Overview
- The nationwide system, which took effect Wednesday, applies to riders 16 and older for 113 listed offenses with fines from ¥3,000 to ¥12,000.
- Using a smartphone while riding draws immediate citation at the top ¥12,000 level, while most other violations trigger a warning before a ticket.
- Early street checks in Tokyo’s Oji area produced 16 warnings and no tickets as officers handed out flyers, with similar education-first outreach reported in Saga and Nagasaki.
- New rules also instruct drivers to leave about one meter when overtaking bicycles or slow to roughly 20–30 km/h where space is tight, with violations punishable by up to three months’ detention or a ¥50,000 fine.
- Blue tickets resolve violations without a criminal record if the fine is paid, unpaid cases can lead to prosecution, and 24 serious acts such as drunk riding remain criminal under red‑ticket procedures.