"Ten Brits, 10 Bikes, 300 km, 3 days . . . !" — a group of British expats living in Tokyo will saddle up for a charity cycle ride this month to the disaster-stricken city of Minamisoma, Fukushima Prefecture, in the sort of fundraising drive that is common back home.
"People (in Japan) will say: 'Why are you cycling? I'll give you the money anyway,' " Robert Williams, 47, who launched Tokyo Brits earlier this year, said. "In Britain, people will give you the money only if you are going to do it. Some won't even give it to you until you've done it! It's just a different way of thinking."
The newly formed group, consisting of 10 members in their 40s and 50s who work in financial planning, recruitment and event management, came about through their shared interest in cycling.