Biking to School in Japan

Nearly all of the 730 students at my school commute by bike.  They ride a standard Japanese bicycle colloquially called a mama-chari.

 

The machine comes fitted with a basket, fenders, the mandatory front headlight (in this case a dynamo-powered model with a low-light sensor), and lock (fixed to the seatstays and visible just above the helmet. This model, by Panasonic (yes, the electronics maker), is belt-driven with a 3-speed Shimano Nexus hub. A very practical bike.  Junior high students who ride to school are required to wear a helmet, unlike high schoolers.