Electric scooters in Tokyo

Electric scooters in Tokyo

For a long time, e-scooters have been all but banned in Japan. It was maybe not that difficult to buy one, but to riding one on the streets of Tokyo was not an easy feat. Strict regulations like the need for a licence plate, valid driver’s licence, and payment of taxes made it unattractive to purchase an electric scooter. But that has finally changed! Since micro-mobility startups started lobbying for relaxed regulations in 2020, politicians have listened to their requests and are rolling out much easier rules for e-scooters. Rental spots for electric scooters are also set to become ubiquitous in Tokyo. Let’s have a closer look at riding electric scooters in Tokyo!

Update April 2022: the law has been changed so that it will no longer be necessary to have a driver’s licence to legally ride an e-scooter in Japan. The maximum speed also went up from 15 km/h to 20 km/h (6 km/h if riding on a sidewalk). You cannot ride an e-scooter if you are under 16 years old. At this moment, it is still difficult for foreigners who don’t use a Japanese phone and who can’t read Japanese to rent an e-scooter. If this situation would change, we will update this article.

Electric scooter tours in Tokyo

Once it is possible, we would like to offer tours in Tokyo that include a trip on an electric scooter as well. At this moment, we are still waiting for the laws about not needing a driver’s licence to go into effect and for one of the rental apps to become available for international phone numbers as well. As soon as this is possible, we will develop a fun tour with a ride through Toyosu and Odaiba, two of the most bicycle- and e-scooter-friendly areas in Tokyo. Until then, please check out our customer-favorite e-bike tour in Tokyo.

The new rules about e-scooters in Tokyo

Under the new rules, you no longer need a drivers’ licence to ride electric scooters in Japan under the condition that you don’t go faster than 15 km/h. If you go less than 15 km/h, you can either use the bicycle lane, or the car lane. If you go over 15 km/h you don’t only need a valid driver’s licence, but you will also be required to use the car lane. At the moment you are not required to wear a helmet according to the law, but it is strongly encouraged to increase your safety. You will usually have to bring your own helmet.

Advantages and disadvantages of e-scooters

Obviously, riding an e-scooter is fun and it saves energy compared to walking or regular cycling. You are also a lot faster compared to walking. They are perfect for trips of a mid-distance range (up to around 5-6 km). Moreover, electric scooters are much more environmentally friendly than using the car or a traditional motorcycle. Another advantage is that you can avoid taking crowded buses or trains.

The largest possible disadvantage is safety, as you are quite vulnerable without much protection at a much higher speed than walking. If you are a safe rider, however, and able to keep your balance well, you can mitigate most of the risks. Also, we strongly recommend you to wear a helmet even though the law doesn’t make it mandatory anymore. Another disadvantage is that you won’t be protected from the elements, so it may not be the most comfortable mode of transportation if it’s raining or windy.

Electric bicycles vs electric scooters in Tokyo

Electric bicycles have already became mainstream in Tokyo, with many people using this convenient way of transportation for daily errands, commuting, and food delivery. Tokiotours has also always used electric bicycles for bicycle tours. Especially during the warm period between June and October, electric bicycles are much more comfortable to use without breaking too much of a sweat. So is it also an option to start doing tours by electric scooter?

The answer is that we are sure that there are going to be providers who are going to offer tours done by electric scooter. We, however, will stick with electric bicycles for now. The reason is that bicycles are relatively safer to use because the risk of falling is a lot smaller. People have plenty of experience cycling, but by far most people have very little to no experience with using an electric scooter. Traffic in Japan tends to be quite mellow, but we don’t want to take an extra risk. Additionally, we tend to cover distances of at least 10 km up to 20 km during our bicycle tours which is simply much more comfortable to do by bicycle than by electric scooter. You can see a lot more this way, with an electric scooter you are more confined to one or two areas.

So how about you do one electric bicycle tour with us in Tokyo, Kamakura, or Kyoto, and if you are also interested in riding an e-scooter you can rent one for yourself the next day? We are happy to recommend areas that are nice for riding around with an electric scooter, and which sights are nice to see in those areas. If you travel to Japan as a tourist and would like to ride an e-scooter by yourself, we recommend renting a pocket WIFI to always be connected to the internet so you can manage your rental and have access to Google maps to find your way through the city.

How to rent e-scooters

Interested in zooming around in Tokyo on a rental e-scooter? Luup has several rental points in central Tokyo where you can rent e-scooters by the hour without much hassle. At this moment (late 2021) they are still in the process of rolling out their service so rental locations are still increasing.

You have to download their app first and enter your (payment) information. After finding a rental point you have to scan the e-scooter’s QR code, and you’re ready to ride! Upon the scooter’s return to a rental point, you take a picture of the parked scooter and you’re done. It’s easy as that, but at this moment their website and app are only available in Japanese. With a bit of help from Google Translate you will likely be able to manage, though. Please note that currently you still need to upload your drivers’ licence in the app in order to use the electric scooters, this may change in the future.

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