Be Careful with Bicycle Parking in Osaka

If you're careless, you can easily lose your bicycle in Osaka. There are two common causes for it: thieves and the authorities. Today's topic will be bicycle confiscation by the authorities.

You can find many bicycle stands near subway and train stations in Osaka, but it's worth noticing that most of them are tagged 有料, which means "money required". If you leave your bicycle without buying a parking pass, and if the authorities happen to check on it, they will take your ride away and you will have to go to the appropriate garage to pick it up and pay a ¥2500 fine (or ¥5000 for light motorcycles).

But there's a way to avoid confiscation... I don't recommend this to anyone, so this tip should be absorbed as mere entertainment.

I've noticed that fastening your bicycle to a lamppost or a railing with a wire or a U-lock will keep your bicycle where you want it to be. If the authorities see your illegally parked bicycle, they'll just attach a red slip stating that you should call their office.