[shiroiuma]

It reminds me of a mouse I once hit on my bike (not in Tokyo, it was a rural place). The mouse darted into the road, so I tried to go around him. But then he changed direction to avoid me, and so I ran over him. I ended up having to crush his skull to put him out of his misery. If he had just continued in a predictable, straight line, he would have survived.

You should rent one of the Docomo red rental bikes and ride it around some, and then you can see what it's like being one of the cyclists. The last thing you want as a cyclist is pedestrians who make unpredictable movements as you're passing. Also remember, pedestrians here have the absolute right-of-way, and cyclists are pretty much always at fault if there's a collision.