I started riding what you might call "sports bicycles" when I was a university student. Back then, I commuted by train, and the decision to start using a beat-up touring bike I had at home was born out of a desire to save a little on my commuter pass. I remember pedaling frantically along Route 41 from Iwakura to Nagoya every day, but since there were far fewer bicycles on the road back then compared to now, I often remember having drivers honk their horns at me.
A bicycle might seem like a small presence once you dive into the traffic of a city, but it’s a vehicle that emits no exhaust and is great for your physical health. While cities present challenges regarding where to ride and where to park, I believe that if each person takes some form of action, the future will change, little by little.
A gathering that I believe connects to that very idea is being held in Nagoya this weekend.
Screening of the Japanese Subtitled Version of the Critical Mass Film "We Are Traffic!"
"Critical Mass" is a grassroots bicycling movement that began in San Francisco in 1992 and spread throughout the world. This year, 19 years after its original release, we are screening a Japanese subtitled version of "We Are Traffic!," a film that documents the movement’s origins and early growth through the testimonies of those involved and footage from the streets.
"We Are Traffic!" is a documentary film directed by Ted White and released in 1999, currently available for online purchase through Green Planet Films. For this event, we have secured the "screening rights for universities and local communities" to make this Japanese subtitled version available to the public.
Event Information (click here for the event page)
・Sunday, February 4, 2018: Screening starts at 18:00
・Admission: Free (donations welcome)
・Director: Ted White
・1999 / USA / English / 50 minutes
・Venue: Buku-Pal (Paruru 2F)
2-2-19 Shinsakae, Naka-ku, Nagoya
(6-minute walk from Shinsakaemachi Subway Station)
・http://book-pal.net/
Critical Mass was held in Nagoya for the first time last spring, and whether you participated then or weren't able to make it, please feel free to join us.
Also, the flyer created by Daisy Messenger, which includes an homage to xerocracy, is truly wonderful.