Kyoto Nijo Castle Area Bike Lane

自転車専用レーン京都二条城

Along the southern edge of Nijo Castle a bike "lane" has sprouted.

It is yet another joke, a bad joke, perpetrated by the geniuses in Kyoto City Hall. (Actually, the joke is the work of the Department of Construction, Bicycle Planning Division, which in Japanese is: 京都市役所建設局自転車政策課).

The city has painted the words "Bike Lane" on the street. That's it.

Paired with a flimsy police sign telling cyclists that they must ride on the left side of the street, it does not make for a compelling ride.

And, of course, trucks and taxis were parked in the lane.

On the return trip, we rode the lane on the other side, and once again taxis were idling in the lane.

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自転車で京都文化博物館と京都国際マンガミュージアムと二条城と二条陣屋へ

自転車で京都文化博物館と京都国際マンガミュージアムと二条城と二条陣屋へ

日本語ご希望の方。

This Kyoto cycling route starts at the Museum of Kyoto then heads north to the Manga Museum and then west towards Nijo Castle and the Ninja House (which is still closed for repairs).

All of the stops on this route are kid-friendly - especially the Manga Museum and Ninja House - and the route is short and flat.

For more information, in Japanese (with a link to an English page), here is a page on cycling to the Manga Museum and on to Nijo Castle and more, all within downtown Kyoto.

Ride Nijo, ride.


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Cycling Nijo Castle

自転車で二条城へ

Nijo Castle is a large inland castle a short ride from downtown Kyoto.

The castle was ordered built by Tokugawa Ieyasu, who founded the Tokugawa Shogunate.

In 1601, Tokugawa ordered all feudal lords in western Japan to "donate" towards the construction of Nijo Castle.

The castle was completed in 1626 and was the residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns, and - conveniently - a short distance from the Imperial Palace, home of the symbolic head of state, the emperor.

In 1939, the palace was given to the city of Kyoto and opened to the public the next year.

Today it is one of the best known sites in the city.

It has two moats, multiple fortifications, and lavish gardens. One of the most interesting features of the Ninomaru Palace in the castle are the "nightingale floors." Special flooring, which "sings" when someone walks upon it was installed to alert those within that intruders were in the castle.

Access

A one-minute walk from Nijojo-mae subway stop. A seven-minute walk from JR Nijo Station. An easy ride from downtown.

Details

Hours: 8:45 - 16:00
Fees: 600 yen

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Cycling near Nijo Castle

二条城の近く自転車で乗る

School was letting out near Nijo Castle.

The brief summer holiday - all of one month - had just ended and it was back to the books.

Temperatures were in the mid-thirties (high nineties in Fahrenheit) and students were probably not thrilled about being back in their trig classes, their world history classes, their stare out the window as the world goes by classes as sensei drones on at the front of the room.

This young pair were elated to have been released from a day at school, and were zigzagging south of Nijo Castle. They were the very embodiment of youthful joy and elan.

They both were riding practical "mama chari" bikes, perfect for getting around town and beating up on without worrying about the damage.

After they realized they were being photographed, the young man flashed a brief brilliant smile - and then resumed pedaling on to who knows where or what.

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Jizobon Nijo Area

地蔵盆二条城三条会

Kyoto is dotted with mini-temples, often tucked into space between buildings.

The structures house Jizo-san, a bodhisattva worshipped in East Asian Buddhism.

The Jizo is usually depicted as a Buddhist monk, and is believed to protect children.

The small statues are found throughout Japan.

In Kyoto, in particular, these statues are ubiquitous. Following the annual Bon Festival - which celebrates the once a year return of one's departed ancestors in August - Kyoto neighborhoods come alive with Jizobon festivals.

These festival are for children. Games and gifts mix with song and religious undertones.

The Jizo pictured here will be taken out of the temple on that day and set up on a temporary altar that will be the centerpiece of a two-day festival. Once finished, the Jizo is returned to the temple for another year.

What caught our eye were the tiles on the outside of the structure, giving it the feel of the interior of a public bath.

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Nijo Castle by Bike

自転車で二条城へ

Kyoto's Nijo Castle is a vast complex just northwest of downtown.

It is possible to ride or walk easily from almost anywhere in the center of Kyoto.

Nijo Castle was built as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns and finished in 1626. It is a massive fortified castle surrounded on all sides by a large deep moat.

In 1601, Tokugawa Ieyasu issued an edict that all feudal lords in nearby Western Japan had to contribute to the construction of the Castle.

It served as the Kyoto residence of the Tokugawa Shoguns - where the real power lay. A bit north of Nijo is Gosho, the Imperial Palace, the residence of the Emperor - who was symbolic head of the country.

Access

Nijo Castle

Nijo-dori Horikawa, Kyoto
075 841 0096

Entrance Fee: 600 yen


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