Originally published on metropolis.co.jp on December 2009

Now you don’t have to leave the Vespa at home when you go shopping for a new Louis Vuitton bag. Japan’s first dedicated parking meters for motorbikes commenced operation at the end of last month in the fashion paradise of Omotesando. They’re being provided on a trial basis by the Metropolitan Police Department, in response to a spike in cases of illegally parked motorbikes since the Road Traffic Law was revised in 2006. The new spaces can accommodate up to 34 bikes; all that’s missing are the customers. When Metropolis visited during rush hour the day after they opened, the parking zones were occupied by a single scooter—along with a few cars and a tour bus. Maybe the price has something to do with it: at ¥300 for an hour (9am-8pm), the new bike meters cost the same as you’d pay to park a car on the same street. And where’s the fun in that?