"James Annan" <still_the_same_me@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:400fbe22$0$589$44c9b20d@news3.asahi->

> 第9条：軽車両の乗車人数又は積載の制限
> 　　二輪車又は三輪の自転車にあたっては、1人を超えないこと。
> 　　但し、乗車装置を設け、安全な方法で当該乗車装置に６歳未満
> 　　の者1名を乗車させ、16歳以上の者が運転する場合、または
> 　　自転車専用道路等において乗車装置に応じた人員が乗車する
> 　　場合は、この限りではない。

There may be an official translation of this one, but here is the gist:

Article 9. Weight and Passenger Restrictions on Light Vehicles[1]

No more than on person may ride a bicycle or tricycle, with the following
exceptions:

(1) A child under the age of six is seated safely in a seat mounted on the
vehicle, and the vehicle is being operated by a person of at least 16 years
of age

(2) The vehicle is being ridden on a bicycle path *or the like*, and the
number of persons riding the vehicle does not exceed the number of seats
thereon.

So, it seems perfectly legal to ride a tandem on a bicycle path, and the *or
the like* (nado) may actually give you some wiggle room as to what gets
defined as a "road for the exclusive use of bicycles and the like (jitensha
senyou douro nado)." I.e., what is "like" a bike path? Is a sidewalk like a
bike path? Is a pedestrian-only street like a bike path? Etc.

However, since you have already pissed off your boss, it might be a bit late
for some winking and nudging. Good luck!

By the way, clause (2) there seems to rule out any possibilty of tandems
having been excluded "by mistake," as they provide for them specifically as
long as they are on bike paths (or the like <g>).

[1] The law should define what a "light" vehicle is somewhere, but it
probably includes gentsuki (scooters), bicycles, and electric carts (e.g.
Rascal).

-- 
Regards,
Ryan Ginstrom