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日本語/Japanese  Sun 09/30 23:42 JST
Houchi Jitensha [放置自転車[ほうちじてんしゃ]] means "abandoned bicycles." Bicycles are just left anywhere and everywhere. Many of the bicycles are in perfect condition so its difficult to tell whether its being dumped. After a while however, the dumped bicycle will be removed and depending on the governing body, the bicycle may be recycled, thrown away or kept in store until the owner reclaims it. In this case the owner will pay a fine.
EcoChari.com has found a way to put those unwanted bikes to good use and monetize at the same time.

EcoChari works with governing bodies to obtain dumped bicycles which they then loan to university students. The cost to the student is zero yen. Students who are in need of a free bicycle then go to EcoChari.com to apply online. A bicycle is then loaned to the student until they graduate from university. Instead of making money from students, EcoChari monetizes by sticking adverts all over the bike ^^;

I can see this being popular with poor otaku students if the bicycles looked like ItaChari.
News via Johoya.
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Polls
Neurorelay in So. Cal, USA
Sophist
Registered on 2007/08/29 12:21
Wow, clever really.  I wish people would abandon new cars on our freeway in the US and then they could be donated to needy people like me.
(ID #58121) Posted on 2007/09/30 23:40
AndyH in Birmingham, UK
3D artist
Registered on 2006/12/25 10:08
There are quite a few dumped / wrecked bikes padlocked to fences around Birmingham - i dont know if theyre actually dumped, or just busted up and battered by some idiots while someone parked them.

I really like that picture you took - it doesnt look real for some reason... Looks like something rendered for a next gen PS3 or Xbox360 game - it must be the colour grading (brown!) and the HDR lighting bloom...

...Nice...
(ID #58122) Posted on 2007/09/30 23:56
Henry in Makati, Philippines
anime/cosplay events organizer
Registered on 2006/12/25 19:17
dumped bikes are not much of a problem here ^^

people doesn't immediately throw out their bikes for sometimes they have sentimental value and keep them in their garages ^^

the only problem here is that we have very less facilities for bikes like bike lanes and such. there's one municipality who has some bike facilities but that's it...
(ID #58125) Posted on 2007/10/01 00:17
LOL, probably bicycles in jP are cheap and people can afford another one, or owner simply forgets where the heck he parks his.
Here is Malaysia, unattended bicycles were stolen. 
(ID #58126) Posted on 2007/10/01 00:44
Timerswing in Mexico
Student
Registered on 2007/08/25 10:37
HOLY COW
(ID #58127) Posted on 2007/10/01 00:58
i'm mr. danger in Florida
student and i sell cellphones at Alltel wireless
Registered on 2007/08/17 09:45
if i see a sea of abandoned bicycles i would take some and sell them.
(ID #58131) Posted on 2007/10/01 01:26
-XYZPDQ in Pennsylvania, United States
Student Engineer
Registered on 2007/01/01 14:12
Nope, not a real problem in the United States, I very rarely see dumped bikes. Maybe, in the past decade I have seen 4-5 dumped or abandoned.

I think bikes are too expensive over here to abandon ^^ Seems like a problem unique to Japan or that area. I love how the bikes are being put to good use for university students. Recycling is the answer, reuse something and save the Earth at the same time!
(ID #58133) Posted on 2007/10/01 01:30
Barsona in California USA
NEET (no, student...)
Registered on 2007/08/03 08:36
I recall when I was in Japan way back when, i wasn't paying attention, and this girl on a bike came crashing into me. She flew off her bike and I stood my ground...
(ID #58136) Posted on 2007/10/01 01:42
animes in cephiro
mahou kishi
Registered on 2007/01/23 14:30
lol, here the problem are the guys who steal your bike!
(ID #58142) Posted on 2007/10/01 02:16
Uradox in Nagoya / Perth
Procurement officer / Teacher
Registered on 2007/05/12 15:27
I had my bike 'borrowed' from in front of the nagoya train station once. I kept checking each day after for awhile to see if it would return lol but nope :(
Where I grew up in australia you would see the occasional bike dumped that looked like it been hit by a car.
(ID #58147) Posted on 2007/10/01 02:55
oliphant in Sydney
Design Student
Registered on 2007/01/10 19:04
How do you tell if a bicycle is merely parked from being abandoned?
(ID #58152) Posted on 2007/10/01 03:23
terry in Singapore
=.=!
Registered on 2007/08/02 23:32
there isn't much of the bicycle around in my country.. well.. public transport seems to be the best alternative.
(ID #58153) Posted on 2007/10/01 03:30
blauereiter in Tokyo, Japan
CG artist, Sunrise Emotion
Registered on 2007/07/07 22:02
Yeah...had to pay a 3000 yen fine the last time they "towed" my bicycle for "illegal parking".
(ID #58155) Posted on 2007/10/01 03:48
Perplexus in England
Film Student
[f] 
Registered on 2007/04/27 18:00
In Kouchi, illegally parked bicycles seemed rare at first, however, today in Obiyamachi (a shopping district) I saw so many parked outside game centers and macdonalds. It was most perplexing. 

