Tourism on two wheels

Tsutaya Tokyo Roppongi is hosting the travel-themed Time Out Tokyo Fair, which will be on until Thursday April 30. To commemorate the fair, Time Out Tokyo held an LGBT tourism talk on Saturday April 24. In keeping with this theme, the second in the series of tourism talks will take place on Friday April 30, with a focus on sports tourism.

This time around the focus will be bicycle tourism. Though this mode of transport may not be new, it’s gained a new credibility with public popularity in the face of energy shortages and the increase in metabolic syndrome. It seems that everywhere you look you see that people have become sporty types, sailing by on their commute perched atop athletic-type bicycles.

In the last four to five years the cycling market has grown immensely, making cycling and cyclist shops no longer vestiges of the suburbs. Large-scale chain shops have felt a boom happening; Cycle Base Asami has seen a 23.3% increase in profits during the 2009 fiscal year, and this amounts to s 43.9% increase in gross income. In addition, since 2008 high-class specialist bike shops have been popping up everywhere in quick succession, along with a myriad of bike related events.

Joining Time Out Tokyo to talk about this incredibly fast-growing trend will be popular J Sports road race sportscaster Sascha, 15-year cycling journalism veteran Tsukasa Yoshimoto, and actress and entrant in next month’s Honolulu Triathlon Mayu Gamou. These three personalities will be coming together to talk shop about the burgeoning trends in sports tourism – an event sure to be full of valuable information, introductions and inspiration for everyone, from beginners to experts. The event is in Japanese, but the tourism is for everyone; Sascha will there to answer questions on the topic for those who do not speak Japanese.

Time Out Tokyo Fair Talk Event: Sports Tourism
Location: Tsutaya Tokyo Roppongi (Full details & map)
Date: Fri Apr 30
Time: 6.45-7.45pm (talk event will be one hour)
Admission: Free
Guests: Tsukasa Yoshimoto (cycling journalist), Mayu Gamou (actress)
MC: Sascha (radio DJ)
In association with Specialized