Tag: japan

Doraemon bike

Doraemon (roughly pronounced “Doe Rye Moan”) is a popular Japanese cartoon series about a robotic time traveling talking cat. He began life as a manga character in the late 1960s, and his immense popularity as an animated TV series means Doraemon is widely merchandised to all kinds of consumer products, including folding bicycles.

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Japan crew at NAHBS 2012

Among the throngs visiting the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Sacramento last weekend, there were large numbers of Japanese media, fans and reps.


Japanese Crew

Among the people in this photo:

  • Japanese bike dealer Sim Works, who imports components, bikes or accessories from Chris King, Hunter, Sycip, King Cage, Peterboro Basket, and Philosophy Bags. Although there’s a vibrant and uniquely Japanese bike culture ranging from the everyman’s mamachari to NJS Keirin racers, Sim Works wants American style, practicality and durability in city commuter bikes and touring bikes. Is that wild or what?
  • Rie has her “CharRie’s Miracle Bike Cafe,” a bike portable coffee shop. She blogs at CharRie’s Cafe.
  • Shunsuke, who was in Sacrmanto to represent CCP Apparel, but he also has his own business running East River Cycles in Tokyo. I suppose East River is a reference to the Sumida River?
  • Shinya manages Circles, a lifestyle bike shop in Nagoya, Japan.

Some of these folks want to have an bike show in Japan featuring both American and Japanese bespoke bike and accessory manufacturers in a kind of reverse-Orientalist fascination for all things Western.

I told them about Byron Kidd’s Tokyo By Bike, and English language Australian expat’s look at transportational cycling around Tokyo. If there’s a Tokyo-American handmade bike show, Byron, I expect you to cover it!