Bicycle sales triple as 3/11 haunts Tokyoites (JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

Bloomberg

Tokyo residents haunted by the memory of how the March 11 earthquake shut the world's busiest subway system are returning to bicycle travel, tripling the sales of retailer Asahi Co. in the area last month.

"I was in Tokyo when the earthquake hit, and everything stopped," Asahi Co. President Susumu Shimoda said in an interview. "Trains stopped, buses were in chaos and cars were jammed. Within that, you could just see bicycles swimming through. Some of our stores stayed open until 4 a.m. to meet the surge in demand."

http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nb20110420n1.html
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We also may see bicycle sales go up here if the gas prices keep rising..

[hlthe2b]

1. I hadn't even thought of the 3/11 symbolism... disaster parallels

Sadly, their disaster will continue for many many decades. Our hysteria from 9/11, likewise, but hopefully the damage will eventually be healed.

[aquart]

2. Healed? Define "healed."

[hlthe2b]

4. I should think everyone defines that for themselves...

I know victims of OKC bombing who lost children. They have been able to go on with their lives, in some cases having more kids, developing new relationships, new friendships. That, for them is as "healed" as they can probably ever hope to have. Nothing erases the horrendous grief they have experienced. Pain eases with time and as happy experiences begin to take the place of the constant grief.

[robdogbucky]

3. Read this a month ago

Commuters Rely on Bicycles in Aftermath of Japan’s Earthquake

Submitted by Itir Sonuparlak on March 14, 20113 Comments.

In the aftermath of Japan’s 8.9-magnitude earthquake and consequent tsunami, commuters relied on bicycles for quick and reliable transportation. Damaged roads remained in gridlock, streets lost electricity and officials cut back public transit service in the aftermath of the combined natural disasters, leaving commuters stranded and in need of transportation options. A local blogger in the Tokyo region, Tokyo by Bike, reported lines forming outside of supermarkets indicating a rise in bicycle sales.

It’s not the first time bicycles have served as a convenient transportation option during moments of great disaster, according to James Schwartz of The Urban Country, a bicycling advocacy blog. Schwartz reports that bicycles played a role in both World Wars when fuel supply was low.

In our previous post on TheCityFix, we wrote about the importance of cycling for re-building Haiti after last year’s earthquake ravaged its capital city of Port-au-Prince and other towns. Bicycles especially came in handy for delivering medical and food supplies, carrying heavy loads, and relocating people to temporary settlements.

In general, bicycles are an excellent mode of transportation with social and environmental advantages. Bicycles promote exercise, increasing health benefits for riders; they are inexpensive in comparison to cars, which makes them affordable; and they do not cause pollution, which maintains good air quality. Bicycle’s role in relieving transportation issues during Japan’s recent natural disasters is an added bonus to an already sustainable mode of transit...

http://thecityfix.com/commuters-rely-on-bicycles-in-aftermath-of-japans-earthquake/