Which side do I walk on?

[splendidham]

Hey all, long time lurker here and a long time resident of Japan. And yet, I've still no idea what side of the footpath I'm supposed to walk on. I'd always assumed it was on the left but apparently maybe or more than likely not.

According to one angry middle aged man, I was on the incorrect side walking on the left with the flow of traffic. Yet on the opposite side of the road, walking against traffic on the left was also incorrect.
Is it just that whatever side I'm walking on will be incorrect so long as there is a middle aged to old man approaching on the same side or is there an actual rule?

Thanks!


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[Russell]

Welcome!

After being a long time here you should understand that it is best to ignore angry middle-aged men...

[Samurai_Jerk]

[Takechanpoo]

officially,
bicycle, motorbike and car : left
pedestrian : right

generally you should follow the above rule. but the importance is to keep some grey zone in your heart and act according to circumstances, not being a stickler. because, as you know, japanese roads are fucking too narrow.

what a tender guy i am.

[Wage Slave]

[Wage Slave]

[Coligny]

officially,
bicycle, motorbike and car : left
pedestrian : right

Correct answer.

[Grumpy Gramps]

I'd always walk on the side, where oncoming traffic comes against me, not from behind in order that I can see potential danger. So probably on the right side.

Apart from that:

[Ol Dirty Gaijin]

If on the road with no path you should face on coming traffic.

When on a path use the road rules. Left.

But if you move like Phil, no one will argue with you.

[GomiGirl]

officially,
bicycle, motorbike and car : left
pedestrian : right

Correct answer.

Yes but you should be leaving space on the footpath for bikes which if they are on the foothpath, should be closest to the road. Not all roads have a bike lane and when I have the chibi on the back, I tend to ride on the footpath.

[legion]

I prefer

Generally you should walk in the cycle lane if there is one, looking at your smartphone, if there is no cycle lane walk across the footpath at a slight tangent, while looking at your smartphone, should anyone walk into your path look at them with contempt that they stepped into your Pokemon fantasy. Also you should select the ticket gate most likely to obstruct as many people coming the other way.

On a train make sure you have a heavily laden rucksack on your back and sway backwards and forwards so as to inconvenience as many fellow travelers as possible.

Do all this and you are no longer insignificant, you are now a true Tokyo-ite.

[Coligny]

officially,
bicycle, motorbike and car : left
pedestrian : right

Correct answer.

Yes but you should be leaving space on the footpath for bikes which if they are on the foothpath, should be closest to the road. Not all roads have a bike lane and when I have the chibi on the back, I tend to ride on the footpath.

According to the 2015 RT laws bicycles are vehicles and should be on the road or on the designated bicycle lanes.

[Russell]

officially,
bicycle, motorbike and car : left
pedestrian : right

Correct answer.

Yes but you should be leaving space on the footpath for bikes which if they are on the foothpath, should be closest to the road. Not all roads have a bike lane and when I have the chibi on the back, I tend to ride on the footpath.

According to the 2015 RT laws bicycles are vehicles and should be on the road or on the designated bicycle lanes.

In my neighborhood that actually started to fine bicycles who violate the rules.

But then again, as a mother with a toddler at the back, I think it should be quite acceptable to ride on the footpath.

[yanpa]

officially,
bicycle, motorbike and car : left
pedestrian : right

Correct answer.

Yes but you should be leaving space on the footpath for bikes which if they are on the foothpath, should be closest to the road. Not all roads have a bike lane and when I have the chibi on the back, I tend to ride on the footpath.

According to the 2015 RT laws bicycles are vehicles and should be on the road or on the designated bicycle lanes.

In my neighborhood that actually started to fine bicycles who violate the rules.

But then again, as a mother with a toddler at the back, I think it should be quite acceptable to ride on the footpath.

OK, time to change my mental image of this Russell person.

[legion]

But then again, as a mother with a toddler at the back, I think it should be quite acceptable to ride on the footpath.

