Japan is known for being one step ahead, with its advanced technology, crazy vending machines and quirky fashion. So a futuristic new scheme for parking bicycles in Tokyo, although a welcome development, isn't out of the ordinary.

Tokyo is home to a large population of bike riders and in recent years there' s been an increasingly urgent need to create a parking solution for the two wheelers that transcends cluttered bike racks.

Enter Eco-Cyle, a multi tiered storage facility that's the product of construction solutions company Giken.

An automated kiosk accepts a rider's bike, storing it in an underground, rotating wheel until the user returns to retrieve it. The service is offered for a monthly fee of about 2600 yen or $29 dollars.

Take a look at Danny Choo's video to see how it works.

[Danny Choo via autobloggreen.]