Tamagawa (SEKIDOBASHI) Flea Market

次回、この記事の日本語版を投稿します。

The bi-annual Tamagawa (SEKIDOBASHI) Bicycle Flea Market is just around the corner.  Held on the third Saturday of April and October, along the banks of the Tamagawa river, the flea market is a great place to make connections with fellow cyclists of every genre.  So mark it on your calendar, Saturday, October 16th.

CLICK ON PHOTOS TO ENLARGE

The early bird gets the worm, so get there early.  It is not uncommon for people to set up shop at 6am!  Certainly by 7am or 8am things are in full swing and by 12pm most people are closing shop.

If you are a vintage Japanese bicycle fan like myself, I recommend stopping off at 長寿自転車商会 (Choju Jitensha Shokai = Long Life Bicycle Shop).  Long life is right, the propriotor has over 50 years in the bicycle business.  When I restore bicycles, if I have a question, the propietor has the answer and is literally a living encyclopedia when it comes to vintage Japanese bicycles, espescially utility bicycles from the 1950s.  His wealth of information comes not from books, but from experience. 

Upon entering the shop one literally steps back in time.  Adorning the walls of the tiny shop are vintage Japanese bicycles some dating back over 50 years.  A pristine example is the high-end utility bicycle manufactured by the Midori Bicycle Company.

Early sports models and other vintage bicycles line the walls.

The shop is about a 10km ride from SEKIDOBASHI.   Just follow the bicycle path along side Tamagawa east bound until you hit Tama Suidobashi take a left on to Setagaya Doori and the shop is about a kilometer ahead on the left.
(Click on the map below)

長寿自転車商会
〒201-0003
東京都狛江市東和泉1丁目5-13