How to Inflate a Bike Tire in Japan

Why so many options Japan?! What the heck is all of this?

      Recently I realized that one of my daughter's bike tires was going flat. I ran into Homac for the cheapest available air pump, but unfortunately my minimal experience growing up in the airing up bike tires in Texas did not prepare me at all for airing up a Japanese bike tire.

Kinda looks familiar, but the double lined silver ring can be removed, as can a rubber thing underneath, but doing this makes it impossible to air up.

     If memory serves, in America, you twist off the cap on the tire and plug in the pump nozzle. Then you pump up the tire and disconnect when you're done. Put the cap back on and you're ready to go.

     Bike tires in Japan are apparently slightly more complicated but can be manageable as long as you actually find the right information.

     Googling how to air up a bike tire was unhelpful as I searched in English and got a lot of American led videos that only told me the useless information I already knew. 

Attach the weird thing with the spring clip to the pump end.

     According to my husband, British bike tires are similar to the Japanese variety, so maybe you UK expats in Japan would not have to endure the level of frustration that I experienced in trying to do this.

Keep the rings and the little metal outlet bit in place. If you unscrewed them, put them back on before you try to air it up.

     Japanese bike tires have an extra part. The outer cap is similar to the US variety but there's also an inner, rubber insulating prong-shaped thing. Leave the rubber insulating prong thing in place. Only remove the outer cap.

The open end of the clip goes to the opposite side of th I double rings, pushing the tiny prong right into the pump and holding it there.

     Use the weird, spring loaded claw gimmick to forcibly attach the pump to the tire as shown in the picture. 

     Then pump as normal to the desired pressure. If you have a pressure gauge to check, the ideal pressure range for bike tires is usually printed on the side. 

     Release the claw gimmick and recap the tire when you're done. If you try all this without the rubber prong thing, it will release all of the air when you detach. 

There she goes, after only one hour of confusion, frustration, and scouring the internet.