A Large-Scale Shared Mobility Station Opens in Kabukicho… The Surprising “Usage Patterns” We Observed on Site Two Months After Installation

A 100-scooter docking station opened in Kabukicho

“Lime,” one of the world’s largest electric micromobility sharing services, is expanding its market share in Japan.The company operates electric kick scooters and electric bicycles in over 200 cities across approximately 30 countries worldwide. It launched its service in Japan in 2024, and with docking stations set up in 16 Tokyo wards—including Shibuya, Minato, and Shinjuku—some people may have already spotted the company’s vehicles around town.

On June 15, Lime set up a large-scale docking station with a total of about 100 vehicles in Shinjuku’s Kabukicho, a well-known entertainment district.

Recently, safety concerns surrounding shared mobility services have been on the rise. Traffic violations by users—such as running red lights, riding double, and driving under the influence—continue unabated, leading to criticism of the services themselves.In a traffic accident that occurred on June 2 in Kita Ward, Tokyo, a “LUUP” user was killed. With the focus already on user etiquette in the shared mobility sector, how exactly are these services being used in Shinjuku’s Kabukichō? We visited the area two months after the station was set up to investigate.

Upon visiting Kabukicho, we saw a few people riding LUUP bikes here and there, but hardly anyone using Lime. We observed the area for about five hours, but only one person was using Lime on the streets. Moreover, that user had traveled to Kabukicho from another area and was not a user of the newly established docking station.I visited the area for several days, but the number of users coming from the new docking station turned out to be so few that I could count them on one hand.

When I asked people in the area, it seemed the main issue was a lack of brand awareness. While many people, regardless of age, were familiar with LUUP, responses regarding Lime included “I don’t know it,” “I’ve never heard of it,” and “This is the first time I’ve heard of it.” Furthermore, almost no one knew that a new Lime docking station had been set up in Kabukicho.

Mr. A, a man in his 30s who works in Kabukicho, says he always uses LUUP because he finishes work late and there are no trains running at that hour.

“I downloaded the Lime app at first because it looked interesting, but I stopped using it right away and haven’t touched it since,” said Mr. A.

Mr. A’s nearest station is Nakano. He says that if he were to use Lime, he’d have to walk a bit to the docking station closest to his home.He says he uses LUUP because he can ride it all the way to his home. After being told that the number of ports is increasing, he checked the app and found that “there are now ports near my house, too.” He says he’ll consider using it again. It seems that even people who know about Lime won’t use it unless they actually know where the ports are located.

“Don’t leave Meiji-dori or Shokuan-dori.”

As we continued our reporting, we heard many people say that “shared mobility services are difficult to use in Kabukichō.” Ms. B, a woman dressed in a “landmine-style” outfit, complained that she gets stopped by the police just for riding an electric kick scooter.

“If I ride a LUUP at night, I get stopped by the police right away. I was pulled over by the police just a week ago, too—even though I hadn’t been drinking and hadn’t run any red lights. It seems like a lot of people have had the same experience as me, so I think the police are keeping a close eye on us because there are so many people committing traffic violations. That’s why I’ve tried to avoid riding at night as much as possible.”

Riding an electric kick scooter makes you more likely to be stopped by the police—this was corroborated by Mr. C, a man who works in Kabukicho.

“You know those mopeds everyone rides in Kabukicho even now? For a while, during the crackdown on illegal mopeds, I’d get stopped the moment I left Kabukicho. It’s still a similar situation today—there are lots of people driving under the influence, riding double, or running red lights. I think the police are keeping an eye out because it’s easy to catch them.”

It seems you can get stopped just for holding a can of soda, and he says he’s often stopped for questioning when riding a LUUP.

“They’re great for maneuvering around inside Kabukichō, though. I’ve even been told, ‘Don’t go out onto Meiji-dori or Shokuan-dori because you’ll get stopped for questioning,’” says Mr. C.

What is the actual usage situation like at the new docking stations in Kabukichō? When we asked a spokesperson for Lime Inc., they replied , “We cannot disclose usage statistics for individual docking stations or specific areas.”

“At Lime, we prioritize providing a safe service and will continue to raise awareness of traffic rules, promote safety, and provide guidance through our app. Furthermore, we will continue to collaborate with local governments and relevant organizations, taking into account local conditions and usage trends, to strive for a safe and convenient service,” said a Lime, Inc. public relations representative.

Based on our on-site reporting, the number of users at the new Lime docking station in Kabukicho was surprisingly low. One reason for this is likely that the brand is still less well-known compared to LUUP, and many people are unaware of the newly established docking station. Many users also complained that it was inconvenient due to “frequent police stops,” but given the current situation where traffic violations by shared mobility users are a growing concern, this may be unavoidable.

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