I want to ride my bicycle...

I cycled to Kawaramachi last night. I was paying more attention to my surroundings than to the time, but I would guess the ride there is a little under an hour.

Legally, unless there's a sign noting otherwise, bicycles are not allowed on the sidewalk. In practice, however, the sidewalks are often filled with cyclists--not to mention pedestrians, parked bicycles, telephone poles, etc. When you ride in the street, you must stay as far to the left as you can, going with the flow of traffic. However, not all cyclists follow this rule, either. Not only do you have to go around cars parked at the curb, you also have to look out for cyclists going the wrong way.

So, when I cycle around Kyoto (whether it be on the sidewalk or in the street), I always feel a bit like I'm playing a video game of some sort. Ride on the sidewalk without crashing! Cross the giant intersection before the light turns red! Avoid cars! It's a rather exciting game...Only the stakes are a little higher than your average game, since collecting coins or talismans will not earn you an extra life. Luckily the Japanese are used to looking out for cyclists.