Kyoto Overrun by Reckless Bicycles in No-Cycling Zones

In the ancient capital of Kyoto, bustling with foreign tourists, accidents involving rental bicycles and other bikes show no sign of stopping. In late July 2025, on a Kyoto city road, a municipal bus was forced to make a sudden stop to avoid colliding with a bicycle. A female passenger fell and fractured a bone in the accident.

Many tourists, unaware of the regulations, are also entering areas where cycling is prohibited. With the city's mostly flat terrain, bicycle travel is easy. However, reckless use of bicycles has been on the rise, prompting the Kyoto Prefectural Police to heighten its vigilance.

Ignorance of Rules Leading to Violations

"Watch out! No bicycles here!"

The warning rang out on Shijo Street, one of Kyoto's busiest thoroughfares, where cars and taxis carrying tourists constantly stream past. A police officer from the Kyoto Prefectural Police's bicycle enforcement squad had spotted a foreign tourist pedaling into a no-cycling zone. Startled by the sudden stop, the man looked back in confusion and asked why he was being pulled over.

The officer was part of the Kyoto Prefectural Police's Bicycle Enforcement Unit, nicknamed Be-Unit. It was established within the traffic division in April 2024. This squad primarily patrols the narrow, one-way streets of central Kyoto on bicycles, targeting reckless cycling and electric kickboard violations.

Despite regular crackdowns, police report daily violations on Shijo Street.

Longstanding Ban on Cycling in Busy Zones

Bicycles crowd central Kyoto's flat streets every day. Preventing collisions between cars and bicycles is thus a top priority.

Sections of Shijo and Kawaramachi Streets prohibit bicycles and other light vehicles between 8 AM and 9 PM, when car traffic is heaviest.

Police say records don't clearly show when the restriction began. However, the rule has been in place for at least 30 years, likely for traffic safety reasons dating back to when streetcars ran there.

Tourists often overlook the posted signs, and rental bike riders have increasingly flouted the restriction in recent years.

*Kyoto police Be-Unit officer stops a cyclist wearing earphones while riding in a no-bicycle zone, Kyoto (image partially processed).*

Accidents and Ongoing Dangers

Shijo Street became even riskier for bicycles after 2014, when sidewalk widening reduced it from two lanes per side to one. With buses and taxis frequently stopping for passengers, it remains dangerous for cyclists even outside restricted hours.

In the past five years, about ten bicycle-related accidents have occurred in these restricted areas, six of them during the regulated hours.

With record numbers of foreign visitors, the risk of tourists repeatedly violating the rules on rental bikes is increasing. Police are now working with related groups to urge rental bike businesses to inform their customers about the restrictions properly.

A senior police official said bicycle users often show little awareness of rules and manners, warning that "people must recognize they are operating vehicles and act responsibly."

(Read the article in Japanese.)

Author: The Sankei Shimbun