Shiodome: A Private E-Bike Tour at Their Own Pace, Ending with Dango

An effortless bike ride. Your own relaxing pace. A Japanese sweets break. Big smiles from the couple and the guide. A beautiful blue sky. What else do we need to describe a private e-bike tour? Here is the story of how we enjoyed the ride and made friends in three hours!

Get the Highlights

1. Hills? No problem on an e-bike
2. Their pace, not ours
3. Dango at the end

Hills? No problem on an e-bike

Around Tokyo Tower, there are a lot of short but steep hills! But don't worry. With our well-maintained e-bikes, those slopes felt like flat roads. We went up the slopes with smiles, enjoying the breeze (actually, it was a windy day).

Their pace, not ours

One of the benefits of private tours is the pacing. You can go at your own pace. If you want to take a break, let's do that. If you want to bike faster, let's do that. Your pace is our pace! Actually I offered the guests breaks several times as no one can enjoy a tour when they are tired out. Yet we never needed a break during the whole tour. They were simply fit and full of energy!

Dango at the end

On the final stretch of the tour, I invited them to try Japanese sweets as a cultural experience. In fact, some Japanese sweets are a little challenging for Western visitors. I often hear guests say, "It's interesting! It's a good cultural experience, anyway." So I watched them try the dango, with my heart beating faster and faster. They smiled at me as they took photos of each other. I believe it was good.

We also talked about small local shops like this one. Today you can easily get Japanese sweets at a 7-Eleven, so it is hard for a mom-and-pop shop like this to stay in business. But I know they make tasty sweets, and the atmosphere is usually welcoming. That is what makes it a lasting memory for my guests.

Spots Along the Route

Every tour is different, but here are some examples of spots you can expect on this route.

Zojo-ji Temple

A magnificent temple with lots of jizo statues. Learn a bit about Buddhism in Japan.

Tokyo Tower

The 333-meter red-and-white symbol of Tokyo since 1958. Learn the story about why it is symbolic.

Azabudai Hills

One of Tokyo's newest landmarks, opened in 2023. A modern skyscraper district with luxurious shops and condos.

Hibiya Park

Japan's first Western-style park, with Japanese gardens too. A calm oasis between the commercial and government districts.

Imperial Palace

An amazingly open space with stone walls, moats, and beautiful pine trees, right next to the skyscrapers.

Tokyo Station

The red-brick station building, opened in 1914. Enjoy the scenery of modern Tokyo.

Hatchobori Backstreets

Narrow, quiet backstreets just a mile from the Imperial Palace. See how diverse Tokyo really is.

Chuo Ohashi Bridge

A bridge over the Sumida River with a sweeping view. Enjoy the breeze, looking at Tokyo Skytree in the distance.

Tsukuda

An old island that shows us an authentic Tokyo residential area. Narrow lanes and wooden houses survive among high-rises.

Tsukishima Monja Street

Tsukishima’s famous street of monja restaurants. Find a mom-and-pop shop in the backstreets, too.

Recommended Starting Places

This route ideally starts from:

1. Shiodome
2. Ginza
3. Shimbashi
4. Hibiya

Let’s Cycle on a Windy Day

1

Off we go on a private e-bike tour!

2

Four nice subjects

3

Relaxing at a tranquil park

4

Checking the texture of the stone walls

5

We happened to see a parade here today

6

Smiles on the bikes

7

Big smiles!

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Exploring a quiet path

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Tasting dango at their own pace

Epilogue

After the bike ride, I received a lovely message from them, and it said:

If you take this tour you will have the best of time! Kazuma was always attentive to make sure we were comfortable and traveled at a speed you are comfortable with! We enjoyed a vigorous ride and he did not disappoint! He will go at a pace you are comfortable with. The tour is a mixture of Japanese culture and history. Kazuma will take you through the backroads of Tokyo so that you will avoid most of the traffic. He will bring you to sights that are truly the heart of Tokyo; beyond the usual tourist places. I would highly recommend this 3 hour e-bike ride to anyone who wants to see and understand the evolution of Tokyo Kazuma will provide you with a wealth of information and give you a better appreciation of Tokyo and its people. Kazuma is passionate about all his tours and has lots of repeat customers. He takes pride in all his tours. This is his passion and this is his own company and he now has two more people he can call friend. Kudos to Kazuma! Book with him, he will not disappoint!