Japan fines cyclists 12,000 yen for phone use as pedestrian warnings rise

How Japan is treating distracted walking

Japan hasn't introduced a national fine for pedestrians using smartphones while walking, but authorities are escalating safety warnings around the practice known as aruki-sumaho. The Tokyo Fire Department logged 171 ambulance transports between 2021 and 2025 tied to walking or cycling while using a phone, with 43 cases in 2025 alone, The Japan Times reported.

Only a handful of local ordinances formally restrict the behavior. Yamato City in Kanagawa Prefecture passed Japan's first such rule in 2020, requiring pedestrians to stop before using phones on public roads, parks and squares. Tokyo's Adachi and Arakawa wards and Osaka's Ikeda City have similar ordinances. None carry penalties.

Cyclists face a tougher regime. A nationwide blue ticket system took effect April 1, letting police issue on-the-spot fines to riders 16 and older for phone use while cycling, with penalties of up to 12,000 yen (about $75). Riding with an umbrella or earphones in violation of local rules can draw a 5,000 yen fine.

Who feels the pressure

The rules apply to everyone physically in Japan, so tourists, expats and remote workers are subject to the same enforcement as residents. Travelers who lean on phones for navigation, translation or work calls are the most exposed group, particularly in Shinjuku, Shibuya and Osaka station hubs repeatedly flagged in official campaigns.

Multilingual posters and platform announcements at JR and subway stations now warn against texting while walking, with messaging in English, Chinese and Korean aimed at foreign visitors. Police, station staff and safety volunteers may verbally remind distracted pedestrians to stop, though enforcement focuses on cyclists and drivers.

What travelers should do

The 2026 National Spring Traffic Safety Campaign ran April 6-15 and explicitly told pedestrians to stop in a safe spot before checking phones. Kanagawa Prefecture, which covers Yokohama and parts of greater Tokyo, has folded smartphone distraction into its 2026 traffic safety messaging for drivers, cyclists and pedestrians.

• Stop walking before checking maps, messages or translation apps in crowded transit areas
• Put the phone away entirely before mounting a rental bike, because phone-in-hand riding now triggers immediate fines
• Avoid earphones while cycling in cities with local ordinances against them

Pedestrians who cause accidents while distracted can face civil liability even without a criminal fine.

Read our full Japan guide for the complete picture.