Intersections and "wait" lines

Some intersections are important enough that the pedestrians/bicyclists have their own signal. So, cars going east/west get a green light; then cars going north/south get a green light; then traffic stops and the intersection is free and open for bikes and walkers to cross any direction. It reminds me of the “all skate” option from bygone rollerskating days! For the most part, people wait for the green light, no matter how small the crossing, or how few cars there are on the street.

Speaking of waiting, we see lines:

Bikes waiting to get a paid parking spot in the bike parking lot (sorry, no picture – we didn’t know why they were lined up ½ block long until we got to the front of the line). Bikes pay to park almost everywhere.

Taxis line up – they are very common, probably because people don’t own cars

People line up to buy “obento” – fast food. The lines can go out the door around eating time, but they are busy most of the day. We are amazed at how many "mom and pop" type eateries (& shops) there are that stay afloat.