Mama-chari Bicycles

When it comes to Mama-chari bicycles in Japan you'll be seeing more than double! These friendly looking things are right up there in the list of most commonly seen things in Japan. Let me break it down for you... Mama = Mum and Chari = bicycle, so these are for Mothers apparently, however, everybody is riding them; teenagers, salarymen, Ojichans & Obachans. These Mama-charis are quite slow but safe and efficient as they have a light and a basket at the front for riding in the evenings and for grocery shopping, they also come with a built in lock that's attached to the back wheel, if you want to travel long distances or maybe just go a little faster, then road bikes and mountain bikes are also an option, however, are less common, I've also been seeing quite a few bicycles with HUGE wheels! Something that's trending in Tokyo atm, those rebels! If you live in Japan and you're planning on going to your local Conbini or station then it is more than common to use a Mama-chari. These bicycles are so popular in Japan that there are designated parking spaces for them where you normally pay ¥100 to enter, these parking lots are normally near stations, however are sometimes full due to the increasing number of people who are falling in love with Mama-charis!

Mamachari