Japan has a fascinating bicycle history—by 1895, the country was already producing some of the world's most affordable bikes—so Tokyo's Bicycle Culture Center is perfectly positioned to celebrate and share all things cycling.
Founded in 1981 as part of a local science museum, the Bike Culture Center got its own home in 2013, designed by Kato-Sumiyoshi Architects in collaboration with fabricators TANK.
Open plywood shelves display vintage uniforms and the museum's 9,000-book library, custom drawers pull out to reveal historical bike components, and modular, drawer-like platforms can be extended to exhibit noteworthy bicycles.
The open, store-like interior makes the small space feel accessible rather than intimidating, with books and artifacts well within arm's reach.
And the attention to detail is delightful. For example, the stanchion ropes are made of bike chain.
The Bicycle Culture Center in Tokyo is a Museum for Bicycle Lovers [Spoon and Tamago]
That Wild Tokyo Apartment in Girls Was Designed to Cheat Death [Curbed]