China’s Mobike set to roll out bicycle sharing service in Japan

Urban bicycle-sharing service operator Mobike continues to push forward its ambitious international expansion by unveiling on Thursday a new subsidiary in Fukuoka, the fifth-largest city in Japan.

Prior to that fundraising effort, Mobike had aggressively rolled out its service in Shanghai and across the mainland since April last year, while also establishing overseas operations earlier this year in Singapore as well as in the cities of Manchester and Salford in Britain.

“Fukuoka City, known for its innovation and dynamism, is a natural partner for Mobike,” said Chris Martin, the company’s head of international expansion. “The city government and the Fukuoka Directive Council (FDC) have given Mobike an incredible platform from which to expand our business in Japan.”

Fukuoka – located on the northern shore of Kyushu, the third-biggest island in Japan – is one of the country’s National Strategic Special Zones and implements a start-up visa programme for foreign businesses.

Its FDC forms strategic partnerships across public, private, academic and civic sectors to plan and implement effective regional development strategies throughout Kyushu.

“We look forward to the benefits Mobike will bring with the reduction of automobiles, and the positive impact Mobike’s eco-friendly bike-sharing service can provide,” said Fukuoka City mayor Soichiro Takashima in a statement on Thursday.