Arisa Katayama, Walking Bicycle project leader

Overview

Today, Arisa Katayama the leader of the "Walking Bicycle" project is taking us to her favorite cafe "Hanabi" situated in Nakameguro. Riding the Walking Bicycle, a new vehicle which mixes the stepping movement with an electric bicycle, she will guide us in the hip area of Nakameguro. Located on the Meguro river bank, "Hanabi" is a polyvalent place to chill out and can be used as a cafe, a restaurant, or a bar. The cafe "Hanabi" is very convenient because it's a place where you can leave your bike in front of the store and come with your dog, which is really rare to find in Tokyo. In summertime, there is also a patio decorated in a Japanese manner. It's a place where you can come and enjoy spending time with your dog, or with your family and friends. Arisa Katayama used to live for a long time in the United States, so she likes to go to Japanese style cafes where she can drink genmaicha or green tea. "Hanabi" also offers a wide array of Japanese dishes and desserts as well as drinks like craft beers or Japanese alcohols in the izakaya and space in the back of the shop. The Walking Bicycle project started in 2009 and was initiated by a 70 years-old car parts company located in Okayama. Its engineering team wanted to create a vehicle simply based on the concept of walking. They also wanted to have all parts "Made in Japan". The walking bicycle is a three-wheeled vehicle so it is very stable and there aren't any balance problems. An electric assist helps you to climb the hills without any trouble. Many prototypes were made and many famous designers worked on this project. Be sure to go to Nakameguro when you visit Japan!