics of the Japanese Lunchbox. He states that the concepts he was learning as a monk before switching over to Industrial Design, was largely influential in the way he constructed his ideas for the objects he is well known for. In the book he sounds more of an esoteric Buddhist than a esoteric designer.

[anti-peace-riot.livejournal.com]

Although this doesn't entirly have anything to do with this, I thought I should share this site with you: http://www.obakemono.com/ (http://www.obakemono.com/) which is a guide to folk monsters in Japan.

Also, Manholes of Japan show a number of interesting Japanese manholes. I was wondering if you had possibly come across something like this?

Take care. (http://frangipani.info/photography/v/manholes_of_japan/?set_albumName=manholes_of_japan&page=1)

Thank you

[nomorepolitics.livejournal.com]

Great sites! Lovely!

[(Anonymous)]

Well I've not drawn any conclusions on the scooters but every bike I see involves the issue of how can one carry or store one in a space too tight for an average bike. I guess it's an issue that's not been definitively solved. I guess the smaller it folds the more awkward it is to ride when expanded.

I guess also that the portable ones are emphasized by the overwhelming number of bikes that Westerners would associate with what Chinese people seem to ride in travelogues, you know the black "shoppers special". You see a few but really not that many of the 10 speed variety or anything vaguely sporty like in the second picture.

Tried to do Shikoku to Honshu on a 1000 yen per day rental bicycle last May. Got a late start, don't really know how to ride very well and only did 55 of the 80km. before I returned the bike and went straight for the hydrofoil. I did make it to Hiroshima prefecture but not the mainland.

-ndkent

[akabe.livejournal.com]

at any time of the day or night you see a hella more of these things parked than moving around. i'm sure it means something but i can't quite work out what.