Watch This Video To See How Bikes Are Parked In Japan

Parts of Japan have a problem with space, but the country is solving the problem through inventive methods. The world has seen underground bike machines prior to today, but a recent video by YouTube’s Tokyo Stormtrooper gives audiences an inside look at how Japan is saving space by neatly and tidily tucking away bike parking.

In the video, Danny Cho demonstrates exactly how to use one of these bike parking storage devices. Apparently, those participating in the bike park solution have an ic chip attached their bikes and set up an account. Cho then demonstrates how the machine recognizes the chip attached to his bike and opens the doors for him to store his device. Once the bike is all lined up, Cho hits a green button and the bike is taken into storage, where it is saved from “weather” and “pranksters.”

Since we get to see a little of the inner workings of the machine, this is all really cool. However, being an unnecessary worrier, I wondered how people were able to get their bikes back out at the end of the day. This is where the account access comes in. Cho shows audiences a little credit card-sized account card that just needs to be inserted into the machine at the end of the day (or whenever a person needs his or her bike back). The machines whirr once more, and eventually reproduce the bike the person stored at the beginning of the day. It's easy, efficient and there's no human error. Most placse in the United States have few of the space problems that Japan has, but this still seems like a great idea for any urban area.

If you are interested in some of Japan’s other awesome inventions, check out this mirror that let’s women try on clothes and check out the country’s efficient urban planning strategy for tearing down buildings.