Moving bycicles seem to be my natural enemy when walking
around.I haven`t been hit by one yet, but one of these days, I swear!!
(ID #58164) Posted on 2007/10/01 05:00
shippoyasha in NYC
NEET
Registered on 2007/06/10 15:34
I wonder if it's an Asian thing in general? I had the same problem in Phillipines, China and I hear the same exact story in South Korea and even NORTH Korea!

Crazy.
(ID #58167) Posted on 2007/10/01 05:08
soonkiong in Kuching, Malaysia
Student
Registered on 2007/08/22 12:50
Bicycles are very very rarely used for transportation here, since everything is so far apart. And to add to that, the public transport in my city sucks, so cars is a must-have for everyone here. Bicycles tend to get stolen here anyway, so nobody even bothered to buy one.
(ID #58175) Posted on 2007/10/01 06:36
Frankie in Osaka / Akiba
Magazine Editor
Registered on 2007/09/30 18:19
Usaually Japanese people never claim their bicycles  since it's too expansive to get them back (pay the fine and rent a big car to get the bicycle back from the warehouse that is usually located well outside the city) so lots of bicycles are sold to other asian countries...
(ID #58180) Posted on 2007/10/01 08:39
Makanator in Singapore
Student
Registered on 2007/09/24 21:08
Over here, people just dump their bicycles over at the Mrt stations or under the void deck.
Common to see bicycle wheels chained to the barriers without the body of the bicycle in sight.
Shows how unsafe it is to park your bicycle under void decks...
(ID #58181) Posted on 2007/10/01 08:52
syrix in U.S.
student
Registered on 2007/03/21 09:30
Bikes are more likely to be stolen than abandoned here.  I saw many abandoned umbrellas while in Japan.  But its good that the abandoned bikes are being put to good use and at no cost to borrowers. 
(ID #58183) Posted on 2007/10/01 09:41
Starboykb in Brunei
IT TechGuy
Registered on 2007/05/16 00:05
In my country, it wont last long for few minutes until someone steal. I cant believed people throw it or abandon it like that in Japan. But still gald to hear it will put in recycle for good used. 
(ID #58201) Posted on 2007/10/01 15:10
Edward in Michigan U.S.A.
Troubleshooter, Universal Exports
Registered on 2006/12/24 12:02
Very rarely do you find abandon bikes here.  I remember see one once when I was at university.  One of the students in my department finally cut the chain and took it as his own.

EcoChari.com has a great model.  I wonder if their business is paying off for them.
(ID #58208) Posted on 2007/10/01 18:42
CyruzDraxs in Kelowna, BC, Canada
Web Design & Development
Registered on 2007/09/11 09:43
Nobody uses bikes here, everyone drives everywhere. We Canadians are pretty lazy. >.>
(ID #58213) Posted on 2007/10/01 19:04
D_Blade in Montreal
Non-profit org. volunteering work addict
Registered on 2006/12/31 22:48
"Nice Bike(s)". 
Recycling is good. 
Treasure your bike. 
Not much else to say.
(ID #58224) Posted on 2007/10/01 23:21
D_Blade in Montreal
Non-profit org. volunteering work addict
Registered on 2006/12/31 22:48
Beware of thieves.
Illegal parking sucks.
Keep an eye for cars.
Everyone needs exercise.
(ID #58225) Posted on 2007/10/01 23:28
Danny Choo in Tokyo
Director/代表取締役
Registered on 2006/12/11 11:06
Edward,
Their service starts today. Only time will tell I guess.

oliphant,
Folks usually spot the bikes which are left there for a few months.

Uradox,
Left in the rain with a broke angle and now they take your bike? Leave Nagoya!

Andy,
Thanks ^^;
(ID #58238) Posted on 2007/10/02 00:58
XSportSeeker in Brazil
Hikikomori
Registered on 2007/08/22 05:30
Bikes get robbed here, not dumped.
But while I've been on Japan, people commented on that.
Interesting...
(ID #58253) Posted on 2007/10/02 01:22
al in SF
Registered on 2007/09/25 14:31
 i'm visiting tokyo soon, wonder if i can just grab one off the street and use it to bike around.

Hope I don't accidentally take someone's actual bike 
(ID #58291) Posted on 2007/10/02 05:29
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