Cycling Through Tokyo And Onto The Front Page! My Two Wheeled Journey

You know you've made it in life when your Tokyo bike tours hit the front page of the local newspaper, (for all the right reasons thankfully!!).

Thank you Suginami City Council and all the team members involved in getting this to publication.

Below is a direct machine translation of the Japanese text. I apologise if certain parts of the translation sound a little whacky or overly robotic but it gives a good gist of the Japanese contents.

Looking forward to riding Suginami with you on the Tokyo West-Side Cycling & Food Tour.

An Australian named Andy has been living in and around Suginami for about eight years. He

hosts "Dig Tokyo Tours", guiding visitors through the Suginami area, particularly focusing on

the Koenji and Asagaya neighborhoods. Rather than visiting tourist spots, the tours

concentrate on places rooted in everyday life. We asked Andy to share the thoughts behind

these tours and explain what he finds appealing about the district. When did you first visit Japan, and what prompted the visit?

I first visited Japan 21 years ago when I was a university student. I was considering going

overseas on a working holiday visa, and I happened to see an advertisement in the newspaper

that said, "Why not visit Japan?" That caught my attention, and I decided to go to Japan.

Nowadays, there's a huge influx of tourists to Japan, but back then, it wasn't seen as a country

you could visit casually. The language, the culture, everything was different from Australia.

This was before the era of smartphones and translation tools, so for a young person like me,

it felt more like an "adventure".

What were your impressions when you actually came to Japan?

During my first visit to Japan, I felt that everything was clean. Everything is on time, as

planned, and well-organized. People also take care of things that belong to others. For

example, Japanese people use public facilities with care. I was surprised and deeply impressed

by such a culture.

What path led you to your current residence in Koenji?

After working as an English teacher at a junior high school in Nagoya, I graduated from

university in Australia and returned to live in Nagoya again. During that time, I met my

Japanese wife, got married in Australia, and we had two children. About eight years ago, my

wife's transfer to Tokyo prompted our decision to move to Japan for the third time, and we

settled in Suginami.

What were the reasons for choosing Suginami?

Neither my wife nor I knew much about Tokyo, so we started by researching various

neighborhoods online. At the time, our children were 2 and 5 years old, so the environment

for raising kids was also a criterion for choosing a place to live. The area along the JR Chuo

Line has many music-related shops and small independent stores, which somewhat reminded

us of our hometown, Melbourne. We decided to try living in Asagaya and soon found ourselves

thinking, 'This is a nice town'. We then looked for a house where we could settle down more

permanently and eventually put down roots in our current home in Koenji.

What are the points that made you think the Asagaya and Koenji area is nice?

It's close to the city center but not too close, offering a quiet and relaxing atmosphere. There

are plenty of parks for the children to play in. On the other hand, there are also many places

for adults to enjoy. In a word, it's a 'great balance!' I think that's the charm of the Asagaya and

Koenji area. Why did you launch the 'Dig Tokyo Tours'?

After moving to Japan, my role changed compared to when I was in Australia. My wife mainly

worked outside the home, and I took on the responsibilities of housework and childcare. I

wanted to work too, but there were many things to manage, like taking the kids to daycare and

extracurricular activities or preparing dinner. I asked myself what kind of job would allow for

flexibility amidst these duties, and that's when I envisioned a tour business using bicycles. I

was already familiar with bicycles through using an electric mamachari for the children's

transportation. Having traveled to many countries and met people from various backgrounds

and cultures, I thought guiding would be a suitable job for me. That's how I started the 'Dig

Tokyo Tours' for international visitors.

Could you tell us about the features of the 'Dig Tokyo Tours'?

It's a tour that focuses on exploring areas around where I live, rather than the typical tourist

spots, providing an experience of the authentic side of Japan. The tour is conducted in small

groups, and we move around by foot or bicycle. Although it's called a "tour" it feels more like

a "stroll". I feel less like a tour guide and more like one of the locals from Koenji, sharing my

everyday life with the participants.

Why did you decide to focus on showcasing everyday life?

Many tourists visiting Japan travel for a short period, which often results in them only visiting

famous places like Shinjuku and Shibuya within Tokyo. While these places are certainly

attractive, I feel that they can sometimes leave the impression that Shinjuku and Shibuya are

all there is to Japan. I wanted people to see more of the everyday life in Japan, which is why I

decided to focus on showcasing the daily life as the concept.

What kind of places do you visit? I'm also curious about the tourists' reactions!

The standard route is a tour around areas like Koenji, Asagaya, and near the Zenpukuji River.

When picking up bicycles, even the orderly arrangement of bikes in parking lots seems

unusual to people from overseas. I often hear comments like, "It's like the bicycles are being

captured!". Vending machines with hot drinks and standing soba eateries, unique elements of

Japanese culture, offer a fresh experience for people from abroad. Additionally, as we have

conversations based on the places we pass by, such as road signs, garbage disposal methods,

and Japanese schools, everyone is surprised by the various cultural differences.

What aspects of this job bring you joy personally?

I find joy in hearing people say things like "I was able to go places I couldn't have gone alone"

or "I spent an ordinary day." It's gratifying for participants to visit local places that are difficult

for tourists to access, such as stopping by a neighborhood eatery where you might see taxi drivers taking a break. Experiencing such ordinary scenes seems to make them happy. Is there anything you would like to challenge yourself with in Suginami in the future?

I want to make 'Dig Tokyo Tours' an experience that not only provides guests with a

fulfilling time but also brings joy to the people in the community. I'm particularly focused on

community and connection with the city. One challenge I want to tackle is conducting the

tours together with the locals. Currently, as someone from Australia, I introduce Suginami

from a foreigner's perspective, but I believe that having people who have lived in this area

originally share it would offer a different viewpoint.

People with different cultural roots work together to build and coexist in the community. What do you think is the key to this?

Through meeting many people, I have come to understand that cultural differences are to

be expected, and it is important to accept these differences and make mutual efforts. On the

other hand, when you take a broader perspective, you realize that people from any country

are really not that different. The most important thing for coexistence is a smile—a positive

attitude of smiling. That alone can solve many issues. With that mindset, I want to become

more rooted in the Suginami community.

Thanks for the feature Suginami City Council, it's very humbling!

The original May 2025 publication can be found in PDF format here.