Shimano Bicycle Museum

Address: 2-2-1 Minamikoyo-cho, Sakai-ku
Time: 10:00-16:30
Closed: Monday, (Tuesday, if it falls on a public holiday), New Year’s break
Admission: General 500 yen, high school/university student 200 yen
Free for junior high school students and younger, 65 years and older, those with a disability handbook and their attendant
Access: 5 mins walk from Sakaihigashi station (on the Nankai Koya Line)

Recently I had the pleasure of visiting the Shimano Bicycle Museum for the first time. Located less than 10 minutes away from Sakaihigashi train station, this bicycle museum will pleasantly surprise you with the sheer depth and knowledge located within. The layout of the museum is conveniently ordered chronologically, such that you can learn about the inventions and beginnings of the bicycle and the many developments it goes through. The museum does a fantastic job of illustrating the history of the bicycle, using an animation to talk about the origins and a panorama showing the development of the bicycle. Below this panorama are real models of bicycles that have made an influence in its evolution, with handy English descriptions of its origins and make. There’s also a panel that discusses the benefits of having a bicycle on your health, the environment and greater society. You wouldn’t necessarily think that a bicycle would bear benefits past your own health and your carbon footprint, but this panel cleverly illustrates the bicycles’ role in allowing people to come together and affords you the freedom of discovering new places – free. If this museum doesn’t convince you to start riding a bicycle, frankly I’m not sure what would. Although I could go on, I really employ you to take a look for yourself and truly understand the great invention and societal benefits the bicycle has and continues to provide.
As you enter the museum you are greeted with this following quote about what a bicycle is:
“A bicycle allows you the freedom to find new places at your own pace”. I like this quote because it expresses the freedom using a bike gives you, where you can choose to go as fast or as slow as you like.