A Cultural Evolution on Two Wheels: The Transformation of the Japanese Bicycle

The bicycle, an integral part of daily life for Japanese mothers, is a common and efficient mode of transport for school drop-offs, commutes, and shopping trips. However, it’s fascinating to note that bicycles designed specifically for women didn’t appear until the 1950s, even though the bicycle had arrived in Japan as early as the Edo period.

According to Masayuki Hasebe, the curator of Shimano Bicycle Museum in Osaka, the first bicycle designed specifically for women, the “Smart Lady,” hit the market in 1956. The design catered to the shopping and commuting needs of women at the time. To lower the center of gravity, both the handlebars and the saddle were deliberately set low, and the bicycle weighed only 21 kilograms. A basket was added to the front for carrying handbags. However, at a steep price of 13,500 yen, equivalent to 1.5 times a novice civil servant’s salary, it became an expensive luxury item akin to a wedding dowry, a symbol of status to be shown off to neighbors.

From the Edo to Meiji period, the bicycle evolved from a leisure pastime to a mode of transportation and goods carrier, largely for men. In the late 1890s, stylish women started to adopt cycling, despite being viewed as cheeky or improper. They were even occasionally targeted with stones by men. An iconic figure…