I think under current laws mama-charis carrying children are allowed on the path, as are children below JHS. Which makes it odd if you are cycling with your kids.

I think the police don't enforce the law too strictly because they know cars would mow down bicycles in great numbers if they did.

[Coligny]

officially,
bicycle, motorbike and car : left
pedestrian : right

Correct answer.

Yes but you should be leaving space on the footpath for bikes which if they are on the foothpath, should be closest to the road. Not all roads have a bike lane and when I have the chibi on the back, I tend to ride on the footpath.

According to the 2015 RT laws bicycles are vehicles and should be on the road or on the designated bicycle lanes.

In my neighborhood that actually started to fine bicycles who violate the rules.

But then again, as a mother with a toddler at the back, I think it should be quite acceptable to ride on the footpath.

OK, time to change my mental image of this Russell person.

The world is not prepared for this...

[Russell]

Yes but you should be leaving space on the footpath for bikes which if they are on the foothpath, should be closest to the road. Not all roads have a bike lane and when I have the chibi on the back, I tend to ride on the footpath.

According to the 2015 RT laws bicycles are vehicles and should be on the road or on the designated bicycle lanes.

In my neighborhood that actually started to fine bicycles who violate the rules.

But then again, as a mother with a toddler at the back, I think it should be quite acceptable to ride on the footpath.

OK, time to change my mental image of this Russell person.

Ah, you got me there...

[matsuki]

I like how hardly anyone seems to follow these rules and in some cases, there are arrows on the footpath that go directly against them. I've knocked down several people at blind corners in train stations. Always the same scenario....I'm walking with the arrows, the other people, not so much and often in a hurry...with their face buried in a cell phone.

[splendidham]

If on the road with no path you should face on coming traffic.

When on a path use the road rules. Left.

But if you move like Phil, no one will argue with you.

This is what I thought. Just to clarify, I was walking on the path, not the road. I've even had dudes on bicycles play chicken with me on the path on a few occasions. Heck, even pushing my kids stroller, people have tried to force me to the side


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[Grumpy Gramps]

How about a new stroller that lets people know, who is the boss?

[Samurai_Jerk]

I've even had dudes on bicycles play chicken with me on the path on a few occasions.

I got that from a dude a few months ago and I was walking in one of the areas of central Tokyo that actually has honest-to-goodness real sidewalks and that are plenty wide. I was looking at Google maps on my iPhone to make sure I was going the right way and probably could have been paying better attention to where I was going but I was on foot and this asshole on a bike starting telling me off like I was in the wrong.

[splendidham]

How about a new stroller that lets people know, who is the boss?

I thought something mad max-ish
https://www.google.co.jp/search?q=madma ... KjQajzM%3A


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[kurogane]

I've even had dudes on bicycles play chicken with me on the path on a few occasions.

I got that from a dude a few months ago and I was walking in one of the areas of central Tokyo that actually has honest-to-goodness real sidewalks and that are plenty wide. I was looking at Google maps on my iPhone to make sure I was going the right way and probably could have been paying better attention to where I was going but I was on foot and this asshole on a bike starting telling me off like I was in the wrong.

ipso facto, and ergo

Is it just that whatever side I'm walking on will be incorrect so long as there is a middle aged to old man approaching on the same side or is there an actual rule?

Yes, it is, but there is an actual rule, though I see no reason to be sexist or ageist about it ( ):

whatever side you're on will be incorrect so long as there is one of that sort approaching on the same side

In Kyoto we used to get the new foreign scholarship students fresh from their Orientation Session yelling at us about it, which always warmed my heart, even though they were usually wrong as I understand it: bikes ride on left on a bike or mixed path or the road, and on any other type of thoroughfare weave and bobble as seen fit, and ride against traffic on narrower city streets even though they're not supposed to but it's safer for the most part though if it's narrow enough it doesn't matter because cars can't pass each other without dipsy doodling.