It's estimated that there are over 10 million bikes in this city and the most popular type of bike is known as a “mama-chari” – a mother’s chariot. These bikes are cultural icons and are almost an embodiment of the Japanese psyche – tough and practical.  If you have spent any time at all in Japan, you will be very familiar with these ubiquitous bikes.

Dig Tokyo Tours is owned and operated by Andy - an Aussie expat from Melbourne who now calls Tokyo home. Andy has a fleet of these bikes which he has bought and restored with the express purpose of offering his clients the truly local experience of cycling around some of Tokyo’s coolest neighbourhoods on their own mama-chari. Having previously met Andy, he offered to take us out on one of his tours next time we were in Tokyo, and we jumped at the chance – The Japan Concierge team loves a cycle tour! We think there's something pretty awesome about exploring a city such as Tokyo the way a local would - on two wheels.

This isn’t your typical sightseeing tour and may not be for you if you’re after a highlights reel of Tokyo’s famous sights. What DIG offers is more of a gentle roll around the laneways and back streets of Tokyo’s inner suburbs – or, as Andy likes to say - ‘a jaunt’. While you'll see a lot and explore fascinating areas, you won't visit the usual tourist spots. Andy’s tours are all about experiencing Tokyo as a local, with the extra benefit of a super enthusiastic and knowledgeable guide to ensure you don't get lost.

Our DIG Tokyo Tours Experience

We did the West Side Cycle and Food Tour which took us around some of Tokyo’s most eclectic neighbourhoods. Nakano - anime central, Koenji - the birthplace of Tokyo’s punk scene, and Asagaya - with its old-school, working-class vibes. A highlight was the handful of stops along the way to enjoy local delicacies.

Some logistics: The tour takes about 3 and ½ - 4 hours and covers about 12 to 15 km of pretty flat terrain interspersed with several rest stops so it’s super accessible. The bikes are fun and easy to ride – there is nothing complicated about mama-chari, no gears or settings to try to figure out. The route Andy took us on was very quiet and safe, with no busy streets or intersections. Andy tells us he modifies the route depending on the group and their level of riding skill and confidence.

We rode with a lovely couple from Singapore who had expressly booked their entire trip to Japan around Andy’s availability (with DIG’s 388 5 star Google reviews, they obviously knew they were on to a good thing!) We all met at Koenji Station and took off on a very a short walk to our bikes at Andy’s bike garage down the road.

After a quick safety briefing, an introduction to the bikes and some background on how Andy goes about salvaging them, we were off. Andy stopped periodically to share quirky stories about aspects of living in the area or point out something of note. The tour was super interesting, and visitors will learn a lot about life as a local in Tokyo, as well as discovering some very cool areas that you’re unlikely to have visited as a tourist.

Our Highlights

Highlights of the trip included cycling around the backstreets and laneways of these hidden gem Tokyo neighbourhoods, giving you a glimpse of the city that most visitors don't get to see.

The food was excellent, our favourites were the standing noodle bar lunch of udon noodles and the imagawayaki, a round cake filled with sweet red bean paste or custard. We really enjoyed learning about Tokyo's biking culture; Andy is very engaging and passionate about cycling and living in Tokyo, which is infectious. The stories about how ‘bicycle jail’ works and how bicycles are policed in Tokyo were fascinating.

Places we know you’ll want to revisit are the Nakano Sunmall shopping street and the surrounding area for bars and restaurants, as well as Nakano Broadway, a mall that is a hub for the anime otaku subculture. If you’re into anime, this place is a must visit.

Our bike tour with DIG Tokyo Tours was more than just a way to see parts of Tokyo that very few visitors get to appreciate; it was an immersive cultural experience. Andy is a knowledgeable and passionate guide, his itineraries are carefully curated and it shows. His emphasis on creating an authentic experience sets his tours apart.

Some of the key benefits of choosing DIG Tokyo Tours include:

• Hang Out with a Local: Andy is incredibly knowledgeable about the neighbourhoods he took us through - as he should be, given he lives there. His passion for the area was contagious.

• A Visitor’s Sensibility: This tour offers a genuine ‘day in the life of’ experience. Andy really understands what interests visitors.

• Unique Experiences: Each tour has been specifically designed to highlight what it is like to live in these areas and what makes them so cool. This is not a whistle-stop tour of Tokyo’s greatest hits. This is a slow cruise through what it’s like to live in Tokyo.

• Small Group Size: The intimate group size allowed for a personalised experience and plenty of opportunities for interaction with Andy and our fellow riders (who were super fun and so lovely!)

• Safe, Easy and Relaxed: Despite the large number of cyclists in Tokyo, cycling around town can still be a bit intimidating. Andy's tours avoid busy roads and mostly follow a flat route with a few small inclines that are not strenuous at all. The pace is relaxed, just like Andy's vibe. The tour lives up to its promise - it offers a gentle ride around a fascinating part of Tokyo that very few visitors get to enjoy.

Conclusion

Our bike tour with Andy was an awesome experience that we thoroughly enjoyed. We saw a whole new side of Tokyo with a knowledgeable and enthusiastic local guide. It honestly felt like we were being shown around the neighbourhood by an old friend - the perfect way to spend a morning in Tokyo, and we couldn’t recommend it highly enough. If we have piqued your interest in going on a ‘jaunt’ with Andy don’t hesitate to let us know and we will happily hook you up. (We don’t get any sort of incentives to recommend Andy’s tours, we just really love them and think you will too!)