Cycling in Japan

I expected to see a lot of people riding bikes in Japan; what I didn't expect is how many people ride without helmets and/or without lights. Of the many cyclists I've seen to date, only a handful wore helmets. Even more surprising is the rarity of lights on bikes riding at night; including riding on busy streets! 

Bike rentals are common in cities; prices seem to range from $25 to about $45 per day; rental bikes are functional but don't expect a new, mountain, or fancy road bike for this price.