From our other sites
The story
Following a string of collisions and intimidation incidents between runners and pedestrians on the sidewalk circling the Imperial Palace, Chiyoda Ward has announced plans to conduct a fact-finding survey on runners’ manners, revealed during a ward assembly session. The survey will be carried out within this fiscal year, with the results informing possible measures such as additional warning signs and security cameras. On 5ch, one commenter recalled being screamed at with a “Move it, move it!” straight out of a samurai period drama, while calls for dedicated runner lanes drew pushback from users asking, “Don’t you get the difference between someone walking to work and someone training?” — splitting opinion over whether it’s the runners or the pedestrians who need to show more understanding.
Chiyoda Ward to Investigate “Imperial Palace Running” Etiquette Violations Amid Wave of Complaints Over Intimidation and Collisions — Security Cameras Among Measures Considered
Citing a continuing stream of reports of trouble between runners and pedestrians on the sidewalk around the Imperial Palace, Chiyoda Ward announced at a ward assembly session on the 1st that it plans to investigate manner violations by runners.
According to the ward, the survey will be conducted within this fiscal year, and based on the results, measures such as additional warning signs and the installation of security cameras will be considered.
Source: news.yahoo.co.jp / Read the original article here
What people said
I've had someone yell at me like a tyrannical lord from a period drama — 'Heyyy! Move! Move it!'
How is this any different from a biker gang terrorizing the streets?
It's basically a form of overtourism.
Every hobby gets ruined by that handful of people.
Though for some hobbies, the rule-breakers are actually the majority.
Go run down the middle of the road instead.
Maybe all the trees around the Imperial Palace soak up the bad air or something?
That's a nuisance too.
They should just split it into separate lanes for pedestrians, runners, and cyclists.
Security cameras actually sound like they'd help.
Even ordinary residential neighborhoods have them these days, so it's hard to believe there are none there at all.
I'm reading this as them adding new, more visible cameras specifically to deter runners.
Running there means sucking exhaust fumes into your lungs nonstop — I don't know how they do it.
Diesel trucks don't run through there anymore, so the air's actually pretty clean these days.
At least wait until you actually get there to start running.
It's genuinely dangerous when a runner suddenly pops out around a blind corner.
I run the sidewalk from Yotsuya.
There's a public bathhouse near Yotsuya you can use as a 'run station' (a shower/changing spot for runners), if that counts for anything.
https://sportsone.jp/running/course/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/002.jpg
The ones with bad manners won't move aside even when there are pedestrians, and they run at scary speeds.
They probably just end up carrying that mental image into everyday sidewalks.
These people have zero patience.
Huh? Why would the ward need to do that?
And if it's built with tax money, that's just ridiculous.
Pedestrian-only, bike-only, runner-only, and the regular road — the streets just keep getting carved up more and more.
There's a spot where trashy runners hang around, and they swarm in at a crawling pace, just getting in everyone's way.
The main hotspot is by the clock at Sakuradamon, but there are also plazas and parks right outside the subway exits at Hanzomon and Takebashi where people tend to gather — that's probably part of why crowds build up there too.
They blow past you from behind at insane speeds.
You should report that to the police.
A bicycle is legally a vehicle, after all.
Only people who've never once screamed at another pedestrian get to criticize runners.
Idiots.
You don't even get the difference between running to get somewhere and running to train?
You're the idiot here.
Background and Key Points of the Debate
The loop around the Imperial Palace is roughly 5km with no traffic lights, making it easy to run — which has cemented its status as one of central Tokyo’s most popular running spots, drawing office workers and amateur runners from early morning onward. In response to the wave of complaints, Chiyoda Ward says it’s considering additional warning signs and security cameras, but these measures aren’t meant to restrict runners’ access itself — they’re aimed at deterring specific incidents like intimidation and collisions. The thread ranged from firsthand accounts of runners threatening pedestrians, to the theory that people are simply projecting the imagery from televised marathons onto everyday sidewalks, to debates over whether dedicated runner lanes should be built. This report alone doesn’t reveal the actual number of complaints or exactly how the survey will be conducted, so until the ward releases its findings, it’s worth remembering that a handful of anecdotes may not represent the full picture.
*This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Geisports Sokuho+) thread ‘“Imperial Palace Running”: Ward to Investigate Runner Etiquette Violations Amid Wave of Complaints Over Intimidation and Collisions — Security Camera Installation Among Measures Considered‘.
Leave a Reply