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Antique shopping on Fridays & SatRDays. Here are members of the Slooow is Goood group.
November 4 - 11, 2003
Take the Virtual Japan Photo Gallery Tour to meet the Bike Friday Community in Osaka, Tokyo, and Karuizawa.
"Kampai!" was the opener to the fry-it-yourself Kushi-age (skewered deep-fry) restaurant in downtown Osaka.
Alan Scholz (BF co-founder) and I (side-kick, interpreter) had just arrived hours earlier at KIX (Kansai International Airport) where we were met by long-time Bike Friday dealer Kataoka Jun.
Fourteen Osaka area BF owners - many in ties having come straight from work - gathered on the evening of November 5th to show us how to eat and drink Japanese style.
It was Alan's first visit to Japan, in order to meet the BF dealers and community and attend the annual Japan BF Meeting in Karuizawa. The Japanese are intensely interested in folding bicycles - especially recumbents, and Bike Friday is a popular choice.
My job was to eat Japanese, talk Japanese, and be a voice for Alan to communicate his thoughts. Since quite a few BF owners could speak to Alan in English, it made my job easier.
The next morning we met Mr. Ito, BF Dealer and owner of Ito Cycles in Osaka. We were guided by Kataoka-san, "Hello 2525" (say "hello nikoniko"), manager of CLUB BIKE FRIDAY mailing list in Japan and his wife "Sakusaku-san" (nicknames are commonly used for cycling persona).
The next day in Tokyo we met Mr. Chiba, BF Dealer and owner of Amanda Sports near Tabata station. In addition to selling Bike Friday travel bicycles, Mr. Chiba designs and builds custom bicycles.
Nov. 8-9 we joined the 5th annual Japan BF Meeting in Karuizawa resort highlands in Nagano prefecture, north of Tokyo. About 40 BF owners gathered for 2 days of cycling.
One perfect fall day with brilliant foliage to descend and climb Usui-Toge (Usui Pass) followed by a one foggy, drizzly day just like back in Oregon.
...TO BE CONTINUED! Enjoy the photos!
Ruthy Kanagy, ruthyk@bikefriday.com
Thirty-five BF owners (and future owners) gathered for 2 days of cycling in the Karuizawa highlands north of Tokyo.